7 hotel restaurants you'll be talking about for years

Standard menus (will it be the burger or chicken fingers?) and pastel dining rooms are more likely to have you smacking your face than your lips. Some hotel restaurants, however, offer unique experiences and are worth the trip alone.

Velassaru Resort (Maldives)

"Waiter! There's sand in my ... oh never mind."

This luxury resort’s private dining options are all amazing, but it’s the satay barbecue experience that we’re drawn to. Sand-formed chairs on the beach might seem gimmicky, but they're fantastic. A four-course Indonesian feast is served at sunset and comes with a dedicated chef and waiter.

Longitude 131 (Australia)

Who knew red came in so many colors?

With eternal Ayers Rock in the background, guests at this high-end outback hotel can enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner under the stars. As diners tuck into native bush dishes such as crocodile, kangaroo and barramundi, a didgeridoo plays in the background and a traditional dance performance provides a glimpse into local Aboriginal culture.

Soneva Kiri Resort (Gulf of Thailand)

If Tarzan did fine dining.

Once seated within the cozy bamboo dining pod at this beautiful retreat, guests are hoisted six meters into the air through a pulley system so they can feast among the treetops of an ancient rainforest. Skilled waiters swing to and fro delivering baskets of wine and food via zip line.

Hotel Ristorante Grotta Palazesse (Italy)

Food from the underground.

Located within a vaulted limestone cavern, this waterfront restaurant in Polignano a Mare on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy annually charms thousands of visitors between May and October. Sitting 74 feet above the Adriatic Sea, diners have enjoyed the amazing views from this spacious cave since the 1700s. Seafood and Mediterranean dishes are the house standards, but few bother to notice the food.

Conrad Maldives (Maldives)

"I'll have the fish, please."

Amazing ocean views have put Ithaa , the Conrad Maldives' famed underwater restaurant, on numerous travel bucket lists and Pinterest boards. Located five meters below the water’s surface and boasting 180-degree views of coral marine life, if this ultra-cool restaurant doesn't impress your date, get a new date. For those traveling as a family, kids are welcome for lunch, but not dinner.

Treetops Lodge (Rotorua, New Zealand)

Herbs, waterfalls, pretty blondes ... is this a restaurant or a shampoo commercial?

The wild food packages at this serene New Zealand retreat offer guests the chance to partake in a 4WD safari to observe the estate’s varied wildlife before being led to forage in the bush for fresh herbs and spices. Organic ingredients collected are used by the lodge’s acclaimed chefs to create the evening's dishes. The best part? Dinner is served al fresco in front of a cascading waterfall.

lebua at State Tower (Bangkok)

Definitely not down to Earth.

On the 63rd floor of this soaring five-star hotel, Sirocco Is the world’s highest al fresco restaurant. It offers gorgeous panoramas of Bangkok. In addition to the acclaimed Mediterranean-inspired fare, live music helps create a dreamlike atmosphere. As you'd expect, dinner with a view as spectacular as this one is quite popular -- reservations are recommended at least a week in advance.