Dining

Dining out: Grab a bite with Santa, plus Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dining

Posted December 16, 2025 8:10 am

Rick West

The Greggory in South Barrington will host Santa for brunch on Sunday, Dec. 21. Courtesy of Mistey Nguyen

Grab a bite with Santa

Christmas is right around the corner and a couple of suburban restaurants are hosting Santa for visits.

On Saturday, Dec. 20, LAGO by Fabio Viviani in Lake Zurich will host breakfast with Santa featuring a chef-curated buffet, hot cocoa and table visits from Santa. Reservations are from 9-11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. Tickets ($50 for adults and $25 for kids) must be purchased in advance through OpenTable.

Then on Sunday, Santa will head to The Greggory in South Barrington for a holiday brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Grab a photo with St. Nick while enjoying specialties like the buttermilk pancake tower served with myriad fixings, the Wagyu Senku steak and eggs and corned beef hash. Reservations can be made at OpenTable.

Christmas movie trivia

Sure, you can recite half the lines from “Elf,” but do you have what it takes to come out on top during a Christmas movie trivia challenge at Tapville in Naperville?

Enjoy food and festive cocktails from 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, as you test your knowledge of classics like “A Christmas Story,” “Home Alone” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

Reservations are available on OpenTable.

Take your little bakers to Table at Crate for a cookie-decorating class. Courtesy of Table at Crate

Lil’ bakers

Take your little chefs to Table at Crate in Oak Brook for a festive kids’ holiday cookie decorating workshop Saturday, Dec. 20. From 9-11 a.m., they can unleash their creativity on cookie shapes from snowmen to reindeer with colorful toppings. Tickets are $16 per child and can be purchased through Tock.

Got Christmas Eve plans?

Niche in Geneva is hosting a three-course dinner with seasonal dishes and an optional wine pairing so you don’t have to clean up the kitchen before getting nestled all snug in your bed.

Start with roasted chestnut soup, then move on to grilled beef tenderloin with delicata squash, roasted chestnut mushroom, foie gras veal jus and crispy squash. Finish the meal with gingerbread lava cake.

Dinner is $95, and a curated optional wine pairing is an extra $45. Call (630) 262-1000 to make a reservation.

In Naperville, CityGate Grille is hosting a festive, four-course prix fixe menu in addition to the regular offerings.

You can enjoy a welcoming glass of prosecco before dinner while the Lola Bard Carolers stroll the restaurant spreading holiday cheer.

The prix fixe menu is $99 per person and is available from 4-8 p.m. Reservations can be made through OpenTable.

How about New Year’s Eve?

It’s time, if not a little past, to start making reservations for New Year’s Eve dinner. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Chandler’s in Schaumburg will host a five-course dinner with a four-hour open bar (8 p.m. to midnight) as you get ready for a video countdown and balloon drop at midnight. It’s $99 per person. Make reservations at (847) 885-9009 or stop by for tickets.

Head to Giostra in South Barrington for rustic dishes rooted in Italian tradition. Courtesy of Giostra

Giostra by Fabio Viviani in South Barrington is cooking up an Italian feast with a New Year’s Eve menu highlighting rustic dishes. The a la carte menu includes Fabio’s Famous Wagyu Meatballs, Tuscan beef carpaccio, bufala caprese prepared tableside, Roman fettuccine Alfredo, cioppino de mare, carbonara in a jar, pollo or veal Parmigiana and Mediterranean branzino. Reservations can be made at OpenTable.

Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights is offering a special $99 New Year’s Eve prix fixe menu. The three-course meal features entrees that include surf and turf of Wagyu flatiron and poached lobster, a turf and turf with the flatiron and duck confit with cassis pears, or a surf and surf with lobster and grilled salmon. Reservations are available at the website.

Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights is offering a special $99 New Year’s Eve prix fixe menu. Courtesy of Hey Nonny

Petite Vie in Western Springs will celebrate the new year with a reception of three amuse-bouche, followed by a chef’s tasting menu that includes white asparagus pot de crème with king crab, caviar, chives and cress; scallop with winter squash and champagne vanilla beurre blanc; boudin blanc with escargot, celeriac purée and black truffle rémoulade; and duck à l’orange with blood orange and sunchokes. It’s $225 per person, with an optional $100 sommelier-selected pairing. Reservations are required by visiting OpenTable.

Violí in Oak Brook is hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration curated in partnership with Barraki Events that includes a lively evening of music, drinks and indulgent bites beneath the glow of festive décor. From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., partygoers will enjoy an open bar featuring well cocktails, select beer, wine and prosecco, along with passed appetizers and desserts, live DJ sets, musicians and a midnight prosecco toast to welcome 2026. Tickets for the 21-and-older event start at $135.23 and are available at EventBrite.

Vistro Prime in Hinsdale has some special dishes in addition to its regular menu, including a Chateaubriand for two with braised shallot, potato fondant and Foyot sauce ($135), a whole Maine lobster pot pie ($65) and potato gnocchi with black winter truffles ($25). Reservations are recommended by visiting OpenTable.