The first sensation you feel when you glide into the New York Grill is vertigo - the feeling that you're somehow poised on the edge of a precipice. You're 52 floors above the city, surrounded on four sides by floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping views of the twinkling cityscape; the elegant, cosmopolitan setting changes dramatically with every turn your black-clad waitperson makes as she guides you towards your table; and the dimly-lit surroundings are peopled by well-dressed, well-heeled diners - Japanese, foreign, tourists and locals alike who've also made their way to the top of the world. 

When you're poised on the edge of a precipice, sometimes there's only one thing to do: jump, preferably with a glass of wine in hand. New York Grill is justifiably proud of its "cellar in the sky," which boasts 1600 bottles of California wine. Ignore the fact that the wine is laughably overpriced and order a bottle or two, perhaps the sumptuous Cakebread Cellars Cab Sauv (¥13,500), Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Cab Sauv (¥8500) or any wine from Sonoma Valley's consistently excellent Ridge winery.

Glass of wine in hand, jump in and explore the menu, which in true New York style manages to capture a little bit of the flavor of diverse, far-flung places. We commenced with a Mediterranean platter (¥2200) of pita bread, hummus, baba ghanoush, feta cheese, olives and lentil salad that transported me straight back to Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue; pan-fried scallops with roast pumpkin and mustard fruit tortellini (¥2800) followed, along with steamed clams with lemongrass, coriander and chili peppers (¥2700). The servings are very generous, bordering on New York largesse, and the starters, accompanied by warm, crusty, freshly made bread dipped in olive oil, nearly finished us. 

After pausing to admire the handiwork of Italian artist Valerio Adami (whose four enormous murals adorn the interior) and making a pass around the circular restaurant, with a brief browse through the cooking library, we returned to give the rest of the menu a good old New York try. The roast lamb with aubergine caviar, feta cheese boreks and tomato-basil jus (¥4200) was an exquisitely tender carnival of flavor and color, every mouthful tasting different but each similarly sublime. Chef de Cuisine David Greenhill and his team of chefs performing in the open kitchen are not shy about juxtaposing assertive flavors. Thus succulent pan-fried snapper with caramelized fennel, saffron rouille and red pepper salsa on hearts of fennel (¥4800) sees fennel braised in a robust mustard sauce, resulting in a surprising contrast.

Sirloin steak (¥4200) was simply prepared and cooked just to taste, pairing well with mashed potatoes with garlic chips (¥1000). The potatoes were creamy and buttery and topped with crispy, deep-fried garlic chips. Desserts - cheesecake (¥1300) and chocolate souffle (¥1600) for the three of us - were delightfully laid out treats that satisfied the eyes as well as the taste buds.