I’ve celebrated my last three birthdays abroad, a tradition I very much enjoy, as you can imagine!

But since this is one of the busiest summers of my life, I decided to stay local and celebrate my 32nd birthday in New York City!

The weekend before, Greg planned a special dinner for us at a restaurant I’d been wanting to try, The River Café.

It’s located in Brooklyn, right at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge.

And with a location right along the East River, the restaurant has gorgeous views of the Manhattan skyline!

We arrived for the early seating.

And were sat right along the windows! Greg called ahead and asked for a prime table, knowing how much I’d love the view.

He was right!

We decided on the Six Course Chef’s Signature Tasting Menu in honor of the many tasting menus we enjoyed in Paris for my previous birthday.

Greg elected the wine pairings, while I decided to keep drinking bellinis. I normally consider bellinis to be breakfast drinks, but I had one at the bar while I was waiting for our table and it was the best bellini I’d ever had! So I figured if it’s not broke, don’t fix it!

Although, speaking of broken, there was a slight issue with one of my drinks. The raspberries that the bartender put into the glass were covered in mold, and I didn’t notice it until I’d already had a few sips. The restaurant replaced and comped the drink, as they should have, but it was still completely disgusting and nowhere near the standard you’d expect for such a nice restaurant (or any restaurant really).

But I hate to lead with the negative, because our food was amazing! It tasted (and looked!) absolutely divine.

Greg and I always believe in saving room for dessert, and the sweets arrived with much fanfare.

Greg’s chocolate dish was crafted in homage to the Brooklyn Bridge.

And my dessert plate was in homage to… me!

It was a very happy birthday, indeed!

I loved our experience at The River Café. It’s such a special restaurant, and will make any occasion that much more memorable. I can see why Greg’s brother proposed to his now-wife here!

You can make a reservation for The River Café here. Don’t forget to call and request a table by the window!

Afterwards we strolled along the water and watched the sun set over Manhattan.

New York City’s not a bad place to celebrate a birthday, is it?

~A