Lisa Vanderpump's New Vegas Restaurant Is Like A Cloudy Day In Paris
Restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump has opened Vanderpump à Paris, her second restaurant in Las Vegas. The name is not just a nod to the fact that the restaurant will operate within the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. It is also a statement about the theme of the restaurant which is – guess what – reimagined Paris.
"You'll find our love for French wine, delicious French food, and our fascination with French culture peppered throughout Vanderpump à Paris," Vanderpump said in a Caesars Entertainment news release. This fascination, she explained, was born from and formed by the near-decade she and her husband Ken Tidd spent living in France: "We are inextricably tied to the country."
When Vanderpump originally announced that she would open Vanderpump à Paris in July, the press release described how "each cocktail will be carefully crafted, with cheeky nods to Paris." On the menu, one might notice that the wine list leads with "Wine Not? When in Paris..." It then follows this up with a quote attributed to Ernest Hemmingway that claims his sole regret was not indulging in more wine.
The rest of the menu continues to dump Paris on the guest with stuffed baguettes, crab croquettes, cheese French-style desserts, and more accompanying quotes. The decor follows suit. Walking in from Las Vegas's lights, a patron seemingly finds the more gothic side of France with a false window behind the bar that "opens" onto a cloudy view of the Eiffel Tower. So what do those patrons have to say about it?
People seem to love Vanderpump à Paris
As of this writing, Vanderpump à Paris has only been open for a couple of days. Still, a smattering of Yelp reviews has trickled in with adoration. Some responded well to the gothic French decor. Praising the "chic" atmosphere, one guest said, "[I] felt like I was in a garden in Paris." The food won customers over as well. "Best meal I have had in a long time," a rapturous review reads. "Not to mention the cocktails! We came for the experience, and we got so much more."
It seems alcohol helped the restaurant stand apart. For example, a reviewer gave special attention to the cocktails: "The Le Marg is also a great cocktail! We also tried the Les Crudites, very fresh and tasty. The Lovelocked cocktail is perfect for two and comes with a lock and a key you can sign and place on their wall!" In some respects, the Lovelocked exudes a certain Paris flair. A gin-based cocktail, it boasts its own box on the menu and two unique statements: "Leave your mark at Vanderpump à Paris" and "A Cocktail & Memory for Two." Presumably, the drink was inspired by the romantic tradition of Parisian "love locks." Per the BBC a couple would write their name on a lock, attach it to a bridge, and toss the key into the Seine. Perhaps you could even say Lisa Vanderpump's restaurant forms a bridge between her French experience and Vegas, complete with its own LoveLocked.