Specialties
A casual feel with great food, drink, and service! Family friendly, girls night out, date night and great for celebrations of any type. Twisted Italian inspired small plates and pastas, Neapolitan style wood-fired pizzas with 5-7 days aged housemate dough, delicious salads, innovative entree’s of steak, seafood, chicken and shellfish, full weekend lunch / brunch menu, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. Carefully chosen wine selection over 40 wines by the glass, creative Fresh Craft Cocktails and a well balanced craft beer list.
History
Established in 2018.
Family owned and operated with a long history of food, beverage and service experiences. VAI's came together as a small group of tight knit family and friends bringing a casual vibe with sophisticated hospitality to the area. High quality food, prepared in a scratch kitchen, a beverage program designed to excite you and all moderately priced and prepared with focus and passion in an inviting atmosphere.
Literally had the BEST experience at VAIs tonight. Our server, Cindy, was AMAZING. So nice, attentive, knowledgeable, and kind. From appetizer to dessert she guided us the whole way and every recommendation was on point. We had the oysters, salmon, and ahi tuna. She then treated us to a crème brûlée which was on the house, and soooo good. On top of everything the atmosphere was very cozy and inviting. Will be returning ASAP.
We were excited to try this Italian restaurant as we have passed it many times when driving thru Naperville on Route 59. They are an Italian Classic/Rustic inspired scratch kitchen with a full bar and seasonal outdoor seating. We went on a Tuesday night for my wife's birthday. We did have a reservation which is recommended as it was pretty crowded for midweek Our server Brionna C was super nice and friendly. We explained to her that my wife is Gluten Free and she suggested a few entrees that they could make for her. We started with a bottle of one of our favorite Chilean wines and split the large Vai's Chopped salad which was fantastic and loaded with flavor. Mixed greens,fresh mozz,avocado,grilled corn,spicey soppressata,pepperoni,artichokes,charred peppers and grape tomatoes topped with a herbed vinegrette. Highly recommended. For our main dishes I had the Shrimp and Andouille Linguine with creole spices. Super delicious. My wife had one of their weekly specials...Seafood Etouffee which was loaded with shrimp,bay scallops ,crawfish tails in a calabrian chili cream sauce over risotto. Portions are huge so we ended up taking half home. They also treated my wife to a complimentary Flourless Chocolate Cake for her birthday. A wonderful night and we will definitely be back!
Went here for dinner and had a wonderful experience. Service was wonderful and everyone was kind and attentive. We ordered the burrata and arancini for appetizers (the burrata was my favorite part of the entire meal and arancini was my husbands). For an entree we got the vodka pasta and short rib rigatoni. The crispy prosciutto on the vodka pasta was the perfect touch. For dessert we had the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake which was 10/10. Drinks were also wonderful! They also had a ton of N/A options which I always appreciate. Would definitely return!
I was going to give four stars instead of five but I understand how important reviews are and this place really does deserve five stars. The reason I considered giving only four was due to the reservation system. I made a reservation on OpenTable that Friday morning, but the only options available were 4:45 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. This was the third time within a month that I tried to book a 6:00 or 6:30 p.m. reservation the morning-of, and couldn’t because the system showed the restaurant as fully booked. Granted it was a Friday however the other times I tried to book were not. To be fair, I didn’t call the restaurant to check for availability, which I would recommend doing and will do myself in the future if OpenTable appears full. I ended up leaving work very early to make the 4:45 reservation, only to see several empty tables when 5:30, 6:00, and 6:30 rolled around. I was trying for a 6:00 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. reservation initially. That said, the staff was excellent. The manager, Lisa, was very kind, explaining that a large party had canceled (which I'm not completely convinced of) but also suggested calling directly next time to make the reservation. Our server, Leanne, was fantastic—fun, attentive, and perfectly paced our meal. We had a very enjoyable evening with my mom overall. The Food:The Crab Bisque was outstanding in spite of the probability that a thickener (roux) was used rather than it being a true bisque but I would absolutely order that again as the taste was delicious. I'm not a huge fan of bread but I like it with soup. I feel like it should come with a piece or offered maybe. I asked for one and she brought it quickly so that was great. My husband liked the Shrimp and Anduille Linguine and my mom liked the Margherita Pizza (which wasn't my favorite but my husband liked it as well). The House Salad was also very good and larger than expected. The dressing (I think house) was excellent. The old fashioned I had was very good although on the sweet side but it did not prevent me from ordering another one . My husband really enjoyed his Manhattan and my mom wishes they had Coke products instead of Pepsi but she loved their lemonade! I highly recommend Vai, just consider reserving the day before or calling the restaurant if your preferred early evening time looks unavailable online.
We recently visited Vais to celebrate a belated birthday for our son, and wow—what a delight from start to finish! The moment we walked in, the cozy, warm, and welcoming vibe made it feel like we were settling in for something special. The food? Absolutely superb. Our family covered a good range of the menu: the chicken parm was a crispy, melty masterpiece; the blackened salmon with risotto was rich, flavorful, and perfectly cooked; and the Cajun shrimp brought just the right kick. The only tiny miss was the pasta that came with the shrimp—it leaned a little doughy, but that might just come down to personal preference or the type of pasta. For dessert, we ordered a delicious cheesecake, and to top it all off, they surprised the birthday boy with a sweet birthday treat on the house—a thoughtful touch that truly made the night feel extra special. Even though the place was packed, it never felt overwhelming. No shouting across the table, no elbow-to-elbow chaos—just a lively, comfortable space with great energy. We even managed to snag some pretty decent family photos despite the dim lighting (a birthday miracle!). Overall, we had a wonderful experience, and Vais made our celebration feel genuinely memorable. We’ll definitely be back!