2018-09-01_TravelLeisureIndiaSouthAsia

(Elle) #1
DINE WITH
THE FISH
A fine dining experience
like the one at Ithaa
Undersea Restaurant
should fall in the bucket
list of gourmet travellers.
Sitting five metres below
sea level and offering an
180 ° view of coral gardens,
Ithaa is the world’s first
all-glass underwater
restaurant, housed within
Conrad Maldives. Ithaa,
meaning ‘mother of pearl’
in the local language
of Dhivehi, serves
contemporary European
cuisine in a six-course
set dinner menu. Expect
indulgences such as
ossetra caviar and coconut
crusted légine or sous vide
wagyu beef tenderloin
in dinner, and a choice
of bresse chicken with
chanterelle mushroom
risotto or charcoaled
reef lobster with smoked
avocado mash, corn tiles,
and beetroot tortellini in
a four-course lunch. It is
even open for mid-morning
cocktails and can also
be reserved privately
for special occasions.
conradmaldives.com

SAVOUR A SLICE
OF HISTORY
What started off as a little gelato
parlour by an Italian in the 1980s
is now a buzzing dine-in in Malé.
From sandwiches and burgers
to curries and grills, the menu
at Seagull Café features a variety
of scrumptious delicacies; the
brunch here is one of the most
sought-after in the capital. The
restaurant’s charming ambience—
with a cosy garden area on the
lower level and a terrace featuring
a huge tree in the centre—sets
the mood for a memorable meal.
Their orange and herb glazed roast
turkey breast with Normandy
cream, and the snapper steak
with mango salsa and parsley rice
deserve a mention. Top it all off
with a gelato, of course—you get
to choose from around 30 flavours,
including mango, pineapple, and
coconut. seagullmaldives.com

From top: Seating at
Ithaa Undersea
Restaurant in Conrad
Maldives; Al Barakat at
Four Seasons Maldives
Landaa Giraavaru offers
an Arabic experience.
Opposite: The view from
Beach Club At Clubone,
One&Only Reethi Rah;
the telescope at Soneva
Jani is the biggest one
in the archipelago.

EXPERIENCE
ARABIC
HOSPITALITY
For a splendid soiree, look
no further than Al Barakat
at Four Seasons Maldives
Landaa Giraavaru. Named
after the North African
scholar who made the Baa
Atoll his home in the 12th
century, this overwater
restaurant offers flavours
of Lebanon, Morocco,
and Armenia in its stylish
indoor as well as rooftop
spaces. The restaurant,
with its exemplary
showcase of Arabic
hospitality, is a significant
marker in the Maldivian
culinary landscape.
Delicacies such as kebab
karas (grilled minced-
meat kebab, sour cherry
sauce), dibs wa tahini dip
(kharoub molasses and
tahini, crispy bread), and
tchi keufteh (Armenian
tartare with bulgur and
sundried pepper paste)
are some of the highlights
of the menu here.
fourseasons.com

FROM TOP: COURTESY OF CONRAD MALDIVES; COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS


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