Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in Riverwoods

We had a wonderful experience celebrating my wife’s birthday at Cooper’s Hawk! From the warm welcome to the impeccable service, everything was perfect. The food was delicious, and the wine pairings elevated the meal to another level. The staff went above and beyond to make her feel special, even surprising her with a birthday treat. It was a memorable evening, and we can’t wait to return. Thank you for making her day so special!

Here’s a review you could use: We celebrated a birthday at Spears, and it was an absolutely fantastic experience! The food was outstanding, with every dish perfectly prepared and bursting with flavor—everyone at the table raved about it. A special shoutout to our incredible server, Armie, who went above and beyond to make the evening truly unforgettable. Her warm and friendly demeanor, impeccable attention to detail, and top-notch service elevated our celebration to the next level. To top it all off, Armie surprised the birthday boy (my husband) and the rest of the table with a towering cotton candy treat that made the night even more special. Thank you, Spears, for such a memorable evening—we can’t wait to return!

Our food was delicious but quite pricey. We will probably go again but only for a special occasion because of the cost.

We had a party of four on a Thursday night and the restaurant was mostly empty except for a large birthday party in a semi private area. Our server Carla was very attentive with checking up on us occasionally to see if we needed anything. She was also attentive in refilling the water glasses. The taste and temperature of the food was excellent. We were quite full after our main meal and kindly declined dessert. Overall it was a great experience and dinner. 

Used to be my all time favorite restaurant. When we first started going to Wildfire, my horseradish crusted fillet was $36. It’s now $58. I’m sure it was at least 20 years ago, but that is one outrageous increase in price. It prevents us from going to the restaurant more often than we do. Now if we go once a year, it’s just a special treat. We used to go a lot more often. However, times, Covid, etc. are all reasons we can’t go more often anymore. I do believe the prices are totally outrageous. So sad.