Perfectly dressed in a long sparkling pink gown, Lisa Vanderpump debuted her latest Las Vegas lounge at Flamingo on December 6 with an elaborate grand opening party that featured a cabaret singer and, fittingly, showgirls wearing feathered headpieces. Reality television stars Tom Schwartz and Peter Madrigal, along with the cast from Vanderpump’s latest show, Vanderpump Villa, also attended.
Called Pinky’s by Vanderpump, it’s a name that not only plays on the colorful Flamingo but Vanderpump’s nickname as well. What is going to strike visitors first is how seamless of a fit Pinky’s is in the soon-to-be 78-year-old property.
Designed by Vanderpump and her longtime business partner Nick Alain, Pinky’s has such a vintage Art Deco look that—in a nod to the history of the property—it gives off the appearance of age, as if it’s been there for decades.
The 198-seat restaurant and bar is a golden palace with hints of pink (no neon here), a stamped floor, bright green crystal chandeliers that could have been plucked from a Wicked set and playful artwork—there’s one of Vanderpump riding a flamingo.
Of course, anyone who has visited her two other ultra-popular Las Vegas lounges—Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace and Vanderpump à Paris—know that just like her reality series, her restaurants are a show with the cocktails and food meant to be photographed and shared on social media. Even the drink names are meant to elicit laughs.
Take Daddy Issues, for example. It’s a vodka-based French 75 cocktail with peach and sparkling rose topped with cotton candy, or the Less Depresso, More Espresso, an espresso martini garnished with a thin chocolate cookie bridge cookie and tiramisu brownie.
On the food side, Vanderpump decided to go small and serve pretty dishes meant for sharing. There’s the Deviled Egg Garden featuring five upright deviled eggs each with a decadent topping (caviar, lobster, salmon, bacon and blue cheese, and cornichon), Wagyu sliders finished with roasted shishito peppers, a dill pickle and tater tots, and Pinky’s signature Birdcages, which house elaborate charcuterie plates.
“The food is very playful,” Vanderpump told Time Out at a pre-opening brunch. “There is a trend of people not wanting such formal food. When people come from out of town to the playground of America, they want that individual experience that they can’t find anywhere else.”