25 Ideas How to Celebrate Birthday at Restaurant Differently?

Choose a restaurant that fits the birthday person’s preferences and reserve a special spot; arrange for a custom cake and add personal touches like decorations for a memorable celebration.

There are many ways to do to make a birthday celebration at a restaurant enjoyable and special without going overboard on the budget. The personnel at the majority of restaurants are used to birthday parties and will work with you to ensure that everyone is having a good time.

How to Celebrate Birthday at Restaurant?

The secret to having a birthday celebration at a restaurant is to start planning early by taking their interests and favorites into account. In case you want to give your loved ones a surprise birthday at restaurants or want to make your own birthday special, we’ve got you the perfect solution!

Let’s take a look at some unique and memorable ideas while celebrating a birthday at a restaurant below to give you more inspiration for your next birthday celebration.

Table of Contents

BEST Activities to Celebrate Birthday at Restaurant
Final Thoughts
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

BEST Activities to Celebrate Birthday at Restaurant

Instead of just having a round table dinner with your loved ones, you can also have a great birthday celebration at a restaurant by arranging interactive activities for everyone to enjoy.

To give you some ideas, below we have a list of the best activities to celebrate your birthday at a restaurant.

1. Murder Mystery Dinner

There are some restaurants who can conduct special activities for special celebrations. Work with a restaurant to arrange a murder mystery dinner and adjust the seating arrangement, meals and room decoration, and plan the game properly that involves everyone in the room.

Look for restaurants that have private rooms and partner with a local theater troupe or event company that specializes in these activities.

Murdered by the Mob Dinner Theater, NY

Location: 707 8th Ave New York City, NY 10036
Experience: Experience the Mafia and a great 3 course Italian Dinner at New York City’s best comedy, interactive, murder mystery dinner theater show with dancing.
Price: $115 – $139 per person
Reviews: Guests are crazy about the funny interactive show by the crew with exceptional acting skills.

The Dinner Detective Mystery Show, Houston, TX

Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel Med Ctr-Galleria Area, 2712 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77098.
Experience: America’s largest interactive comedy murder mystery dinner that will let you tackle a challenging crime while you feast on a fantastic dinner.
Price: From $76.95 per person.
Reviews: Guests love how they were involved in the game. Good game and good food overall.

2. Dessert Extravaganza

If you and your friends have a sweet tooth, you can have a birthday celebration by indulging in a lavish dessert party. You can look for a restaurant or bakery that specializes in desserts and ask them to create a decadent spread or a multi-course dessert tasting.

Here are some of the best recommendations:

Serendipity 3, NY

Location: 225 E 60th Street, New York, NY 10022.
Experience: One of the best dessert places in New York City that offers divinely decadent desserts.
Price: $20 – $40 per person.
Reviews: Guests are talking about how good the frozen hot chocolate was. The meals were pretty satisfactory as well and many guests gave positive reviews on the truffle burger.

Mindy’s Bakery, Chicago, IL

Location: 1623 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647-5411.
Experience: The perfect place to enjoy amazing comfort food and tasty desserts.
Price: $3 – $50 per person.
Reviews: A bakery that serves French and American cuisine including desserts, and the guests are giving positive reviews on the hot chocolate and pancakes.

3. Retro Diner Night

Have a retro-themed birthday party at a restaurant or a diner, and have a classic American diner experience with milkshakes, burgers, and a jukebox playing hits from the chosen era.

You can pick a diner with a retro or vintage vibe in town, and ask your guests to dress up based on the 80s theme, and have a nostalgic birthday celebration with your friends.

Pann’s Restaurant, LA

Location: 6710 La Tijera Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045-2090.
Experience: Experience the great service, good food and great place to eat with memories from different classic American movies.
Price: $20 – $30 per person.
Reviews: Guests were happy with the service and ambience with the famous signage shown in many movies. Many reviews mentioned that the grits and milkshakes do not disappoint!

Square Diner, NY

Location: 33 Leonard St at West Broadway, New York City, NY 10013-2918.
Experience: A classic diner with local American cuisine and vegetarian friendly.
Price: $15 – $30 per person.
Reviews: Guests are going to Square Diner because the place has the best pancakes in town, including the gluten free pancakes, too.

4. Rooftop Party

If you plan on making a memorable birthday celebration at a restaurant, then find a restaurant with a rooftop space. You can throw a party with a view, prepare snacks and bars, and accommodate live music or DJ.

Search for a restaurant in urban areas since they are more likely to have restaurants with rooftop dining options. An idea, you can also have a movie night there, too!

Mama Shelter, Los Angeles, CA

Location: 6500 Selma Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028-6216.
Experience: A hotel with an amazing rooftop bar that has multicolored sofas and cocktail veers from the Mediterranean with a full Moscow mule bar.
Price: From $18 per person.
Reviews: The place offers great view, atmosphere and ambience, and many guests recommend the place for a birthday party for those who love to have an intimate party with a small group of family and friends.

VUE Rooftop, Washington, DC

Location: 515 15th St NW Hotel Washington, Washington DC, DC 20004.
Experience: Enjoy a magnificent view, impeccable drinks and extraordinary experience at the best rooftop bar in the city.
Price: $10 – $60 per person.
Reviews: With a view of the amazing Washington DC cityscape, the reviews for this spot were very positive including for the quality of cocktails. Guests advised to have a visit at night because the city lights were amazing.

5. Interactive Mixology Class

Ask your guests to be creative by inviting a mixologist to attend your birthday party at a restaurant, and ask him to give a short lesson on how to make signature cocktails to your guests.

To make it more competitive, have a cocktail making competition and give special gifts for the winner. To have this kind of activity, find a cocktail bar or restaurant with strong mixology focus and space.

Hollow Leg, Chicago, IL

Location: 2524 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622-8955.
Experience: Have an interactive cocktail making class for your birthday celebration. Learn how to make great drinks using hands-on approach.
Price: TBC (custom classes)
Reviews: Overall the best cocktail class in Chicago, and guests were able to learn not only how to make cocktails but also the art and science of mixology.

The Mixology Master Method, Los Angeles, CA

Location: 1704 Vine St, Ste 2, Los Angeles, CA 90028.
Experience: The best place to learn about the making of classic cocktails and methods to create your own recipes.
Price: TBD (custom classes).
Reviews: Most guests were satisfied with the class and aside from having a great birthday celebration learning about making cocktails, you can also take an intensive class and certificate.

6. Invite Your Family and Friends

Eating delicious food at the restaurants will be a lot more special if you do it with your loved ones. Celebrate your birthday at the restaurant by having heartfelt meals with your family and friends.

For a small group of 8 people, you can book one large table for birthday dinner. If you prefer a large birthday party with guests seated in more than one table, don’t forget to visit each table and greet all your guests.

7. Hidden Gifts Inside the Birthday Cake

You can customize the birthday cake with hidden gifts inside. Buy small but precious jewelry like a ring and write a small note. Ask the baker to put these gifts inside the birthday cake.

Inform the restaurant waiter to serve this special cake after the birthday dinner. Your loved ones will surely love the surprise once they slice the cake! For more unique birthday gift ideas, you can check on awesomestuff365.com.

8. Prepare Party Favors

You may want to give a keepsake to all your birthday guests they can take home. If so, ask the restaurant staff if they can prepare additional desserts or snacks for your party favors.

Small birthday cupcakes with a thank you greeting card will be a perfect idea. Your guests can bring the food home and share it with their family.

9. Karaoke Time

In case your friends are karaoke lovers, turn the restaurant into a little talent search on your birthday. Weekly or monthly karaoke nights might be held at your neighborhood restaurant.

You and your buddies can sing popular songs like “Happy Birthday” and other favorites. Host a competition similar to “American Idol” and award a prize to the contestants’ favorite performer.

10. Flash Mob Dance

Rock your birthday party at the restaurant with flash mob dance! An outdoor setting restaurant will be a perfect place to celebrate your birthday. Hire some dancers to lead the flash mob dance.

Ask your guests to follow the moves and beats from “Party Rock Anthem” or “Gangnam Style”. Who knows, your birthday celebration will some something that can go viral on the Internet.

11. Play Trivia Games

A birthday party is not complete without fun games. You can host birthday games at a restaurant while waiting for the dishes to be served.

Ask your guests trivia questions about yourself to test how much they know about you. Play a round of trivia quizzes while you wait for your appetizer or after dessert. Write down everyone’s responses at the gathering. The player with the most accurate responses wins.

12. Get a Happy Birthday Song from Staff

It’s time to use this tactic to make your shy friend the focus of attention at the restaurant for their birthday surprise. Invite your friend to a meal at your chosen restaurant.

You can make a special request to the staff to sing happy birthday songs to your shy friend, and make your friend the star of the crowd. It will be an unforgettable birthday celebration your shy friend will remember forever.

13. Wine Tasting

If your birthday honoree is a wine lover, then wine tasting will be a great way to celebrate your birthday at a restaurant. Search local restaurants who serve the best wines in your town.

Host a private wine tasting session at your table using a variety of the restaurant’s wines. Give away little notebooks so that your birthday group can record their favorite things.

14. Play Romantic Music During Dinner

Make your partner’s birthday feel special by having a romantic dinner together. To build up the ambience, you can play romantic music during the dinner.

Ask the restaurant staff to play Berlioz and Liszt symphonies through their restaurant’s speaker. In addition, you can also have a light but romantic conversation while finishing your meal.

15. Birthday Speech

One of the best ways to make a birthday party at a restaurant shines is to deliver a very powerful speech at the event.

After enjoying the meal at your birthday party, plan a birthday speech session where your guests can have a speech and make a wish on your birthday. Ask your guests to make a birthday speech one by one. In our opinion, a session like this will be a nice ice breaking activity for the party.

16. Hire Your Favorite DJ

If you want to have an epic birthday party all night long, then you should hire your favorite DJ to light up the after party session. Book a large room at the restaurant for a fantastic after party.

From hip hop to heavy metal, let the DJ play their set of compact discs. Lose yourself and forget things as you follow the upbeat songs from the best DJ in town.

17. Vintage Theme Dinner Party

A vintage theme dinner party is a perfect choice if you want to bring back the good old times when you were young.

Inspired by the 1980s, ask your guests to wear retro style clothes in an elegant way. Decorate the restaurant with vintage elements. Make sure the restaurant staff will let you bring decorations, and props for your themed party.

18. Aromatherapy Candles

When celebrating a birthday party at a restaurant, the scent of the room is also important to build the perfect mood. Especially if you are sensitive to aroma, then you can set up the aromatherapy candle on each restaurant table.

Choose sweet and fresh aroma that will make you relax while waiting for the food. FYI, candies and citrus notes are usually loved by people.

19. Plan the Menu in Advance

Since the main aim of a birthday party at a restaurant is the food, then you should consider the menu. This is the biggest and perhaps most obvious point. If your family and friends have any dietary requirements or preferences, contact them.

You must identify which of your pals is vegan, who has a gluten intolerance, and whose allergies must be taken into consideration. These things might sound simple, but they actually crucial and will make your guests feel welcomed and appreciated.

20. Birthday Wish on Memo Board

Make your birthday party special by having birthday wishes from all the birthday guests at the restaurant.

Prepare some sticky notes and let your guests can write their birthday wish on the sticky notes and put them on the memo board before entering the dining area. It makes your birthday dinner full of blessings. Later, you can keep their birthday wish for your good luck charm this year.

21. Prepare a Special Birthday Drink

Birthday drinks are a fantastic way to mark the special day at the restaurant. Use this chance to hone your mixology skills and develop your own birthday drink with the bartender at the restaurant.

When people come to the restaurant, you could give everyone your special birthday cocktail. Tell them that this is your birthday so everyone can get this special drink for free.

22. Small Photo Frames Decor

In case you don’t know how to decorate a restaurant table for your birthday, why don’t you put small photo frames? Put your childhood photos that will bring back beautiful memories that make you the person today.

You can also decorate the restaurant table for your partner, making a special birthday décor to remember.

23. Hire Professional Photographer

When you are so into the birthday party at the restaurant, you may forget to capture moments with your family and friends.

So, you can hire a professional photographer to keep the memories while you are having fun with your friends. Or, they can capture the romantic moment when your partner gives you a birthday gift during the event.

24. Special Birthday Dessert

You can take your closest friends to a simple dinner to celebrate their birthday. However, a special dessert for them will be a wonderful birthday surprise. Find restaurants which can customize a birthday dessert.

Ask them to prepare special cake or ice cream and write the birthday honoree’s name on the place with chocolate sauce.

25. Set Up Photobooth with Balloon Garland

Balloons are the iconic decor for a birthday party. Set up the photo booth with balloon garland to make your party merrier. Ask the restaurant staff’s help for the setting and installment. This decoration can change the whole atmosphere into a festive vibe Your guests can take photos as a birthday keepsake to treasure.

Final Thoughts

You may think that a birthday celebration at a restaurant is limited to enjoying delicious meals with loved ones. But actually it can more than that. You can have so much fun by having fun games, trivia quizzes, or you can even holding dancing or singing competitions, too!

Be creative with ideas, and you can invite the team from the restaurant to have a discussion about birthday party ideas with you. Usually, they already have some experience in arranging birthday celebration activities at the restaurant before.

Latest PostS:

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is a unique way to celebrate your birthday at a restaurant?

You can decorate the whole restaurant into a certain theme for your birthday party. For example, a vintage theme is perfect for those with an old soul. Or, having fun activities like trivia games while waiting for the food will be a unique way on how to celebrate a birthday at a restaurant.

How do you make your birthday party special at a restaurant?

Well it depends on your interests and preferences. Request the restaurant band to play your favorite song at your birthday party.

If you love dancing, you can also add a flash mob dance session to rock the party. For more creative ways to make your birthday at a restaurant special, please check in the article above.

How do you let a restaurant know it’s your birthday?

Tell the receptionist what you are celebrating when you phone to make a reservation. Or, you can tell the staff while you are ordering food.

Some restaurants usually will give freebies if they know this is your birthday. Don’t forget to bring your identity card in case the staff need to check.

How do you celebrate a low budget birthday at a restaurant?

Find affordable restaurants that match your limited budget. Check on their customer reviews as well, because you want to have delicious food as well.

If the restaurant usually gives freebies on a customer’s birthday, then it will be a plus point. If you want to celebrate it with family and friends, consider inviting your closest circle only.

How do you make the best birthday party ever at a restaurant?

You should plan all the menu, decorations, guest list, and additional entertainment in advance.

Choose the best restaurant that is experienced in throwing a birthday party. Call the restaurant for a reservation and don’t hesitate to coordinate with the staff. They will be very helpful from the beginning until the end of the party.