Underwater Restaurant Maldives

The first underwater restaurant in the world opened in 2005 at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort and Spa (formerly the Hilton Rangali Island).  This amazing underwater restaurant is called Ithaa, meaning Pearl in the local Dhivehi language.  The underwater restaurant is very exclusive, seating only 14 people.

First Underwater Restaurant in the World at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Maldives Underwater Restaurant Characteristics

The Ithaa underwater restaurant is built 16 feet (5 metres) below sea level and is housed under a transparent acrylic ceiling, through which guests can see the ocean and its creatures.  The aquarium-style tunnel gives diners 270-degree views of the aquatic panorama.

Constructing the Underwater Restaurant in the Maldives

“How on earth did they do that?” you are probably asking.  The underwater restaurant was constructed by New Zealand firm M.J. Murphy.  The underwater restaurant was actually constructed in Singapore and then transported to the Maldives.  It was then sunk into the ocean at Rangali Island and pushed some 5 metres into the seabed.  The restaurant should last for around 20 years.

Eating at the Maldives’ Underwater Restaurant

The underwater restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and the prices range from $120 to $250.  Ithaa is one of the Conrad Maldives’ nine restaurants, all of which serve spectacular dishes from a variety of cuisines.  The food at Ithaa Underwater Restaurant is perhaps a little more basic than at the resort’s other restaurants, but here you are paying for the experience and the location rather than the food.

Marine Life at the Ithaa Underwater Restaurant

The most commonly-sighted creatures from the underwater restaurant are the Giant Moray Eel, Stingray and a wide variety of reef-dwelling fish.  The restaurant actually feeds the fish close by the restaurant, so it’s no wonder there are always fish bumbling around.