As my friends and I crammed into the car in the midst of a November blizzard, I knew the ride downtown to Cygnus27 was going to be something else.

Due to the unexpected icy roads, the usual twenty-minute drive took a whopping forty minutes. Yet, my friends and I made the most of the trip as we sung our hearts out. As we finally pulled up to the valet, we were hungry enough to eat just about anything.

Once we were in the Amway Hotel, we climbed all the way to the 27th floor. Leaving the elevator, we emerged into a whole new atmosphere: Cygnus27. The restaurant was dimly lit with exotic-looking lights that hung from the ceiling. Blue lights lined the top of the walls, and as the host led us to our table, broad windows presented the whole city of downtown Grand Rapids to us. I was delighted when we were sat right next to the windows, allowing me to absorb the view.

A few minutes after being seated and getting a chance to look at the Latin-inspired menu, the smiling face of our waitress eagerly greeted us. Noticing we were all slightly confused with what each item on the menu actually was, our waitress kindly ran over the entire menu and explained each item to us. It contained all sorts of food: soup, salad, steak, calamari, scallops, fritters, chicken, and more. The drink menu consisted of many exotic things as well, and although my friends stuck with water, I ventured out and ordered the pomegranate juice which was extremely tasty and refreshing.

We started off by ordering two appetizers: Calamares Fritos and Manchego Fritters. After about ten minutes, I was greeted with the warm, captivating scent of the food as it was placed in front of me. I immediately dug into the mouth-watering appetizers. One bite into the fritters, and I was in love. It was like a luxurious mozzarella stick; each bite into the cheesy masterpiece was better than the last. The calamari was good, as all calamari usually is, and the appetizers served as an excellent entrance to my meal.

Considering we had heard the meals were large, my friend and I decided to split the Seared Diver Scallops. Two of my other friends ordered the Grilled Miller’s Amish Chicken to share, and the last ordered the Ensalada Verde. Surprisingly, it only took around twenty minutes for our meals to arrive.

Once again, just the appearance of my meal made my stomach growl. Three scallops sat upon risotto covered in a tasteful sauce. Even the salad was presented in an intriguing way on the plate. We all began to gouge into our food, and a satisfied silence fell over the table, each meal living up to the described expectations. The scallops were perfectly cooked, and the rich risotto created the perfect combination; my taste buds were pleased. The chicken- which, yes, I did feel the need to try my friends’ food- was full of flavor and was way better than your average chicken meal. Even the salad had its own taste in which I had never experienced before.

Eventually, we all cleaned our plates. Stuffed and content, my friends and I carried on a conversation in the comforting restaurant until the waitress greeted us again, asking us how our meals were. After expressing our satisfaction with the food, the waitress offered us the dessert menu. Although we were all full beyond words, we decided to endeavor to eat more and accepted the menu.

After looking over the extravagant dessert options, we all came to a consensus on three desserts: the Tarta de Limón, Passionfruit Mousse, and the Vanilla Gelato. They arrived at our table in under ten minutes and honestly, who would’ve known food could look so exquisite?

Each dessert was full of different flavors that made my mouth melt. The sizable finishers were gone as fast the snap of my fingers, and although my stomach ached as it had reached its full capacity, I could’ve eaten more of that delicious mousse.

The waitress delivered our checks to us shortly after we demolished the desserts. The bill was a bit pricey, but the taste of the food was definitely equivalent to the price.

After paying our bills, my friends and I sat for a bit longer and took our last glimpse at the city that sat below us. It was our last chance to take it in before we journeyed back to the first floor and braved the drive back home.

Overall, my experience at Cygnus27 was very positive. The attractive atmosphere is something unlike your average restaurant, the service is excellent, and the food is very appetizing. Cygnus27 exceeded all expectations, and I definitely will be returning.