Dining in an underwater restaurant

The Conrad Maldives is located on the western atoll of Ari Sud on Rangali Island, 30 minutes by seaplane from Malé airport. This location has already enabled it to offer a unique first experience: swimming with a whale shark! As if that wasn't enough, this is one of the few places in the world where you can eat under the sea! Although the concept is beginning to be emulated, the Ithaa restaurant will always be remembered as the pioneer, inaugurating its underwater restaurant in 2005!

The Ithaa Undersea Restaurant is the world's first underwater restaurant, and for a long time was unique to the Maldives. Other resorts have since added this unforgettable experience! Barefoot (shoes must be removed), you first walk down a wooden corridor. Next, you'll be served delicate, rather Western cuisine, inspired by the Maldives. The only drink is champagne: Louis Roederer! You can admire the fish and sharks. At night, the sea is lit up. It's magnificent! This experience is reserved for the over-12s.

The Koko Grill is a very pleasant Japanese restaurant overlooking the lagoon. The wine cellar filled with unique vintages is second to none, such as this bottle of 1947 Mouton Rothschild for $9,000, or this bottle of 1982 Petrus Pomerol for $12,000.

In the local language, 'Ithaa' means 'pearl', and this culinary pearl is hidden not in an oyster but 5 metres beneath the Indian Ocean. Built from acrylic glass, the restaurant's dome, like an immense transparent capsule, houses tables for 14 people. Let's set off for a meal where you'll be tempted to look away from your plate more than once!

Occupying two heavenly islands in the Dhaalu atoll, Niyama Private Islands Maldives is an exceptional resort with 134 villas with private pool or beach, all with butler service. This unique address is home to six restaurants, including The Edge, accessible only by boat, and Subsix, six metres below the surface of the sea! As if that wasn't enough, this resort also offers the first underwater discotheque in the Maldives!

A boat drops guests off at the stilted terrace of the Subsix restaurant, then you have to descend into the depths of the sea on three levels, to find yourself at a depth of six metres. The decor is very much in keeping with the theme of the world of silence: a bar in the shape of a shell and a ceiling decorated with garlands of shells.

Evenings with a DJ turn the place into an underwater nightclub! There's even a sound and light show every Wednesday and Saturday night. As for the menu, look no further than the spiny lobster medallion, fried scallops, crab ravioli and other seafood.

Located on the island of Hurawalhi in the Lhaviyani atoll, 40 minutes by seaplane north of Malé, this resort of 90 luxury villas is for adults only. So you'll need to be over 18 and vaccinated (it's an expression, nothing to do with Covid) to enjoy the benefits of the 5.8 underwater restaurant. As you may have guessed, the name once again refers to the depth of the restaurant. This time, we're just under six metres.

Located on Hurawahli Island in the Lhaviyani Atoll, Hurawalhi Island is an upscale resort for adults only. Quite simply, it is home to the world's largest underwater glass restaurant: *The5.8. Its name indicates its depth. Please note that shoes are not allowed, so you must come barefoot.

Large windows offer a panoramic view of the seabed under a massive glass dome. Ten couples of visitors can lunch or dine in the most spacious underwater restaurant on the planet.

Located on Maadhoo Island in the South Malé Atoll, a 45-minute boat ride from Malé, Ozen by Atmosphere at Maadhoo is a luxury all-inclusive resort. It boasts an excellent underwater restaurant renowned for its seafood: M6M. We'll let you guess its depth... Come on, we'll give you the answer: less than 6 metres.

Like most underwater restaurants, M6M is for adults only. However, some lunch slots are open to children.

Located on the island of Uthurumaafaru, You & Me by Cocoon is an upmarket resort with 109 rooms, most of which (99) are on stilts. Some even have their own waterslide... What sets it apart is its H20 aquatic restaurant, run by a Michelin-starred chef, from which you can enjoy a 360° panoramic view of the world of silence!

Don't let the name fool you this time, this restaurant isn't 20 metres under the sea... What's more, it's located in the Raa atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where you can swim with manta rays and whale sharks.

On the menu: fish tartare, lobster tartare, and good humour.

Located in the north-west of Baa Atoll, 30 minutes by seaplane from the capital Malé, Anantara Kihavah Villas is an exceptional address. Starting with its location in the Baa atoll, classified as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. This is your chance to swim with a whale shark and admire hundreds of manta rays all in one place.

To top it all off, you can enjoy excellent seafood under the sea! Like most underwater restaurants in the Maldives, we are six metres below the surface. But what makes the SEA restaurant so special is its underwater wine cellar, the only one of its kind in the world! The menu includes Maldivian lobster and Japanese wagyu!