It’s all about the views here. The roof terrace at The Palisades Hotel is great, but I think they rest on their laurels a bit, thanks to the stunning 270-degree views of the Harbour Bridge, city and Barangaroo.
I have been twice since it opened a few weeks ago, and admittedly the service was much better the second time. It was a bit slow the first time, in terms of topping up water and delivering drink orders, but perhaps they were just finding their feet.
Personally, I think the food menu is a bit limited. On my first visit, 4 of us shared The Cheese Platter, which was lovely, but doesn’t go far with 4 so we went elsewhere for lunch afterwards. On my second visit, we decided to have lunch elsewhere first and just have drinks. In my opinion, this is a better way of doing it. We shared 3 bottles of wine on that latter visit, all of which were delicious (though they charge accordingly of course).
The only other downside was that it gets incredibly hot. They have large glass windows (crucial for the views) which were slightly open and I don’t think they had the air con on (or if they did, you could not feel it). Hence, it did feel a bit like a greenhouse after awhile.
Reservations are definitely recommended. It will make it much easier to get past the ‘Lift Police’, who can be a little snooty. However, please note that credit card details are required for bookings and $100 is taken if you don’t show up or cancel less than 24 hours beforehand.
In summary, go for the views! And the wine. But preferably not on a 40-degree day.