Tips/comments

Universities usually instruct you to give big parties, but I am personally for the small version. The only really relevant thing is late lunch/early dinner for the key people in the process: the student, the examiner, and the custos. It is a nice subtlety for these people who tend to be hungry after a long day in the process.

It does not make a difference where these people eat. I'd go for a small, local restaurant that the student likes, as long as it is quiet enough for discussion. Academic people enjoy talking and conversation; a rowdy place is not good for this purpose.