The height of good taste

• Source: Global Times
• [11:14 July 23 2010]
• Comments

Sir Elly's bar. Photo: Courtesy of Peninsula Hotel

By Tom Mangione

Shanghai is a huge city. But it's hard to get a real appreciation of its size at street level. An aerial view of the city quickly leaves one speechless. In every direction a sea of skyscrapers crowd the horizon, and the Pearl Tower and the iconic towers of Lujiazui appear like buoys floating above this scene. Luckily, a number of Shanghai's hotels have restaurants and bars on their top floors to allow patrons to enjoy this awe-inspiring sight at their leisure over a finely prepared meal or mixed drink. You could call it food for thought.

A People's Square meal

Epicure on 45, the restaurant on the 45th floor of the Radisson Hotel Shanghai New World in the heart of People's Square offers its diners the chance to enjoy a 360 degree view of the Shanghai skyline. The restaurant completes one rotation every two hours, allowing diners to view the entire panorama over the duration of their meal. It is open for lunch and dinner, from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 6 pm to 10:30 pm. For lunch, three-course sets from Indian, Japanese and Western cuisines are on offer for 148 yuan ($22), plus 15 percent service charge. The dinner menu is a la carte, and features summer specials including a grilled veal escalope with lemon coriander butter, fresh vegetables and roast potatoes (225 yuan plus 15 percent). If you're in the mood after dinner, you can head upstairs to the Sky Dome bar and listen to the sounds of their live band, Dusk, from 9 pm.

Sensations and rotations

Across the way in Pudong, X-Sensation, the 360 degree rotating restaurant located on the 46th floor of the Sofitel Shanghai Jin Jiang Oriental Pudong offers an unobstructed view of the Expo site and its most prominent landmark, the China Pavilion. It rotates faster than its People's Square counterpart, clocking up one cycle every 90 minutes. There's no lunch, but dinner features an all-you-can-eat buffet for 158 yuan plus 15 percent. On Sundays X-Sensation also offers a brunch from 11 am to 3 pm with extended breakfast entrees added to their international buffet (239 yuan plus 15 percent). The restaurant also offers an all-you-can-drink special on Qingdao beer for 99 yuan plus 15 percent.

Topping it off on the Bund

At the top of the recently opened Peninsula Hotel on the Bund, Sir Elly's gives diners a simultaneous view of the Bund and Lujiazui skylines. The restaurant has a retro, art deco look that harks back to the 1920s. Be sure to take a look at the Jackson Pollackesque terracotta warriors and Ming-style vases as you take in the view and the food. Entrees include Wagu Beef with wood grilled oxtail ravioli, caramelized Chinese cabbage, oxtail jus (428 yuan). Those looking for an after dinner cocktail can head to the 14.5 Bar on the roof and enjoy drinks with the open-air view.