Best Restaurants for Birthdays in Little Italy / University Village

Had an excellent time reconnecting with friends! Food is scrumptious and service was excellent! Thank you for your hospitality

I had a delightful lunch at Gibsons Italia with my friend, and it was an experience to remember! From the moment we arrived on the 3rd floor, we were treated to excellent service. The staff was attentive, friendly, and ready to answer all our questions—including explaining what gold-extruded pasta meant, which we found fascinating. The food was absolutely delicious! The salads were fresh and flavorful, the portions were just right, and the baked potato was a standout—so good that I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. The ambiance, paired with the gorgeous riverside view, made it hard to leave after our meal. Instead of heading out right away, we decided to continue our stay at the bar, and I’m so glad we did! PJ, the bartender, was exceptional. His service, engaging conversations, and the memorable baked Alaska he recommended truly elevated our experience. He even crafted some amazing drinks that were the perfect finish to our visit. From start to finish, Gibsons Italia exceeded our expectations, and I can’t wait to return—especially to see PJ again for another round of his amazing hospitality. Highly recommend!

From the friendly and welcoming reception staff to the awesome waitress my experience was wonderful! It was my first visit and my server gets an A+ for her recommendations! I dined alone and the atmosphere and ambiance was welcoming and un rushed. And my meal was scrumptious! I’ll definitely return!

Love Pizzeria Portofino's riverfront location & we were seated on the enclosed "patio" which was very nice but a little chilly. Also a bit loud. But the cocktails & food more than made up for that. I highly recommend the limoncello spritz - it's amazing! We had charred pepperoni pizza, vodka pasta pasta, octopus & arugula salad. All were good but the pizza was the star of our meal. Our server was excellent. We'll be back without a doubt.

A wonderful evening at El Che to kick off the holiday season. Special shoutout to Olivia and Julio for making sure everything was perfect and made for a memorable evening.