Hard to explain how disappointing our experience was at this restaurant. My wife and I were excited to spend our anniversary weekend at the Island House Hotel and dinner at 1852. I called over a month in advance to make our dinner reservation, told them we were staying in the hotel and that we were celebrating our anniversary. I specifically requested a front table near the windows so we could enjoy the harbor view. I called a week before we arrived to confirm the reservation and remind them it was a special occasion. When we checked into the hotel a couple days before our dinner I walked into the restaurant to once again confirm the reservation and remind them we were celebrating our anniversary and would like to be seated with a view. I started to get worried when the morning off our dinner the restaurant called me to confirm our reservation and I again reminded the gentleman we were celebrating an anniversary and would like preferred seating and he had no idea what I was talking about. And then when we arrived we were seated in the back of the restaurant next (literally) to the piano and a family with a young child. Not all the window seats were full and those that were included a family with multiple young children. My lovely wife never complains, but I was infuriated because I made every effort to make our anniversary dinner at 1852 special (other than grossly tipping the maitre d’, which I shouldn’t have to do). I later made my disappointment known to the manager/maitre d’ who explained the seating was done on a first come first serve basis, including families with children. In the end, the manager kindly comped our dinner and we generously tipped our waiter who had nothing to do with the debacle. The food was fine, nothing spectacular. Clearly, the restaurant monitors these reviews closely and will likely respond with a “there isn’t a bad seat in the place comment,” but the bottom line is this isn’t the place to celebrate a special occasion if you want to make it special.