Top 10: Restaurants with views that match the food

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Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.

Today (September 8, 2014): Top 10: Restaurants with views that match the food.

Even the most amazing food in the world wouldn’t have quite the same clout if you were forced to eat it while staring at a brick wall. A restaurant with a view can take a dining experience from mediocre to a life-long memorable meal. Whether you’re looking out over a city’s silhouette, the glimmering coastline or acres of rolling countryside, check out my top 10 of the world’s best restaurants with views, for memories that last long after your plate is cleared.

There’s more info below the slide show. Think I missed one? Share your favorite restaurant with a spectacular view in the comments section, or take my poll below!

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10. VERTIGO, BANGKOK, THAILAND

One of the highest open-air restaurants in the world, Vertigo offers an al fresco dining experience set atop the roof terrace of the luxurious Banyan Tree Hotel in the heart of Bangkok. As you can expect, Vertigo boasts jaw-dropping views, so you can dine on fork-tender seafood and premium steaks while feasting your eyes on Bangkok’s vast skyline, 61 floors above the city. It is worth arriving a bit early at Vertigo for a pre-dinner cocktail so you can catch a glimpse of Thailand’s capital during daylight and dusk (the restaurant opens at 5 pm).

Restaurant website: Vertigo
Other accolades: Banyan Tree Bangkok also features in my top 10 list of the world’s most spectacular rooftops.
Tip: enjoy free VIP perks at Banyan Tree Bangkok when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. upgrade, daily breakfast, early check in, late check out, and a complimentary Thai set dinner for two at -Saffron restaurant on the 52nd Floor).
Review: coming soon.

9. SIERRA MAR RESTAURANT, BIG SUR, USA

High atop the cliffs of Big Sur, offering breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, is Sierra Mar, the signature restaurant of the Post Ranch Inn Hotel and winner of Wine Spectator’s prestigious Grand Award. Offering an unconventional fine dining experience and eclectic menus, Executive Chef Elizabeth Murray presents inquisitive food creations featuring ingredients highlighted by a sense of place and culture. Selections from the award-winning wine cellar enhance the innovative, inspired cuisine.

Restaurant website: Sierra Mar
Other top 10 accolades: The Post Ranch Inn also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most spectacular cliffside hotels and the best luxury hotels & resorts in the USA.
Tip: enjoy free VIP perks at the Post Ranch Inn when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. upgrade, daily breakfast, early check in, late check out, and $100 USD resort credit).
Review: read my review of the Post Ranch Inn Hotel here.

8. FELIX, HONG KONG, CHINA

Sweeping views of Hong Kong’s dramatic cityscape captivate diners at th 28th floor Felix restaurant in the Peninsula Hotel, created by avant-garde designer Philippe Starck. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out on the city’s neon skyline, Victoria Harbour ships, and the bustling shopping district of Kowloon. The contemporary menu features fresh seasonal dishes such as crab salad and tuna tartar with dandelion salad, slow-cooked sea bass with black shrimp mousse, and grilled Australian lamb.

Restaurant website: Felix
Other accolades: The Peninsula Hong Kong also features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury hotels in Hong Kong and luxury hotels with private helipads and airports.
Tip: enjoy free VIP perks at the Peninsula Hong Kong when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and $100 USD resort credit).

7. UN PIANO NEL CIELO, AMALFI COAST, ITALY

Dining at ‘Un Piano Nel Cielo’, the gourmet restaurant of hotel Casa Angelina on the Amalfi Coast, reflects the unique personality of the Chef, Vincenzo Vanacore, who creatively communicates through his cuisine his love for fresh produce and culinary traditions which culminates in innovations and culinary delights. The rooftop restaurant with its breathtaking terrace suspended between sky and sea, is the perfect setting to experience a certain Italian-style ‘art de vivre’ with views of Europe’s most spectacular stretch of coast.

Restaurant website: Un piano Nel Cielo
Other accolades: Casa Angelina also features in my top 10 lists of the best hotels on the Amalfi Coast and swimming pools with stunning views.
Review: read my review of Casa Angelina here.

6. SIGNATURE ROOM AT THE 95TH, CHICAGO, USA

Located atop the ‘875 North Michigan Avenue‘ supertall skyscraper – formerly known as the John Hancock Center – the Signature Room at the 95th floor offers exquisite a la carte food and dazzling skyline views. The elegant wood designs and art deco interior create an inviting and intimate atmosphere, while the floor-to-ceiling windows exhibit breathtaking Chicago skyline views and 360 degree views of the entire city and Lake Michigan. While requests cannot be guaranteed, ask for a window table facing the southwest for the most spectacular city views (towards the Willis Tower).

Restaurant website: Signature Room at the 95th

5. DASHEENE, ST LUCIA

Guests and visitors flock to Dasheene – Ladera Resort‘s signature fine dining restaurant – to enjoy award-winning cuisine and the spectacular views of the Pitons and the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Chef Nigel Mitchel’s cooking renders stylish interpretations of traditional St. Lucian dishes, such as sweet potato and coconut soup, Caribbean lamb salad, roast conch with pickled vegetables served in a yam basket, Cajun Creole vegetable bakes, jerk poulet sausage, plantain gratin with coconut rum sauce and more.

Restaurant website: Dasheene
Other accolades: Ladera St Lucia also features in my top 10 list of the world’s most spectacular cliffside hotels.
Tip: enjoy free VIP perks at Ladera Resort when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast for 2, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).
Review: read my review of Ladera here.

4. LE JULES VERNE, PARIS, FRANCE

From its perch on the Eiffel Tower’s second level, 410 feet (125 m) above the ground, Le Jules Verne offers expansive views of the City of Light. Guests of the restaurant look out over wide boulevards and slate gray rooftops at lunchtime, or go in the evening to observe Paris’s twinkling lights. The menu reflects the revered culinary traditions of France, but celebrity chef Alain Ducasse’s team brings a modern touch to classic recipes. For example, sea bass is cooked in its caramelized juices with just a splash of cream added at the end to intensify the flavor and lighten the dish. The wine list is 100 percent French.

Restaurant website: Le Jules Verne

3. SENSE ON THE EDGE, OMAN

The Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort, located on the northern Musandam Peninsula in the Sultanate of Oman, has beautiful indigenous village-style accommodations in a spectacular setting, with the dramatic mountains on one side and the sandy beach of Zighy Bay on the other. Its mountaintop signature restaurant ‘Sense On the Edge’ is the perfect place to enjoy breathtaking views and a very memorable dinner under the stars. There is a choice of five or seven-course set menus accompanied with terrified degustation wines.

Restaurant website: Senses on the Edge
Other accolades: Six Senses Zighy Bay also features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury hotels in Oman, the world’s most amazing beach hotels, and the world’s most over-the-top hotel experiences.
Tip: enjoy free VIP perks at Six Senses Zighy Bay when booking via Virtuoso (upgrade, free breakfast, a massage for two people, early check-in and late check-out).
Review: read my review of Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort here.

2. DELAIRE GRAFF RESTAURANT, SOUTH AFRICA

Executive Chef Michael Deg offers his signature style ‘bistro-chic’ cuisine at the Restaurant of the Delaire Graff Estate in the winelands of the Western Cape. Beautifully presented dishes use the highest quality seasonal ingredients from ethical farmers and organic suppliers, while desserts are a triumph of indulgence and originality. Weather permitting, guests are able to relax on the terrace under a dappled canopy of pin-oak trees while enjoying breathtaking views of the surrounding South African landscape.

Restaurant website: Delaire Graff Restaurant
Other accolades: Delaire Graff Estate also features in my top list of places to visit in & around Cape Town.

1. LYCABETTUS, SANTORINI, GREECE

The award-winning Andronis Suites Hotel clings to the side of a steep cliff, high above Santorini’s spectacular caldera, which are the remains of a devastating volcanic eruption 3,600 years ago. Its Lycabettus restaurant, named after a hill in Athens, has a terrace located on dramatic rocky outcrop juts right out over the water, in what must be one of the most romantic restaurant settings in the world. Traditional Mediterrean recipes are blended with organic ingredients and elements of nouvelle cuisine to create a superlative menu.