Why you should skip the observation deck at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and book a table at one of its SkyPark restaurants instead

• The Marina Bay Sands is one of the most defining buildings in Singapore's cityscape.
• Tourists rush to its observation decks for its sweeping views, but I recently found there's actually a better way to take in the scenery for a similar amount of money.
• A ticket to the observation deck costs $S26, while a lunch at LAVO, one of the three restaurants, costs about $S30.
• For this nominally higher price, I was able to have a leisurely lunch without compromising the amazing scenery.
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More than 650 feet above the cityscape below, I excitedly took a seat. Singapore stretched out before me like a postcard come to life as I sipped an iced latte, a welcome reprieve from the stifling Southeast Asian humidity.

I had made my way to the top of Tower 1 at the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel, the curved building defining the city-state's skyline and an unmatched vantage point from which tourists take in the skyscrapers and sculptures that dot the landscape. My ears popped as I rose higher and higher in the elevator until, finally, I was rewarded with a sweeping view of the skyline and the glittering blue water of the Singapore Strait stretching out before me.

But rather than take in the sights from the crowded observation deck where visitors jockeyed for room to take a selfie, I chose to sit down for lunch - an experience that offered much the same view but with a more relaxed vibe and only a slightly higher price tag.

LAVO Singapore offers the same views - without the crowds

From the private patio of LAVO Singapore, one of several restaurants that sit atop the 57th floor Sands SkyPark, I traced my way through the city's recognizable landmarks: the Marina Bay, the Flower Dome, the Merlion fountain. I walked around from one side of the building to the other, staring down at the intricate tops of the Supertrees at the nearby Gardens by the Bay, their lacy canopies as stunning from above as they were from ground level.

The hotel, which first opened in 2010, was built as three separate towers connected by the rooftop, stretching 12,400 square meters - or, as the hotel boasts, enough to fit three football fields. From the first floor, visitors choose which tower to access - one for each restaurant and the paid observation deck - while hotel guests can walk from one end to the other along the 150-meter infinity pool.

To access the observation deck, visitors pay S$26 (about $19 USD). But for only a couple dollars more, I was able to have a leisurely lunch without compromising the amazing scenery. Sitting in front of oversized windows, I tucked into a steaming plate of spaghetti with tomato and basil for only S$28 (just over $20 USD), marveling at one of the best views around as I ate.

It felt as if I was in on some secret, an exclusive club only people in the know could access. But it wasn't, of course. In fact, there are three separate venues on the roof that anyone can head to for lunch, dinner, or a drink: In addition to LAVO, the SkyPark features Spago by Wolfgang Puck, which sits in the middle by the infinity pool, and CÉ LA VI, which is closest to the observation deck.

I strolled the restaurant's terrace, taking photo after photo, before my family finally called me inside, beckoning me back to the air conditioning.

As I resumed my seat at the wooden table, still admiring the buildings around me, tourists gathered on the observation deck on the opposite side of the roof. They stood up against the barrier and crouched low on the ground for the best photo angles. I realized that while the views themselves were certainly similar, the experience was definitely not. And I smiled to myself from my platform in the sky, content with my not-so-secret secret spot.