5 Insider Tips for Having the Best Night Ever at Tom Tom
Everything you need to know about Lisa Vanderpump's West Hollywood hotspot Tom Tom, from where to sit to what to eat.
It's been almost nine months since Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval opened their baby Tom Tom, a West Hollywood bar and restaurant partnership with Vanderpump Rules boss Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd. These days, the place is still perpetually packed — a hotspot that's also literal stumbling distance from Lisa and Ken's bar and restaurant Pump, where the namesake raspberry-hued Pump-tinis flow all night long (or at least until closing time at 11:30 pm).
Planning to make the pilgrimage to Tom Tom? (And yes, you definitely should.) If you're making a visit for the very first time, The Feast has some insider secrets to making your night a success. You're welcome... and cheers!
1. Learn the layout.
While you might get lucky and see someone famous while at the bar, it can get pretty crowded up front and some more familiar faces might actually be hiding in the back. Make a reservation to have dinner at Tom Tom to secure a table in the coveted back garden room and your odds of spotting someone you see on TV, movies, or in concert will go way up.
2. Score the best seat.
Tom Tom is big, and there are a variety of places to sit, including double bar stools at the bar, communal tables, tiny tables around the fireplace and a more spacious dining area in the back. But if you're looking to set a mood, you need to know what to ask for when you get there.
When The Feast caught up with Tom Sandoval at Tom Tom's pre-opening party last summer, he offered his advice on the ideal places to scope out: "Start at the bar, go out to the garden, meander and then come back to the half circle."
Of course, that was before Tom Tom actually opened and became a perpetual hotspot prone to lines, so now it's unlikely you can get so much freedom to roam about. You'll be asked at the door if you want food or just drinks, and that will partially determine where you're seated. If you want to have some romantic bites with your sips, ask to sit in what Sandoval called the "half circle," a semi-private booth in the back of the main space before the garden area. There, you can cozy up with your company, order matching pink drinks like the gin-spiked Alchemy Rose and the spicy mezcal-infused Clockwork Pink (both pictured above) and gaze into each others eyes — or the beautiful refrigerator of adult beverages (which is now a wine chiller).
3. Coat your stomach.
Look for the #PartyAnimals section of the food menu, which offers portions of three or six pieces for your small or large crew. And don't overlook the most luxurious bite, a trio (or sextet) of high-quality Kobe beef sliders served on brioche (pictured above), which is draped in a veil of melty Gruyere cheese and served with a crispy potato on top. There's also a lot of large-format wine selections on the wine list should you and that crew want to really turn up.
4. Pics or it didn't happen!
You simply must take some pics to mark your evening at Tom Tom — and you'll want to take the most essential and iconic snap inside the space: Grab a smooch in front of the picture of Tom and Tom kissing that graces the front of the establishment, just like Chrissy Teigen and John Legend did on their visit.
5. Let Lisa Vanderpump give you a tour.
In case you don't find Lisa roaming around the venue on your big night out — fear not. She's giving you an exclusive tour through the space... on demand. Just hit play on the clip above to see it!
Whatever you do once you get there, just know that the staff at Tom Tom is ready to show you a good time.
Check out all the celebs who have visited the West Hollywood hotspot:
