Location/Links
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
SwitchYard Media, Inc.
SwitchYard Media, Inc. - contact | website
Designed and produced by Lang Kirchheimer
SwitchYard Media, Inc. - contact | website
A production of SwitchYard Media, Inc.
Seattle Municipal Archives
SkyCity over Seattle
Though it wasn't the first, the Seattle Space Needle kicked the revolving restaurant revolution into high gear when it opened for the 1962 World's Fair, according to Randl. People waited for several hours to eat at the Eye of the Needle in the flying saucer atop the 605-foot tower.
The restaurant, now called SkyCity, rotates once every 47 minutes as diners soak in views of the Great Northwest's snowcapped peaks, glistening waters and sparkling city lights. Even if the needle is in the clouds the "cuisine is worth the trip alone," claims Space Needle marketing manager Dave Mandapat.
To experience the treat, he recommends making a reservation several weeks in advance during the summer, weekends, and holidays. Casual, family-friendly attire is permitted at all times, but food with a view isn't cheap. A dinner entree of seafood pasta costs $43, for example.
ADDRESS:
400 Broad St., Seattle, WA 98109
PHONE:
(206) 905-2100
WEBSITE:
EMAIL:
SkyCityManagers@spaceneedle.com
BING SEARCH:
BING SEARCH:
Justin S.
Top of Waikiki
The first revolving restaurant in the United States - La Ronde - was plopped atop an office park in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1961. Though it is long gone, a competitor called the Top of Waikiki that was built in 1965 still spins on the 18th floor of Waikiki Business Plaza.
The restaurant offers views of its namesake beach, Honolulu skyscrapers, and the island of Oahu's three extinct volcanoes as it makes a lap every hour and diners feast on a menu of Pacific fusion cuisine.
In its heyday, the restaurant routinely turned nearly 1,000 tables every day, according to general manager Craig Buckley. "It is different now that the competition is much stronger, but we are still one of the top places to come," he said.
Buckley's tip is to make it in for the sunset special, which is run daily from 5 pm to 6 pm. The restaurant also offers a happy hour from 5 pm to 7 pm, making the bar a popular spot to watch the day turn to night over a $4 drink.
ADDRESS:
2270 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI
PHONE:
(808) 922-8827
WEBSITE:
BING SEARCH:
Tower of Americas
Chart House in San Antonio
Another Space Needle-like flying saucer sits atop the Tower of the Americas, a 750-foot-tall spire constructed for the 1968 World's Fair in San Antonio, Texas, that provides visitors unobstructed views of the city and surrounding countryside.
Landry's Restaurants Inc. took over management of the tower in 2004 and embarked on an $8 million renovation project. In 2006, the Eyes Over Texas Restaurant was converted into Landry's Chart House chain, which has a menu heavy on seafood and steaks.
The Texas revolution takes about an hour and a half. Reviews posted on the Web site Yelp tend to laud the experience for the view, especially at night, and decent food, but recommend coming prepared to drop a few bills on a Texas-sized tab.
ADDRESS:
600 Hemisfair Plaza Way, San Antonio, TX 78205
PHONE:
(210) 223-3101
WEBSITE:
BING SEARCH:
Radisson
360, Across the River
Since 1972, visitors and locals alike in search of a romantic getaway in Cincinnati, Ohio, trek across the Ohio River to Covington, Kentucky, and ride the elevator to the 18th floor of the Radisson Hotel. That's where they find 360, voted one of the top 100 romantic restaurants in the U.S. by Zagat.
Wedding proposals are routine as the restaurant makes its hourly namesake turn, according to reservations specialist Tara Alexander. "We get people who come for every wedding anniversary because they got proposed to here," she noted.
The menu is well known for its choice cuts of steak and the Cincinnati area's best crab cakes, said Alexander. The signature 16 ounce ribeye costs $19.
ADDRESS:
668 West Fifth St., Covington, KY 41011
PHONE:
(859) 491-1200
WEBSITE:
BING SEARCH:
Kathleen Finnerty
Spinners in St. Pete
Visitors to Florida hankering for an updated throwback to 1972 might want to check out Spinners Rooftop Revolving Bistro on the top floor of the 12-story Grand Plaza Hotel on St. Petersburg Beach.
The restaurant is hardly ever packed because so few people know that it exists, according to Hilton Kean Jones who runs the blog Inkwatu.com about the delights of Florida and beyond. "It's such a simple, 60s retro thing... but it's unique and tons of fun," he writes. "It transforms the restaurant experience."
A revolution at Spinners takes about 90 minutes. Jones' advice is to arrive about an hour before sunset to watch the sights of the Tampa Bay area transition from day to night.
ADDRESS:
5250 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, FL 33706
PHONE:
(800) 448-0901
WEBSITE:
EMAIL:
info@grandplazaflorida.com
BING SEARCH:
Marriott Hotels
The View of the Big Apple
Millions of tourists run around New York City every year, but only those who find The View atop the Marriot Marquis in Times Square can dine as the city revolves around them.
Opened in 1985, the hotel and restaurant were designed by John Portman, known for buildings with grand atriums and space-age elevators that whisk along exposed central columns and allow everyone to see and be seen on their way up to a flying-saucer shaped restaurant on top, noted Randl.
The View is a particularly popular spot for tourists to grab a pre-theater cocktail and meal, said Kathleen Duffy, a spokeswoman for the hotel. Tourists who hope to avoid the crowds should sneak in for dinner or a drink once the theater crowd has departed for their shows, after about 8:00 pm, Duffy said.
ADDRESS:
1535 Broadway, (between West 45th and West 46th Streets), New York, N.Y.
PHONE:
(212) 704-8900.
WEBSITE:
BING SEARCH:
Gary Denness
Top of the World in Vegas
The Top of the World in Las Vegas, atop the Stratosphere Tower draws a steady crowd of thrill-seeking tourists and high rollers in the mood to splurge.
The restaurant makes a leisurely lap once every hour and twenty minutes as diners feast on surf and turf cuisine and take in the sights of the Las Vegas Strip and surrounding desert landscape.
One note: many entrees on the award-winning menu are in the $40 range, sides not included, so you might need a lucky spin on the roulette table before shooting 800 feet up to the Top of the World.
According to Randl, the Top of the World, which opened in 1996, appears to be the last revolving restaurant built in the United States. Why? "We are living in the future that they envisioned and it didn't come out that way," he suggested. "Maybe these restaurants are a reminder of that."
ADDRESS:
2000 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89104
PHONE:
(800) 998-6937
WEBSITE:
BING SEARCH: