If you want to take your dining experiences to new heights, it’s hard to do better than renowned restaurant Altitude, on the 36th floor of the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney.

With views over the white shimmering sails of the Opera House and the soaring Sydney Harbour Bridge, you could be forgiven for thinking that dining at Altitude is all about looks. But as the recipient of a two-toque (hat) rating in French guide Gault&Millau, Altitude has looks and taste.

A new menu has just been unveiled, and while it draws on some of Australia’s finest seasonal produce and flavours, talented chef de cuisine Insup Kim has focused on emphasising rich and diverse flavours from land and sea with a clever use of fire and the grill.

Go-to dishes include ‘The OP’, which is a succulent 42-day dry-aged grain-fed rib on the bone from Glen Innes, NSW, and the triple-cooked free-range half chicken served with charred baby gem and fig. Fresh, sustainable Australian seafood also gets prime billing, and we love the butter-poached WA marron, not to mention the drool-worthy whole Eastern rock lobster.

Even if you don’t have the biggest sweet tooth, you’ll find yourself drawn to the dessert menu by Anna Polyviou, who is known for her boundary-pushing, intricate creations that are full of flavour (and fun).

The MasterChef favourite, ‘Anna’s Mess’, is on the menu and Anna’s luscious take on the classic English Eton Mess, with colourful pop rocks, is a huge crowd-puller. Traditional favourites like pavlova also get a makeover with pineapple gel and pabana (banana, passionfruit, mango and lemon) sorbet. But our money is on the split with chocolate crème, brownie crumbs, banana sorbet and popcorn marshmallow.

A thoughtful and extensive wine list created by executive sommelier Matt Herod caps off the perfectly paced dining experience, which lets diners soak up the spectacular Sydney views through the soaring windows. Whichever way you look at it, eating at Altitude will leave you on a high.