The Summit Restaurant Orbit Lounge Bar

The Summit Restaurant Orbit Lounge Bar was a bit of a let down.  It was nice to have a place to go dressed up but I found it to be too cramped to pull off a really classy atmosphere.  The tables are closely spaced and elbow room is at a minimun.  The  360 view was great and the rotation was smooth.  The food was good and well prepared but  the waiters seemed rushed and there seemed to be a bit of a push to get you out once the meal and the 360 rotation was completed.  Lingering over coffee and desert was not encouraged, putting a damper on the romance aspect of the meal.   All in all it was a pleasant experience and the price though not cheap was reasonable.  I have recommended it to friends traveling to Sydney.

Yep, it's true, this is an expensive place. But I've managed to go there a few times because I've worked out some cheaper ways to enjoy the amazing views of Sydney that this restaurant/bar offers.

For one thing, you could opt to just have a coffee or a drink - it's somewhat pricey but considering the ambient setting and the view, it's worth the money. It's a great way for visitors to Sydney to get some sense of just how huge this city is. It's also a lot cooler than Sydney Tower; it's not such a touristy thing to do and there's no admission price. Last year I took a friend visiting from overseas to the Summit, and we were there while the light faded from late afternoon to evening. I couldn't help thinking just how so nice it was to see the city's lights flicker on.

But the best way to experience the restaurant on a budget is to pop in mid to late January when the Sydney Festival is on. For the last few years it's been one of the Festival's restaurant partners which means you can get a Fast Festival Feast for just $25. For that price you get a main, a glass of wine and this year they offered a chocolate too - it doesn't get much cheaper than that for a nice meal in a classy establishment.

Having said all that, the food is fine but not particularly amazing, and the service is fine but not particularly friendly - but perhaps it was because they knew that we were doing their restaurant on the cheap!