17 Restaurants and Bars with Amazing Views

We begin with the appropriately named Beverly Hills restaurant, a popular spot in Koh Samui, Thailand. Here, guests can relax in the sea breezes and watch the play of light across the water.

Visitors to the top of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway can treat themselves at Peaks Restaurant, which offers stunning views of the California desert and glittering city below. The contemporary cuisine is sourced largely from the surrounding Coachella Valley.

Enjoy breathtaking views of the Ngorongoro Crater along the eastern arm of Africa's Rift Valley. And enjoy the food too, thanks to luxury travel provider &Beyond. The region is a great place to see African wildlife as well as traditional Maasai herders.

For 35 years, Cité Restaurant has been a Chicago institution, offering 360-degree views of the skyline and Lake Michigan, from 70 stories above Lake Point Tower. The food is French with a focus on seafood and steak.

Overlooking notorious Mt. Vesuvius and the Italian coast, Albergo Lorelei et Londres is a small hotel and restaurant with a big view. An elevator takes guests down the steep cliff to a perfect beach. And the food at the restaurant is widely praised.

Dine like a king at Baan Rim Pa in Phuket, Thailand: literally! The menu is based on "Royal Thai Cuisine" — dishes formerly found only in the kingdom's Grand Palace. Baan Rim Pa is an open air, two-story affair that provides panoramic views of the spectacular beach at Patong and the Bay of Kalim. Savor the sound of the rolling waves along with your coconut sauce.

San Francisco's Cliff House has been an historic landmark since the 1800s, offering epic views of the Pacific, all the way to the Marin coastline. Dine on fresh seafood at one of Cliff House's two restaurants, while you watch seals frolic in the waves, or maybe glimpse a passing whale.

Also perched above the dazzling Pacific coast is Sierra Mar in Big Sur. The award-winning restaurant offers an innovative, four course, prix fixe menu, which changes daily and features organic and seasonal ingredients. Part of the historic Post Ranch Inn, there's no other place quite like it.

Enjoy panoramic views of London from Babylon, the seventh-floor rooftop restaurant in a gorgeous urban garden setting. Babylon is on the pricey side, but offers an award-winning take on fine contemporary British cuisine. There's a terraced private room for special events.

What's more romantic than the Eiffel Tower? Enjoy sweeping views of Paris, the City of Light, from high atop the landmark, when you savor the elegant French cuisine of Le Jules Verne restaurant.

New Zealand is one of the world's foremost destinations for adventure travel, and Skyline Queenstown on the South Island is a good place to start. Take a thrilling ride down the complex's wheeled luge course, or ride the gondola to experience spectacular views of mountains and Lake Wakatipu. Enjoy a hearty buffet at the Skyline Restaurant, then head out for a day hike.

Take in breathtaking views of an ancient volcanic caldera and the Aegean Sea from the terrace of Ambrosia Restaurant, one of the most sought-after eateries in Santorini, in the fabled Greek islands. Get a romantic table for two and feast on Mediterranean and modern Greek cuisine. Sample local Greek wines and enjoy a memory to last a lifetime.

Since opening in 2006, Steven Greenberg's 230 FIFTH has been consistently rated one of New York City's best rooftop bars. The joint offers epic skyline views from both the outdoor Garden Rooftop Bar and the enclosed Penthouse Lounge. In addition to tasty drinks and snacks, 230 FIFTH is known for offering guests red full-length robes (yes, they resemble Snuggies), so they can take in the night air without getting a chill.

Set on a rock ledge just feet above the waves of the Indian Ocean, the Rock Bar is the hottest sunset and after-dark spot at Ayana Resort and Spa in beautiful Bali. Toast the open-air sea breezes as you nibble tapas served "on the rocks" — or natural stone plates. The bar's minimalist design puts the emphasis on the spectacular view.

Enjoy views of charming Innsbruck and the world-famous Austrian Alps from 360 Wine Bar and Lounge, set seven stories above a shopping center. Innsbruck is a popular ski town, and there are few après nightspots that can match 360 for atmosphere.

High atop Hong Kong's historic five-star hotel, The Peninsula, Felix Bar is a stylish, contemporary setting to be seen in, while you admire the view of the booming city. The hotel is the flagship Peninsula, which now operates in nine major world cities.

Take in the rapidly expanding skyline of Shanghai from the top two floors (32nd and 33rd) of the recently opened Hyatt on the Bund, in the fabulous Vue Bar. Lounge on the day beds or take a dip in the terrace whirlpool. Don't worry: If you forgot your bathing suit, you can order one off the bar menu.