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Food For Thought

BY JONATHAN DOUGHTY

Jonathan Doughty is a global thought leader, con-
sultant, speaker, moderator and C-suite executive in
the foodservice and leisure sectors working around
the world in retail, transit and leisure. This month, he
focuses on why the concept of dining on rooftops
rules and why it is a personal highlight of his.

Dining with the Stars

I am focusing this month on one of my favourite subjects - why
restaurants perched at the top of landmark buildings have become
the most sought-after tables in town - and what they’re really selling
beyond dinner. It is easy to look at the Middle East and wonder, but
this trend started in the West and I have had the pleasure of working
on several “top of the world experiences” including the first in London, Aqua Shard, London, UK
Gary Rhodes with Rhodes Twenty Four at Tower42, all that time back
in October 2003.
From London to Bangkok, the pull of altitude is undeniable. In engineered to catch guests at multiple dayparts. Bangkok’s SkyBar
Western Europe’s tallest building, Aqua Shard pairs contemporary leans into DJ sets and signature cocktails; Madrid rooftops layer on
British menus with floor-to-ceiling glass and 360° city panoramas; its seasonal experiences to keep locals engaged. The result is stronger
very setting is the promise. In Paris, Les Ombres sits atop the Musée dwell time and multiple revenue streams per guest, achieving
du Quai Branly; by day the Eiffel Tower casts a lace-shadow across unheard of revenue per guest numbers.
the tables, by night it glows like a stage set - architecture as ambience.
Bangkok has gone all-in on the skyline, with Mahanakhon’s SkyBar 3. Iconic settings create cultural capital.
claiming Thailand’s highest dining perch and a connected rooftop Some rooftops plug directly into their city’s story: dining on the
experience that blends glass-floor thrills with cocktails and music. Reichstag roof fuses cuisine with democratic symbolism; Cityzen
Now closed, this is being replaced by Ojo Bangkok soon. Singapore’s frames Mexico City’s civic axis; Les Ombres is literally designed
CÉ LA VI, straddling the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands, is equal parts around the Eiffel Tower. These addresses give restaurants an
restaurant, skybar and club - an all-evening ecosystem rather than a editorial hook, making them natural backdrops for media, brand
single sitting. One of the projects I got the very most pleasure out of collaborations and high-profile events. The cultural context
working on - one of a kind! becomes a marketing engine you can see from your table, powerful
Closer to home, Berlin’s Käfer on the Reichstag roof folds civic for any city or country.
history into the meal, while in Mexico City, Sofitel’s Cityzen frames
Reforma and the Ángel de la Independencia like a postcard. Madrid’s 4. Social platforms reward altitude.
boom in rooftops along Gran Vía - driven by social-media demand Skyline shots are the ultimate UGC. Madrid’s rooftop surge maps
and heavyweight hotel groups - shows this is no fad; competition has neatly to Instagram/TikTok demand; operators there report a
even nudged cocktail prices down as operators add programming like crowded field where competition has forced innovation on pricing
outdoor cinema and brunch to stand out. And in Seoul, a tower-top and programming. The lesson for any capital city: photogenic
n.GRILL turns the city’s nightscape into part of the tasting menu. All sightlines are acquisition channels, but sustained success requires
AMAZING places to eat and drink, but what is powering the ascent? a reason to return including menus with identity, curator-led
music, or distinctive service rituals and stand out spaces.
MY FIVE KEY TAKE-OUTS ARE:
5. Seamless choreography beats single-note spectacle.
1. Views are the new “hero ingredient”. The best sky-high venues work because the experience is
The higher you go, the more the skyline becomes a signature frictionless: elevator logistics, weatherproofing, glass and
in its own right. Operators know that a sightline - The Shard’s acoustics, wind management on terraces and a menu that travels
wraparound cityscape, the Eiffel Tower hovering at arm’s length, or well in high-capacity service. Aqua Shard’s polished, reservation-
Bangkok’s glass-floor vantage - creates instant differentiation that led model; the layered spaces at Marina Bay Sands and the guided
no ground-level fit-out can match. These vistas are also infinitely access to Berlin’s Reichstag terrace all show how operations and
renewable: the same table serves a different mood at sunrise, architecture must align to turn a view into a viable business. These
sunset and after dark, which encourages repeat visits and premium are machines, well oiled, well run and able to print money when
pricing, the Nirvana for special places. running well.

2. Sell an all-evening arc, not just a meal. For all their glamour, these restaurants win when they deliver
Top-floor venues increasingly function as vertical destinations: substance at altitude. That’s why the world’s capitals keep building
pre-dinner sundowners, a chef-led menu, a DJ-scored nightcap higher dining rooms: because in an attention economy, the horizon
- often without leaving the building. CÉ LA VI’s configuration is the most compelling story a restaurant can tell - served nightly,
(restaurant, sky bar and club lounge) is a textbook example, weather permitting!

32 Retail & Leisure International November 2025