Television personality and restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd, have launched PUMP, just one block away from her  exclusive West Hollywood restaurant and lounge, SUR.

Television personality and restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump is pictured with her husband Ken Todd and their dog Giggy. The couple has opened PUMP in West Hollywood. (photo courtesy of PUMP)

I dined alone on a Wednesday evening at PUMP and was seated on the outdoor patio under 100-year-old olive trees. Two tables away sat Todd and his daughter, Pandora, and their friends. As the sun set, lanterns hanging from the tree branches and candles cast flickering shadows on the patio and interior of the restaurant. The decor has a French influence with decorative pieces from Parisian bridges below each bar area.

I started with a glass of Chardonnay served with roasted beet and goat cheese Napoleon with candied pistachios. Todd welcomed me, as we had met before when I reviewed Villa Blanca in Beverly Hills.

The restaurant grew quiet as Vanderpump strolled on to the dining patio. She is one of the stars of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and producer of ”Vanderpump Rules”. She noticed her husband and I talking, and joined us at the table. I learned that Vanderpump personally designs the interiors of many of their restaurants, including Villa Blanca, SUR and PUMP.

The dynamic duo are also philanthropists, and financially support the organization Keep Memory Alive, which helps develop treatments and prevention strategies for neurological disorders such as ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

The “Hollywood Royalty” couple now own 27 restaurants and bars. Their daughter, Pandora, became involved in the restaurants after graduating from Pepperdine University and currently has a Lisa Vanderpump Sangria line, from which guests can order at PUMP.

Executive chef Penny Davidi later visited my table to discuss the menu. She was known as the “Middle Eastern Mama” in the Food Network’s popular television show, “Chopped”, and was such a fan favorite that she returned on “Chopped All-Stars”. In Farsi, her name is Pouneh, which means “edible flower”. When Vanderpump and Todd met Davidi, they liked her cooking style so much that they thought she would be the perfect choice as the executive chef for PUMP.

Davidi is also a certified U.S. Foods Culinary Specialist, and creates healthy and sexy dishes, such as “Kale on a Date”, creamy burrata with colorful heirloom tomatoes, and the “Pinky Pump” burger with caramelized red onions, pomegranate ketchup and feta cheese, served on a brioche bun with a side of thick cut fries. Davidi said her favorite dish is the Guinness battered fish and chips.

All of the desserts are made in Davidi’s kitchen using her recipes. In addition to being executive chef at PUMP, Davidi owns a bakery — ToC  — located near the Beverly Center.

PUMP is open nightly and offers a decadent Sunday brunch. On the walls are famous, hand painted catchphrases by Vanderpump, such as “Life isn’t all diamonds and rosé, but it should be…”  $$ Nightly hours are 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Sunday brunch runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 8948 Santa Monica Blvd. (310)657-7867.