It was the place where you could basically smell the drama through the screen. If you were a fan of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills or Vanderpump Rules back in the day, Villa Blanca Beverly Hills wasn't just a restaurant. It was a character. It was that impossibly white, flower-heavy corner on Brighton Way where the wine was chilled, the waitstaff was gorgeous, and everyone seemed to be whispering about a lawsuit or a cast shakeup.
But if you drive past 9601 Brighton Way today, the "Villa Blanca" sign is long gone.
Honestly, the closure felt like the end of an era for Bravo fans. It’s been years since the doors officially locked for the last time in 2020, but people are still searching for why it happened and if it’s ever coming back. Hint: It’s not.
The Rise of the Most Famous Corner in Beverly Hills
Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd opened Villa Blanca in 2009. At the time, they were the "it" couple of the London and West Hollywood dining scenes. They brought a specific aesthetic that was very... well, very Lisa. We’re talking massive orb-like bouquets of white lilies, mirrored tables, and a menu that tried to be everything at once. Mediterranean? Sure. Asian fusion? Why not. Italian? Absolutely.
It worked.
The location was prime—just a block away from Rodeo Drive. For a few years, it was a genuine celebrity hotspot. You had everyone from Paris Hilton to David Hasselhoff grabbing lunch on that chattering patio. It was the kind of place where you’d see paparazzi camping out on the sidewalk because they knew a "Real Housewife" was inside having a very loud salad.
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The Vanderpump Effect
What really put Villa Blanca on the map was its role as a soundstage. Before SUR became the center of the universe for Vanderpump Rules, Villa Blanca was the primary backdrop for Lisa’s business-mogul storyline on RHOBH. It was where she hosted fundraisers for the Children’s Burn Foundation and where cast members like Kyle Richards or Brandi Glanville would meet to "clear the air" (which usually meant someone left in tears).
Why Did Villa Blanca Actually Close?
The official story and the "internet rumor" story are slightly different, but they both point to the same finish line.
In July 2020, Lisa confirmed the permanent closure. The timing made sense to the public—the world was in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the hospitality industry was getting absolutely hammered. Lisa told the Daily Mail and other outlets that the 12-year lease was up, and the landlord wasn't willing to renegotiate the rent to a level that made sense during a global lockdown.
"If the landlord had been willing to renegotiate and the lease wasn't ending, we would have reopened," she told fans.
But there was more to it than just a bad lease.
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The Lawsuits and the "Messy" Side of Business
Villa Blanca had a bit of a dark cloud over it for years before the pandemic hit. In 2014, a former waitress named Karina Bustillos won a sexual harassment lawsuit against the restaurant. A jury awarded her $100,000 in punitive damages after she alleged that an assistant manager had been physically and verbally aggressive.
That wasn't the only legal headache. There were class-action lawsuits over labor law violations and unpaid wages that named Villa Blanca alongside Lisa’s other spots like SUR and PUMP. By the time 2020 rolled around, the "pristine" reputation of the white-on-white restaurant was definitely showing some cracks.
What People Got Wrong About the Food
Let’s be real for a second. If you went to Villa Blanca for a five-star culinary experience, you were probably in the wrong place.
Most critics—and even some blunt Redditors—will tell you the food was "fine." It wasn't life-changing. You went for the Rosé. You went for the "Crisp Lobster" tacos or the "Angel Hair Pink" pasta because you wanted to feel like you were in a scene from a TV show.
The decor was often criticized for being "dated" or "stuffy" toward the end. One viral Jezebel review famously ripped into the "dismal" food and the "banquet hall in a strip mall" vibe. But for the fans? It didn't matter. The appeal was the proximity to fame. You weren't paying for the sea bass; you were paying for the chance that Lisa would walk in with Giggy the Pomeranian under her arm.
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What Is There Now?
If you're looking for that "Vanderpump" fix in Beverly Hills, you're out of luck. The space didn't stay empty forever, though. By late 2023, news broke that Bacari, a popular Mediterranean tapas-style mini-chain, was taking over the seventh location in the old Villa Blanca space.
It’s a very different vibe now. Gone are the white lilies and the mirrored walls, replaced by the more rustic, wood-heavy aesthetic that Bacari is known for. It’s a sign of how Beverly Hills is shifting away from the hyper-glam, reality-TV-excess era into something a bit more modern and "food-first."
Actionable Insights for the Vanderpump Fan
If you’re still mourning the loss of Villa Blanca or planning a "Vanderpump Crawl" in Los Angeles, here is the current state of play for 2026:
- Visit SUR and TomTom: These are still the anchors of the West Hollywood empire. SUR remains the "O.G." spot where you can see the Vanderpump Rules cast (or at least the ones who still work there for the cameras).
- Check out Wolf and Pinky's: Lisa has largely shifted her focus to Las Vegas. If you want the high-glam, over-the-top decor that Villa Blanca used to have, you’ll find it at Caesar’s Palace or Paris Las Vegas.
- Don't expect a revival: While Lisa once hinted at bringing the Villa Blanca brand back in a new location, that hasn't materialized. With the opening of Wolf and other ventures, the Beverly Hills restaurant seems firmly in the past.
- The Homeless Initiative continues: One of the few silver linings mentioned during the closure was that the weekly program to feed the homeless—which Villa Blanca did every Monday for 12 years—was moved to their other restaurant kitchens.
Villa Blanca was a specific moment in time. It was the peak of the "Bravolebrity" lifestyle business. It survived a decade of drama, lawsuits, and changing tastes, but in the end, a pandemic and a rigid landlord were the only things that could finally take down the white-on-white palace.
Next Steps for Your Trip:
If you want to experience the new vibe of the space, make a reservation at Bacari Beverly Hills. It’s the same corner, the same great people-watching, but with a much better wine list. For those who still want the "LVP" experience, head to West Hollywood and book a table at TomTom—just make sure you do it well in advance, as it’s still one of the hardest seats to get in the neighborhood.