20 Once-in-a-lifetime Restaurants Around the World Known for Their Spectacular Views

Here are 20 restaurants around the world that offer stunning views.

The perfect meal has to have a few main ingredients: delicious food, tasty drinks, and a stunning setting. Special restaurants all over the world offer diners the chance to sit down for an incredible dinner with an unforgettable view of their surroundings, pairing destinations with delicacies. Combine epic vistas with drool-worthy menus at these 20 restaurants with a view in Europe, Australia, Asia, the Americas, and Africa.

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Nessun Dorma: Manarola, Italy

Perched on a cliff overlooking the charming village of Manarola, Nessun Dorma provides guests with a breathtaking view of the sea while they dine on local Italian cuisine. The menu features fresh seafood, handmade pasta, and its famous pesto, which you can also try by booking its pesto-making experience.

Panorama Room: New York, New York

Find yourself atop New York City with a visit to the Panorama Room at the Graduate New York. The cocktail bar offers a stunning view of the iconic skyline, while the menu combines classic American dishes with contemporary twists, like its lobster roll, made with lobster and bacon and topped with jalapeño ranch.

Lumi Rooftop Bar & Restaurant: Lisbon, Portugal

Helmed by Chef João Silva, the rooftop at the Lumiares comes with a stellar menu of locally sourced and regionally inspired cuisine (get the bacalhau, it’s Portuguese perfection), all with the Tagus River and the city’s most historic buildings in the backdrop. Come for brunch early in the morning (so you can snag a seat) or in the evening to watch the sun sink below the horizon.

Duck and Waffle: London, England

Duck and Waffle, found on the 40th floor of Heron Tower in London, offers an unforgettable view of the city, including the River Thames and Tower Bridge, from its massive floor-to-ceiling windows. The restaurant's signature dish, the eponymous duck and waffle, is an absolute must-have, but so too is its vegan version, which swaps the meat for earthy mushrooms instead.

Cocina del Mar: Los Cabos, Mexico

Cocina del Mar provides guests with an extraordinary view of the Sea of Cortez, making it one of the most romantic restaurants in the region. The menu focuses on fresh seafood, blending Mexican and Mediterranean flavors, perfectly represented in its charred octopus ceviche with crispy corn, pickled chayote, jicama, celery, and a dash of sesame oil.

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant: Rangali Island, Maldives

Get bragging rights for life by booking a table at Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, a dining venue submerged five meters under the sea. A meal here means enjoying a full, 180-degree view of the surrounding coral reef and all the animals that live in it. The dishes are as excellent as the view, including bites of lobster and fresh vegetables like artichokes in roasted garlic.

Le Jules Verne: Paris, France

In Paris, the best view isn’t of the Eiffel Tower, but rather from the Eiffel Tower. Dine with a spectacular view of the French city by booking a table at Le Jules Verne, located in the Eiffel Tower. The restaurant provides views of both the city skyline and the Seine River and offers a distinctly French menu, including everything from foie gras to truffled macaroni.

Vertigo: Bangkok, Thailand

Vertigo, located on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Bangkok, is known for having one of the best views of any dining venue in the world, thanks to its 360-degree views of the glittering cityscape below that seem to go on for miles. After drinking in the view, guests can dig into a menu filled with luxurious bites of seafood like grilled snow fish and hearty meats like lamb chops. Or, try it all with one of its three or four-course tasting menus.

Mirablau: Barcelona, Spain

Mirablau is more than just a dining destination — it’s a spot where dinner can easily turn into dancing, then drinks, and then maybe even sunrise after that. The restaurant offers a panoramic view of Barcelona — all the way to the Sagrada Familia — as well as a menu filled with Spanish tapas and Mediterranean dishes. However, do stick around after your meal and head to its upper room disco, where a DJ spins tracks from the ‘60s to the ‘90s.

Pangas Beach Club: Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Though it’s not found on a high-rise like many other restaurants on this list, Pangas Beach Club in Tamarindo, Costa Rica can still compete as it sits on a pristine sandy shoreline by the Pacific Ocean. Here, diners can dig into local seafood and Costa Rican specialties like the Guanacaste Sampler, which comes with smoked fish dip with fried plantains, pineapple chili-glazed wings, and a tower of fried seafood.

Ambrosia: Santorini, Greece

Ambrosia, which can be found hovering over a cliff’s edge on the island of Santorini, is hands-down one of the best sunset locations in all of the Greek islands. Book a table here for the hour before sunset to get a last glimpse of the sun as it dips into the Mediterranean Sea while you dine on Greek dishes like sautéed baby squid with pesto sauce and ouzo.

Sierra Mar: Big Sur, California

Like Ambrosia, Sierra Mar sits over a massive cliff’s edge on the other side of the world in Big Sur, California. The restaurant’s Pacific Ocean views are certainly worth the reservation alone, but so too is its menu filled with California-centric cuisine made from ingredients plucked from its chef’s garden.

139 Pavilion: Cairo, Egypt

You don’t need to travel far into Egypt to get awe-inspiring views of the Great Pyramids. In fact, if you check into the Marriot Mena House, you don’t even need to leave your hotel. Just head to the hotel’s on-site restaurant, 139 Pavilion, which perfectly highlights the pyramids from its outdoor patio space. Guests here can get a taste of whatever they’re craving thanks to an expansive international menu offered both a la carte and on a buffet.

Dasheene: St. Lucia

Feel the cool ocean breeze at Dasheene, a restaurant found in the Ladera Resort on the island of St. Lucia. From its open-air dining room, guests can look out to the massive Piton Mountains and across the Caribbean Sea straight to the horizon. Diners can order off a menu of St. Lucian dishes crafted by Chef Nigel, including Caribbean lamb salad and roast conch with pickled vegetables.

Altitude: Sydney, Australia

Altitude, located in the Shangri-La Sydney, is the spot to be for awe-inspiring views of the Sydney Harbour. Here, guests can look out to see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge below as they dine on Australian cuisine like Murray cod with romesco, tempura zucchini flower, and pil pil sauce. Try the tasting menu to get a little bit of everything.

La MarléNaz: Bagnes, Switzerland

Head 6,217 feet up into the Swiss mountains in Bagnes for a meal at La MarléNaz. The mountain chalet is as traditional as they come thanks to its stone and wood interior and a balcony overlooking the vast mountain range. Its menu is traditionally Swiss too, giving diners the full Alpine experience with local cheeses, meats, and locally sourced mushrooms.

Giraffe Manor: Nairobi, Kenya

If you’ve been on Instagram over the last 10 years, you’ve likely seen Giraffe Manor pop up a time or two. The resort in Nairobi is home to one of the coolest breakfast services just about anywhere; not only does it offer a menu packed with African and European-fusion cuisine, but if you look out its windows, you’ll likely spot at least one of its resident Rothschild's giraffes. They may even pop their heads in to join your meal.

Nobu Malibu: Los Angeles, California

Sit just above the Pacific Ocean while dining on fantastically fresh seafood at Nobu Malibu. The restaurant is set a few feet above the sand at the famed Southern California beach, making it another prime place for a dazzling sunset view. Here, go with the classics, like the yellowtail jalapeño and the miso black cod.

360 Istanbul: Istanbul, Turkey

As the moniker suggests, 360 Istanbul provides a 360-degree view of the city and the Bosphorus Strait. The menu is packed with both Turkish and international dishes, including beef filet shish kebab with pistachio kofta and saffron risotto with green peas, asparagus, and oyster mushrooms.

Restaurante Fuerte de San Sebastián del Pastelillo: Cartagena, Colombia

Restaurante Fuerte de San Sebastián del Pastelillo, located in a fort looking out over the Bay of Cartagena, provides a picturesque setting for an unforgettable meal. Here, diners can dig into local flavors with its tuna tataki, which comes crusted in paradise pepper with soy sauce and citrus, and encocado de jaiba, a crab dish with prawns and mussels all sautéed in a tomato, onion, and coconut milk reduction.

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