How to Celebrate Your Birthday in a Restaurant

What to bring, what to pay, and when to go home

- Darron Cardosa

IT'S ESTIMATED THAT about 385,000 babies are born each day around the world. Approximately 99.9% will eventually have a birthday dinner at a restaurant, expecting the red carpet to be rolled out. What restaurants do for a guest's birthday can be as varied as the quality of a grocery store cake: You never know what you're gonna get. Assuming you're going to be showered with free food and drink is a mistake. The kitchen might offer balloons, sparklers, and a complimentary pot de crème with your name written in chocolate, or nothing at all. So to properly prepare yourself for the big day, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1 HOW AND WHEN TO TELL THE RESTAURANT