Best Restaurants for Birthdays in Little Italy

Hawksmoor can be a little frenetic and noisy at dinner — nothing wrong with that! And the bar area is always quieter. But for the main dining room, I prefer going for lunch. They have a $25 lunch special that includes their famous rump steak and a side, but I went for the $45 option. I got the beet salad in a yogurt dressing, which was delicious, and the rump steak with fries (chips) and side salad. The steak was nicely charred on the outside and pink in the middle — a tad salty, but still quite tasty. And of course I got the Hawksmoor Martini, with Ford's Gin, which was served ice cold with olives on the side. A hell of an accompaniment! The room is beautiful and the service was friendly and efficient. I'd recommend the company too, but I'm not sure my dining companion would want to go here with everyone who reads this.

All around wonderful experience. We had a reservation at 8:00 but found our schedule changed a bit and we hoped to eat earlier. We stopped by the restaurant at 6:30 to see if they could seat us sooner, and they prepared a table for us right away. At the same time, I heard another guest ask the host how soon they could be seated without a reservation, and she was told the wait was 90 minutes! We felt like VIPs! The service, the food, and the ambience were all incredible. Our water glasses were never empty. Our food was delivered in the ideal time. Everything was delicious. We love the family-style menu that let all of us share and taste several entrees. The Caesar salad was one of the best I’ve had. We look forward to returning!

Exceptional wait staff, very obliging in assisting us in choosing a wine. Guests all loved their food. Spouse felt the salmon was the best ever. I had a gluten-free pasta dish and was disappointed. Would go back.

We had the most amazing time at Aunt Jake's Pasta Making Experience. From the moment we arrived, I just knew it was going to be fun! The chef who taught us about pasta was funny yet informative; the atmosphere was cozy; the staff was friendly and attentive; and the food was delicious. The process was easy to understand and very well organized. What a great date and a wonderful way to start the new year. Highly highly highly recommend! :)

I rarely write reviews but wanted to share this. This is a restaurant primarily attractive to a young crowd eager for the drink special in the prix fixe menu. When we arrived (7 months pregnant and two kids under 10) they immediately worked to seat us quickly, then dispensed with the prix fixe because it didn’t make sense for us since 3 out of 4 of us couldn’t drink. Love the thoughtfulness. Food came out quickly, hot, kid friendly pasta options without insane portions. Great option.