A Turn For The Better

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For decades, the Summit revolving restaurant (summitrestaurant.com.au) was one of Sydney's mild disappointments. No one could fault the view — 47 floors high and completing a revolution every 105 minutes, it offered stunning panoramas of one of the world's prettiest cities. But the food — doled out buffet-style at steel counters — was unimpressive and the décor was forgettable.

Locals avoided the place, and tourists felt shortchanged. All that unfulfilled potential is now in the past, however. Following a spectacular recent revamp, the Summit is finally attaining heights worthy of its name. Its minimalist, Space Odyssey-inspired interior features the kind of modernist furnishings — including chairs by Eero Saarinen and Knoll — that will make style mavens salivate.

The cuisine will get your mouth watering too. Devised by British-born chef Michael Moore, who has notched up stints at top Sydney restaurants like Bennelong and Prunier's, the menu celebrates the freshness of Australian produce with signature dishes like wok-fried blue swimmer crab with sansho pepper, and seared king prawns with blue pumpkin pasta rotolo. Talk about a culinary revolution. Lunches start from around $30, dinners from about $50. Reservations are essential.