Hotels

Going Down to Eat Out

First Undersea Restaurant Opens in the Maldives

September 08, 2005

The Maldives: 1,190 islands. 202 are inhabited. 87 are luxury resorts. Those are odds we can live with. Under The Sea In particular, the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa on Rangalifinolhu Island is home to Ithaa—the first all-glass undersea restaurant in the world. Life is Better Dinner at Ithaa begins with drinks on a deck overlooking the vast deep blue of the Indian ocean. Then, descend five meters down a spiral staircase into a human-sized reverse aquarium. The clear acrylic-encased restaurant sits between a lagoon and a coral reef, putting you as close to sting rays and sharks as you ever wanted to get without a spear gun. Down Where It's Wetter The 14-seat restaurant is fast becoming one of the most talked-about exclusive dining experiences in the world. Native Maldivian cuisine (you know you love it) gets served up with a Western twist, tasting like a blend of Indian and Thai. The menu features dishes like the "Ihi" Maldivian lobster in smoked tomato jelly and curry deep-fried "Raithmas" red snapper. Warning: ordering the clownfish may engender ill feelings from surrounding aquatic life.