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Once beloved of Communist central planners as well as progressive Western architects at the dawn of the space age, revolving restaurants may forever be considered kitsch. But given the fad for all things retro, their popularity seems to have come, well, full circle. The sweeping urban views they offer are also more dramatic today than in the 1960s. Here are three of the best—use them as an icebreaker on that first date, or as behavioral therapy for your acrophobe friends.

REYKJAVIK: Turning at a stately half revolution per hour, Perlan, in the capital's east, is among Iceland's best restaurants. And if the reindeer carpaccio fails to impress, the five-story artificial geyser, erupting every five minutes, should do the trick. Tel: (354) 562 0200.

TORONTO: At 351 m above ground, the award-winning 360 restaurant in the city's CN Tower features the world's highest wine cellar and offers the eponymous view in an unhurried 72 minutes. Tel: (1-416) 362 5411.

VIENNA: The Danube Tower has no less than two spinning restaurants (at 160 m and 170 m), doing full revolutions at variable speeds of 26, 39 or 52 minutes. Look for the special menus on full-moon nights. Tel: (43-1) 263 3572.

• Jes Randrup Nielsen
• With these eateries, it's not just the menu that will leave you in a spin