Year of the Wolf

Lisa Vanderpump gives the lowdown on her new Scottsdale restaurant, Wolf by Vanderpump

By Kaylor Jones

There’s soon to be another jewel in Lisa Vanderpump’s crown – a second location of her restaurant Wolf by Vanderpump opens early this month in Scottsdale. Located on the rooftop of Caesars Republic, the views of the sun setting over Camelback Mountain took even Vanderpump’s breath away.

“It’s definitely a unique concept, and this particular venue has got this wonderful terrace upstairs with the Camelback Mountain. It’s so graphic. That’s a sexy mountain, for sure,” says Vanderpump, who opened the first location of Wolf at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe in April 2024 to rave reviews.

“Wolf was voted in the top 25 restaurants in the U.S. with Yelp reviews. It’s a very different kind of innovative, bold and sexy design.” Think romantic opulence and lush textures thanks to bespoke pieces from her design label with Nick Alain.

The concept is a perfect complement to the she-wolf theme of Caesars Republic Scottsdale. HCW, the local real estate and hospitality firm behind the property, played an important role when it came to Vanderpump picking a location for her next restaurant. She always trusts a local expert, and HCW’s president and CEO immediately stood out.

“I think Rick Huffman is a visionary. He knows exactly what he’s doing,” she says. “He really understands the business, and he’s a very smart guy who’s very enthusiastic.”

Scottsdale itself quickly won her over from her very first visit.

“I really like it here. It’s got the feel-good factor. It’s clean, bright, innovative,” Vanderpump says. “There’s just a great energy in Scottsdale. People want to go out, they want to enjoy themselves, restaurants are busy. People have that appetite for it.”

On the Menu

With so many great restaurants in Scottsdale, Vanderpump says, she knew the bar was set high. That’s why the menu at Wolf is a mix of hits from the globally-inspired Lake Tahoe menu, plus new lighter fare and shareable bites designed just for Scottsdale.

Among classics like caviar with potato chips and crispy shrimp tacos, Vanderpump’s go-to order is Lisa’s Lobster Cobb with a side of the Signature Wolf Bread with cheese and herbs. Her whimsical and elaborate cocktails are a special point of pride – everything from spicy strawberry martinis topped with cotton candy and gold flakes to a bourbon cold brew served with a chocolate cigar to an everything bagel martini.

“Our cocktails are second to none. We’re very Instagrammable because we’re very visual,” she says. “Unfortunately for me, in my position I have to stay sober! So as much as I like to try all the cocktails, I normally have a Vanderpump Rosé.”

After so many years in the business, Vanderpump knows the keys to a great night out extend far beyond food and drink. She’s after a complete multisensory experience that lingers in the mind long after guests have returned home.

“It’s about the service; I think the attitude from people can make it or break it. We’re always going to deliver great visuals, lighting, ambience, comfort, all those things. I’m not that person where somebody says, ‘Oh, you’ve got to go to this place, it’s a little hole in the wall but the food’s great.’ I want it all. I want to hear music. I want beautiful visuals. I want the people to be nice to me. I want the food to be presented well. I want good-sized servings.”

That’s why even among her many honors – including design nominations in the 2025 Bar & Restaurant Expo Industry Excellence Awards for both Wolf in Lake Tahoe and Pinky’s in Las Vegas – Vanderpump takes special pride in recognition from platforms like Yelp, proof that people are walking away satisfied.

The most rewarding part of it all? “When I actually see it open, and I see people enjoying it. A lot of people, they’ll open a restaurant, they’ll put their name on it and just show up to the opening. We live it, we breathe it, we built it, so seeing it all come to fruition is very satisfying.”

The Entertainers

This endeavor isn’t Vanderpump’s first time working with Caesars Entertainment, and it certainly won’t be her last.

“They’re fantastic. You always worry when you want complete autonomy, but I’ve just been so lucky with Caesars Entertainment. They’re so generous to us, the fact that they allow us autonomy when it comes to design. Pinky’s is so different to Vanderpump à Paris, Vanderpump à Paris is so different to Wolf, but they trust us. They’re just amazing people to work with, and they’ve been brilliant with me. So brilliant that they gave me my own hotel!”

Next up on Vanderpump’s to-do list is turning the old Cromwell Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip into the Vanderpump Hotel. Currently slated to open in early 2026, the transformation will see all-new furnishings, bespoke lighting and plenty of her signature glamour.

“It’s going to be a work in progress for a little, so we can’t talk too much about it. It’s a boutique hotel, which I love. It’s going to have that Vanderpump flair, but it’s attainable luxury, not crazy priced out of the market. We’ve done the model room already, which I’m very happy with – it’s sexy and comfortable. So, there’s a lot of work I’m doing right now, with two shows coming on the air as well.”

Those shows are, of course, Vanderpump Rules and Vanderpump Villa. Season 12 of the Bravo cult-classic Vanderpump Rules – originally a spinoff of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the show on which Vanderpump first made her name as a reality TV star – premiers as a reboot on Dec. 2, highlighting a fresh cast of servers bringing new levels of workplace drama to Vanderpump’s West Hollywood restaurant SUR. Also in production is the third season of Vanderpump Villa, which airs on Hulu and will take place in the English countryside.

It’s these diverse ventures and many more that have elevated Vanderpump as an expert in all-things entertainment, beginning when she first became a restauranteur alongside her husband Ken Todd.

“When I met my husband he had a nightclub, but for all the wrong reasons – he was a single man, you can imagine. I soon straightened that up! Then we ended up with another restaurant, another restaurant, another restaurant. It’s just in our blood, really.”

Now, Wolf by Vanderpump Scottsdale marks her 39th hospitality concept, and she has no plans to slow down.

“I love hospitality. Every meal is a special occasion to me, it’s just who I am. We work bloody hard – between producing our shows, our rescue organization [The Vanderpump Dog Foundation] saving thousands of dogs, doing design with Vanderpump Alain – maybe harder than we should, but I believe mealtime is the time when you take a moment, you relax, you have a drink, you embrace each other, you laugh, you giggle, you gossip.”

Of course, Vanderpump isn’t against grabbing a quick bite while working, but at the end of the day, that just isn’t her style.

“I like everything to be something special. I think that we don’t take enough time to pat ourselves on the back and have a glass of wine or a great cocktail, enjoy the moment. When I’m having tea, it’ll be in a china cup, chocolate on the side. I don’t care how hard I work, I will try and live the good life – even on a building site, where normally it’s a pile of bricks or sandbags I’ll sit on and say, ‘This is my office from now on,’ I’ll always have a china teacup with me.”