5 stunning hotel dining experiences

Soneva Kiri Treepod Dining

Fine dining and upscale hotels go hand-in-hand, but when you want a meal that’s truly memorable, pick one of these bucket-list worthy restaurants.

The Dining Pod at Soneva Kiri Resort, Koh Kood, Thailand
Miss the fun you had climbing trees as a kid? It’s better as a grown-up at this Thai resort, when your reward is a meal in a nest-like bamboo “pod” perched 16 feet above the ground atop a eucalyptus tree with spectacular views of the surrounding beaches and rain forest. Up to four diners board the pod at ground level before it’s hoisted to the treetop. Selections from the menu (Thai dishes made with fruits and vegetables from the resort’s organic garden. plus locally-sourced ingredients) are delivered via zip-lining waiters.

Sea. at Anantara Kihavah Villas, Maldives
Dine underwater sans scuba gear at this stunning glass-walled restaurant three meters below sea level and teeming with tropical fish in the middle of theIndian Ocean. Wines from the below-sea-level cellar compliment a Mediterranean-influenced menu. The restaurant is part of a four-level dining complex that also includes Fire. (a Japanese teppanyaki lounge) Salt. (which specializes in unique taste experiences) and Sky. (a rooftop bar with amazing island views).

E by Jose Andres at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Las Vegas
What started out as a super-secret restaurant within a restaurant when it opened in 2011 has become the not-so-secret darling of food critics and bloggers everywhere. The tiny, third-floor spot within Jaleo tapas restaurant doesn’t advertise and it’s website is purposefully cryptic. Only eight counter seats separate diners—the ones lucky enough to score spots at two highly coveted seatings five nights week—and chefs who theatrically prepare 23-course meals the New York Times described as a “mash-up of gastromolecular technique and traditional Spanish cooking.”

Alpenglow Stube at Keystone Resort, Vail, CO
Considered one of the finest mountaintop dining experiences anywhere, Alpenglow sets itself apart from other sky-high restaurants by first providing guests with blankets for two gondolas rides to reach the restaurant at nearly 12,000 feet. Once they arrive, they can turn in boots and skis in exchange for slippers. The Bavarian-influenced menu includes game dishes such as boar tenderloin and bison Osso Buco.

Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, Tanzania
There’s a split-level dining room with a wall of windows at this safari lodge and resort built into the wall of a dormant volcano. Views of the crater and surrounding wildlife outside are stunning; inside, the space is decorated with prehistoric cave paintings and has a central fireplace. The menu is heavy on locally sourced foods. Elegantly prepared dinners in the bush are also available.

Tagged: Las Vegas, Uncategorized