Last night was Cecilia's birthday and yes we returned to The Forge for her dinner celebration. This was our third time in a month period we have visited The Forge restaurant. If you follow my personal blog, the first two visits were for drinks only. This time we went all the way and splurged on dinner, well not exactly.

The Forge is opulent, old world and attracts the social elite and celebrities. The outside of the building is ornate concrete similar to a 15th century building in Europe, while the interior boasts intricate, stained glass panels. The setting is very dark, a hindrance for some customers. The menus are two feet tall and weigh as much. In a floorplan with tables within arm's length apart, oversized tables complement the oversized menus. The menu offers steak and seafood and an extensive wine list, over 300 wines and prices to match its five star rating.

Our reservation was for last night, a Wednesday night at 8:30pm, early for this five-star socialite restaurant. Only a few tables were filled with dinner guests. Wednesday nights are actually the most popular night and the restaurant soon was packed. By 10pm, the bar crowd was overflowing into the dining room area. Every table was filled with guests young and old, business attire, or flirty evening outfits. Many beautiful people. This is not the restaurant to bring your grandmother to dine.

Our table was ready. So far so good. Warding off oncoming flu symptoms, I settled for a diet coke and the Smoked Tomato Soup with petite grilled sanchwiches. I was there for celebration but my stomach and senses were resistant to heavy foods and aroma. We compromised.

Cecilia and Helena ordered heartily--couple of mojitos, tuna tartare and cobb salad for Helena and the same beverage of choice for Cecilia along with a Forge-style caprese salad and the vegetarian platter.

The food was delicious, including my soup which had a zesty bite, although the quantity was small compared to its large bowl presentation. Cecilia raved about the caprese salad and the vegetarian platter was her "usual".

As the clock struck 10pm so did the blaring club music. While I enjoy the latest dance hits, my eardrums were deafened by the drumming beats. Conversations turned into shouting-across-the-table communication. I can appreciate the music but not at cacophony levels where no one was dancing. If the music is a mood setter, mine was turning sour.

We asked for the bill only to discover we were overcharged by three drinks, two mojitos and one coke. That's a $25.00 total. Perhaps since our bill was less than $200 the waiter was not motivated to check on our needs and bumped the bill. Just a thought. But service was definitely lacking. Not the top-notch, doting service one expects at a 5- star restaurant. This can really damper a celebration.

So tonight was a thumbs down for dinner at The Forge. My advice, if you're not planning on spending top dollar, you should consider other fabulous restaurants with great food and equally pleasing service.