Themed restaurants abound in New York, especially in Lower Manhattan. These entertaining restaurants are ideal for birthdays and other special occasions. Themed restaurants often offer tableside entertainment, souvenirs and photo opportunities. Though generally aimed at children, adults enjoy the experience, too.
All the servers are trained Ninjas at this Japanese sensation in New York's Tribeca neighborhood. NINJA New York pulls you into the world of ancient feudal Japan's legendary Ninjas. The look and feel of NINJA New York is remarkably detailed, with iron gates, cavernous stonework and deferent Ninja waiters who bow to you constantly. The food is equally playful and theatrical, incorporating the essence of Ninjas whenever possible. When you pull the Ninja sword out of your crab and grapefruit salad, for example, the entire plate releases black ice smoke. The restaurant's signature dish, Ninja Miso Soup, offers you a chance to win a gift certificate if you can find the "special thing" inside the pie. Several other dishes involve Ninja touches as well, like the Ninja star-shaped soft chocolate mouse cake.
NINJA New York
25 Hudson St
New York, NY 10013
212-274-8500
ninjanewyork.com
Popular with families and tourists, Times Square's only space-themed restaurant blends fantasy and reality to transport you to a futuristic world millions of light-years away. Martian waiters greet you as you enter Mars 2112's immersive, multilevel neon dining space, 35,000 square feet in all. Everything in this stylized, kitschy themed restaurant, from the Mars Today tabloid available at the bar to the craters and space rock décor, are designed to lift you off into the starry deep. Children are more easily convinced than adults, and the food is certainly aimed at the little Martians. In addition to standard kids' fare, like cheeseburgers and chicken fingers, Mars 2112 serves other-worldly creations inspired by exotic Asian and Indian recipes. Don't miss Mars 2112's signature dessert, Mercury Oreo Mountain, a gargantuan chocolate Oreo cake topped with vanilla ice cream.
Mars 2112
1633 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
212-582-2112
mars2112.com
New York's only haunted restaurant has been spooking its patrons for decades. Jekyll and Hyde's ghost-themed dining room and bar features animatronic skeletons and werewolves, cobwebs, eerie music and a variety of performers dressed as goblins, ghouls and other hellish creatures. At Jekyll and Hyde, every day is Halloween, so it's especially popular with kids who are old enough to handle the spooks and thrills but still young enough to suspend belief. The menu features pretty standard pub grub (nachos, Buffalo wings, pizzas) but the burgers have monster themes, like the Frankenstein Burger topped with cheese, onions, mushrooms and bacon. Parents will appreciate the extensive beer menu featuring more than 100 selections from around the world.
Jekyll and Hyde
91 7th Avenue South
New York, NY 10014
212-989-7701
jekyllpub.com
