10 Futuristic High-end Restaurants And Bars Worth Sitting Down

I am quite cautious about where I choose to sit for a drink or a dinner. Although I place a strong emphasis on quality, nothing deserves more disdain than a place without a sense of ambience or aesthetic, that is the reason why I tend to favor futuristic high-end restaurants and bars. I have been to enough cities to know the difference between places that earn your attention and those that beg for it.

Here is a list of places that earned my attention, some for personal reasons rather than their design alone, I must admit.

10 – At.mosphere | Burj Khalifa, Dubai

The man I was with was very talkative about his new Ponzi-like business. I sort of zoned out after a couple of minutes, which gave me time that felt like an eternity to observe the surroundings. I’ve been back twice since. Alone, which was better.

9 – Ozone | Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong

My husband was in a meeting for six hours. I was here for five. As I was so extraordinarily bored, I started counting the boats on the harbour below. I reached forty seven before the Negroni arrived, which was, I’ll admit, exceptionally good. That helped.

8 – Overstory | New York

The woman at the next table was explaining Web3 to someone who clearly didn’t care. I learned things, against my will.

7 – Bar 8 | Mandarin Oriental, Paris

A man at the bar was trying very hard to appear as though he wasn’t trying at all. I’ve seen it enough times to find it almost endearing. Almost. I stayed two hours longer than planned.

6 – Silencio | Paris

I came here once with someone who talked through the entire thing. I haven’t spoken to them since, which has nothing to do with this bar and everything to do with who they were as a person. Silencio is perfect. They were not.

5 – Henshin | Jakarta

My husband had a meeting with someone I’ve never been introduced to, which tells you everything you need to know. I found Henshin by accident. The aesthetic was surprisingly considered, the kind of restraint that costs money. I had two drinks and left before dinner.

4 – Bulgari Hotel Bar | Tokyo

The Yamazaki 18 here is served at precisely the right temperature. I’ve ordered it four times across three visits. Each time, correct. I don’t know what that says about me but I’ve stopped asking.

3 – Sky51 | Kuala Lumpur

Someone brought me here. The music was the kind that makes you wonder what decisions led you to this moment. The crowd was enthusiastic in a way I find exhausting. And yet, the view over KL at night is genuinely something, and the bartender, bless him, made me laugh exactly once with something I didn’t expect. I’ve never gone back. I think about the view occasionally.

2 – Hard Shake | Waldorf Astoria, Las Vegas

I do not go to Las Vegas. I was there for fourteen hours for reasons I’ve chosen not to examine. The bar is better than it deserves to be : dark marble, brass, someone clearly overruled the interior decorator. A man next to me ordered a bottle of Cristal to celebrate closing a deal on something I didn’t ask about. He winked at me. I did not wink back. The cocktail was, objectively, excellent. I took a car to the airport at 3am and felt nothing.

1 – The Emory | London

My husband suggested we stay somewhere else. I didn’t respond. We stayed here. On the last evening I went up to the rooftop alone, glass on all sides, London doing what London does, which is exist loudly and without apology. I had a drink I don’t remember and thought about something I don’t remember. It was fine. More than fine. I booked again for March.