“Now. This is going to be an expensive meal girls. Just drink water. And elbows off the table.”

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These were our sage, tight-arse words of advice before ordering my birthday meal at UFO watch. taste. groove, which is said to be one of the best restaurants in Slovakia. Fair call on the water when mains come in at around 36 euro (Aus $60) a plate. They could drink lemonade another day.

Built in 1972, the UFO restaurant sits 95 metres above the SNP Bridge (“Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising”) in Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital. A lift shoots you up a pylon in 45 seconds, and the views from the top are amazing, spanning out across the city and the Danube with Bratislava’s Castle glowing white in the foreground. Sitting in the very fancy UFO, you can feel the push of the wind and the rumbling of traffic on the bridge below.

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The amuse-bouche was a “pumpkin cappuccino” which tasted like delicious butter chicken sauce. We all ordered a main, some of the meals Asian/fusion inspired, others upmarket twists on traditional Slovakian dishes. Think foams, crumbles, and jus ladled out at the table by highly attentive staff. Cam and Avalon had duck breast, beluga lentils, foie gras and Madeira jus; Milana wasabi potato gnocchi, organic soya cheese with Thai vegetables; and I had the Slovakian lamb with peas and potato pancake.

Desserts…what would you choose? I went for the dumplings, Milana the chocolate, and brave Avalon the cucumbers. SOOOOO many flavours going on in all of these. But they looked sensational!

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We were all given little gift bags with an exotic sweet to take home. Maybe blueberry muffins are exotic here. They were marginally better than the ones from Coles.

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The food at UFO was delicious, and what an amazing way to celebrate my birthday! It was an unforgettable, and expensive, dining experience, and the views over the city were breathtaking. And I hope the girls ended up enjoying their water…it ended up costing 25 euros! Doh!

(Sorry about the strange blue cast over the photos. They kept the lights really low so you could enjoy the view. There was also a view out of, but hopefully not into, the toilets. The lights in THERE were megawatt bright!)