Sept. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Revolving restaurants are returning.

The symbols of 1960s engineering prowess became synonymous with bad food, kitsch decor and tourists. For Sydney's two most famous examples, the food at least has improved.

Summit, opened on Feb. 29, 1968, by Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary, maintains its 1960s feel with red carpet, white stone fixtures and black, padded interior walls. The recently renovated 360 Bar & Dining atop Centrepoint Tower, the city's tallest structure and known locally as the `bucket on a stick,' has walls paneled in dark, hand-carved wood, parquet flooring, and chocolate-brown leather booths.

Both serve the kind of modern Australian cuisine that includes flavors from around the world.

The world's first revolving restaurant was built in Honolulu in 1961. The concept took off after ``The Eye of the Needle'' restaurant opened on top of Seattle's Space Needle, built for the city's hosting of the 1962 World Fair. In no time, tower tops were turning around the globe, from Baghdad's International Saddam Tower (since renamed) to the Zia Sriti Complex in Bangladesh. Sydney, like Pyongyang, has three.

On a clear day from Summit, you can see 80 kilometers, but it's the spectacular views of Sydney harbor 165 meters below that catch the eye. Jazz-funk tunes match the restaurant's decor.

On the elevator ride up, one businessman stipulated to his colleagues that he'd need a forward-facing seat. On a previous visit he'd experienced motion sickness. Upon taking our seats by the window, I soon understood why.

Roving Eye

While the floor revolves smoothly, completing its circuit in a snail-paced 1 3/4 hours, I felt slightly queasy each time my eye locked on the fixed window frame as the view beyond slipped past. Fortunately, there's nothing nauseating about chef Michael Moore's menu.

I started with a Hiramasa Kingfish belly citrus salad with roe, mint, chili and zest that's tied together with soft bonito jelly. While it was deliciously fresh, I had arrived hungry and was soon eyeing the more substantial antipasto plate of one of my guests, and the handmade gnocchi with peas, pumpkin and feta in a butter sauce of another. Both were satisfied with their choices.

For the main, my seared king prawns were delicious, though I didn't enjoy the accompanying polenta cake and Boston Bay clam stew. My guests were happier with their selections of line-caught Barramundi with salad, and roast lamb rack with a citrus endive tart and sweet wine and caramel sauce.

By the time I got through my super-rich chocolate and berry mousse for dessert I was happy I'd opted for a light entree. A hot passion-fruit souffle and a double-cream creme brulee also rated highly with my companions.

Gramps Botrytis

A bottle of 2004 Palliser Pinot Noir (A$79/$65) smoothly complemented both the seafood and meat dishes, while a bottle of 2004 Gramps 5 Generation Botrytis Semillon (A$43) nicely accompanied our desserts.

Of Centrepoint Tower's two dining options, I avoided the tourist-targeted all-you-can-eat buffet at Tower restaurant and took the ear-popping 88-story lift ride to 360 Bar & Dining, jammed in with more tourists headed to the observation deck.

If you wish to avoid the elevator crush, you can take the option of Angela Leadbeatter. The 30-year-old mother, who trains by pushing her baby's pram, climbed the 1,504 stairs the previous day in 9 minutes and 15 seconds in the annual Sydney Tower Run-Up for charity, beating her own 2000 record.

With its smaller circumference, 360 completes its rotation every 1 hour and 10 minutes. The view is superb, though the city's star sites, the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, are partially obscured by Sydney's tallest office block.

Cavern in the Sky

The dark-wood walls and dim lighting give 360 a cavernous feel despite the tower's 305-meter elevation. The menu, like the decor, is more modern than at Summit, with bold contrasting flavors.

I started with roast scallops, Peking duck, shiitake mushroom, grapefruit and peanuts with duck consomme, and enjoyed the variety. My guests were pleased with entrees of caramelized pork belly with Morton Bay Bug tail; artichoke soup with roast yabby tail and duck foie gras; and an assortment of scored yellow fin tuna with apple, wasabi oil and pickles.

My pan-fried snapper was enlivened by slithers of baby squid and clams. The meat dishes of beef, lamb and veal selected by my guests had similarly rich sub-flavors. The roast beef fillet was dry, a deficiency partly offset by the accompanying braised beef cheek, one guest said. Foie gras gave a boost to the poached veal.

Like the restaurant's exterior, the dessert offerings looked tacky on paper: creme brulee with candied popcorn and banana jam ice cream; cherry ripe brownie with chocolate shake and watermelon rosewater jam; orange and almond syrup cake with baklava ice cream. All were enjoyable.

The service was more personal and attentive here than at the Summit, especially from the resident sommelier.

`Last Chance'

We started with a bottle of Two Paddocks ``The Last Chance'' 2003 Pinot Noir (A$99), then moved on to Twofold Shiraz 2004 (A$92), on the sommelier's recommendation. The pinot was subtle enough to match our varied entrees while the peppery shiraz complimented the more intense main-course flavors. A bottle of Noble 1 De Bortoli 2005 (A$59) accompanied dessert.

Sydney has one other revolving restaurant, Hi Lights, on the fifth floor of the Blacktown Workers Club in the city's working class west, opened in 1994. It has views of a nearby supermarket car park.

The Summit, Level 47, Australia Square, 264 George Street, Sydney. Tel. +612-9247-9777. http://www.summitrestaurant.com.au. 360 Bar & Dining, Sydney Tower, 100 Market Street, Sydney. Tel. +612-8223-3883 or http://www.360dining.com.au.

The Bloomberg Questions

Cost? Summit: starters from A$17, mains from A$38; 360 Bar & Dining: starters from A$28, mains from A$46.

Sound level? Quiet at Summit, noisier at 360.

Private room? No.

Inside tip? Ask for a forward-facing seat if you get motion sickness.

Special feature? Revolutionary dining.

Date place? Yes to both, though 360 is more romantic.

Will I be back? When overseas visitors arrive.

(Malcolm Scott writes for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Malcolm Scott in Sydney at Mscott23@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 5, 2007 10:00 EDT