Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in Little Italy / University Village

First off, I will start off by saying for those of us with NO allergies, we had a lovely dinner. The food was SO DELICIOUS. THE MAIN ISSUE WE HAD WAS WITH 1 IN OUR PARTY WHO DID HAVE A SEVERE FOOD ALLERGY: We came in and were super excited about our meal. We had 1 person who is severely allergic to gluten/ is Celiac, which we mentioned in our reservation. We called ahead to discuss the options on the phone, we messaged the restaurant about it on OpenTable ahead of time, and spoke to our server about it when we sat down, who then spoke to the House Manager about it. We were assured that "it would be treated like a peanut allergy, as though it could kill someone". After ordering from the Gluten-Free menu, my friend had to take 6 Benadryl in the middle of the night because her eyes were swollen shut and now is so sick that she cannot keep anything down. I am not saying the food was bad in any way (for those of us that do not have any restrictions), but the fact that we were assured 4x that there would be no issues almost sent her to the hospital and that really upset our entire party. I have worked in many restaurants and we did our due diligence to make sure she would be accommodated and the restaurant completely failed her, especially on a $600 dinner.

We were surprised to be seated at the counter overlooking the kitchen and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The chefs and front-of-house teams are amazing to watch in action. Every dish is so flavorful and creative and you never know what is coming next from your selections. Just note, it can get very loud since orders are being called out in addition to the already energetic restaurant behind you if you're seated in this location. Another great dinner at Girl & the Goat!

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!

A unique dinning experience. It was our first time and the staff did an excellent job of guiding us to a wonderful experience. We got to enjoy several different types of seafood and tried two different steak types. Everything was prepared well and tasted fantastic. The sommelier was helpful and paired our meal with very nice wine.

We came over to check in about 15 mins before our reservations and we were seared immediately. Everyone was so friendly and polite. The place was decorated beautifully. We love the fairies that come around to the table no matter how old you are. They were so sweet and make the experience even more enjoyable. Our waiter was wonderful so attentive, never having to look for him, always refilling our glasses and providing prompt and friendly service. Food came out quick and was very good. We never felt rushed. We were able to go by the tree and take pictures. It was just a fabulous time. We had our first experience there last year and now we’ve made this an annual tradition. We look forward to many more years to come.