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.
Had a really nice experience at Vai in Naperville overall, and it’s definitely a place we’d come back to. Jiji, our waiter, provided excellent service—friendly, attentive, and made sure we were comfortable throughout our meal. We started with a couple of small plates: the peppered shrimp and arancini. Both were flavorful and well-prepared, great for sharing. My wife ordered the spicy chicken tortellini, which was rich, creamy, and had a nice kick—easily one of the highlights of the meal. We were there for a birthday lunch, and we ordered the tiramisu and chocolate dessert( on the house ) ,btw delicious. One small note—the tiramisu was delicious as always, but the portion size seems noticeably smaller compared to what we remember from last year. Not a dealbreaker, but something worth mentioning. Overall, great food, great service, and a lovely atmosphere. We’ll definitely be visiting again.
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!
What an amazing place. We went in for our anniversary dinner. Our server, Patricia was just the best. So polite, knowledgeable and so patient. She recommended us dishes. We’re vegetarian and I had mentioned that while booking the restaurant- guess what - they do read the notes and take care of your preferences. The food was simply delicious. The atmosphere was both cozy and relaxing. Patricia recommended a “spicy” pasta and when that came out - it was nothing like anything we had before in multiple Italian restaurants. I got a mocktail that was really good too and the highlight for us - since I mentioned we’re there for our anniversary - they offered us a caramel dessert - on the house. All in all - brilliant experience. We loved the food and we can’t recommend it enough. Thank you for the wonderful experience.
Had an amazing experience at Vai’s Italian Inspired Kitchen. The food was absolutely bussin (as per my 14 year) and I agree every dish was a total chef’s kiss 👌—perfectly cooked, flavorful, and just unforgettable. The service was attentive without being overwhelming. This is honestly one of the first Italian restaurants I’ve truly enjoyed in a long time. Just I wish there was little more light as it was hard to read the menu due to poor lighting. Highly recommend—definitely coming back! 🍝✨
My husband and I spent our Valentine’s Day dinner at VAI’s Naperville. We ordered the Spicy Pepper Shrimp, the Chicken Pesto Pizza, Spicy Chicken Tortellaci, and the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. Every dish was so unique had so much flavor in every bite! We are so glad that we chose VAI’s for our Valentine’s Day dinner!