Dining options in the Maldives are endless. There is variety of both cuisine and setting, but very few resorts can boast as many accolades afforded to the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at (or rather beneath) the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort.
The Ithaa (which means Mother of Pearl in Dhivehi) is situated 5m (16 feet) below the surface of the sea and has the distinction of being the first ever undersea restaurant. Opened in 2005, it has become world renowned with avid diners planning their trip to the Maldives around this very special multi-award winning venue.
Entry to the Ithaa is at the end of a jetty, where you are welcomed at a thatched reception area before descending down a spiral staircase. From there you enter a magical wonderland. The interior is surrounded by expansive windows which afford a 180 degree panoramic view into a beautiful, silent underwater marine world. One diner described the experience as “a surreal sensation that you are in the tank and the fish are outside”.
Options for dining include a morning cocktail hour, lunch and dinner. The restaurant serves European style contemporary cuisine. The lunch menu is 4 course and slightly lighter than the six-course evening set menu. A dinner fit for a king, including Maldivian lobster carpaccio, reef fish tartare poached quail egg and passion fruit dressing and mouth-watering legine fillet, saffron champagne risotto with beurre blanc foam.
While the food is delicious and the service impeccable, it is without a doubt the sublime surroundings that turn this restaurant from impressive to spectacular. Fish of every colour and size glide, dart and shimmer by. Look out for sharks, stingrays, angelfish, brightly coloured clownfish or dull and intimidating cowfish. So much to see, the live entertainment at Ithaa are outside the windows – they will keep you fascinated for hours and linger in your memory for years to come.
Ithaa is available for private functions, including weddings. They are open Monday to Sunday from 11am, children are welcome at the lunch hour but dinner is reserved for adults. The restaurant is nine metres long and five metres wide and seats 14 diners, so if you visit during abusy season, be sure to book ahead of time.