The World’s First All-glass Undersea Restaurant Opens

[derekkj 0]

The World’s First All-glass Undersea Restaurant Opens

The Maldives | 15 April marks the day that the first ever all-glass undersea restaurant in the world opens its doors for business at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. Ithaa* will sit five meters below the waves of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and encased in clear acrylic offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic underwater views.

“We have used aquarium technology to put diners face-to-face with the stunning underwater environment of the Maldives”, says Carsten Schieck, General Manager of Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. “Our guests always comment on being blown away by the colour, clarity, and beauty of the underwater world in the Maldives, so it seemed the perfect idea to build a restaurant where diners can experience fine cuisine and take time to enjoy the views – without ever getting their feet wet.”

Created by MJ Murphy Ltd, a design consultancy based in New Zealand, Ithaa’s distinctive feature is the use of curved transparent acrylic walls and roof, similar to those used in aquarium attractions. “The fact that the entire restaurant except for the floor is made of clear acrylic makes this unique in the world,” continues Schieck, “We are currently planting a coral garden on the reef to add to the spectacular views of the rays, sharks and many colourful fish that live around the reef near the restaurant.”

The five-metre by nine-metre transparent arch, which spans the entire room, seats 14 people and provides a feeling of being completely at one with the underwater world while submerged beneath the surface of the ocean. Set with the resort’s renowned house reef one side, and a clear lagoon on the other, diners enjoy their meal within Ithaa’s translucent shell as the underwater drama unfolds on all sides.

Naturally the food will be as spectacular as the underwater setting, explains Schieck, “In such a unique restaurant we wanted to create a distinctive cuisine, which is why we’ve decided to offer ‘contemporary Maldivian cuisine’ as a theme. We take local spices and traditional flavours and give them a western twist to create a fusion cuisine that you could find in the best restaurants in London or New York. Nobody else has done this before and we’re very excited about it.”

While the cuisine is dedicated to the fine balance of western food items with a Maldivian flavour, the wine concept is equally exciting; offering diners the perfect opportunity to discover the wines of the prestigious Champagne house Louis Roederer.

Ithaa is reached by a wooden walkway from the nearby over-water Sunset Grill Restaurant. Diners begin their meal with drinks on a specially constructed deck over the ocean and then descend to the restaurant via a spiral staircase where the à la carte menu is served. Seating only 14 people, Ithaa offers one of the most intimate and exclusive dining experiences in the world.

This innovative restaurant is the first of its kind in the world, and is part of a US $25 million re-build of Rangalifinolhu Island, one of the twin islands that make up Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. This re-build includes the construction of 79 of the most luxurious Beach Villas in the country as well as the Spa Village, a self-contained, over-water ‘resort-within-a-resort’ consisting of a spa, restaurant and 21 villas.

* Ithaa (pronounced eet-ha) means ‘pearl’ in the language of the Maldives, Dhivehi.

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http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/1540004...rant+and+hilton

[Niels Bohr 72]

That must be awesome to witness 270 degrees of undersea viewing. I love to eat underneath a shark's belly.

[Alex+R 0]

Sounds like my worst nightmare.

[Jenn! 918]

That is so awesome!!!! I have to show my husband because it's right up his alley too. We'll have to plan a vacation to the Maldives! Perfect for the honeymoon we never went on!

Sounds like my worst nightmare.

How come?

[Robor007 0]

That looks like it might be a bit expensive. Cool though.

[MissStacey 1]

Wow. That is really beautiful.

[Alex+R 0]

Sounds like my worst nightmare.

How come?

Completely underwater!!! No escape!!! SWIM FOR YOUR LIIIIIVVVEESS!!!!! (At least this is the scenario that immediately played out in my imagination when I read the article.)

[sereia 0]

wow... im sooooo there someday!

[Niels Bohr 72]

Completely underwater!!! No escape!!! SWIM FOR YOUR LIIIIIVVVEESS!!!!! (At least this is the scenario that immediately played out in my imagination when I read the article.)

JAWS The Movie

[mawilson 2,133]

That must be awesome to witness 270 degrees of undersea viewing. I love to eat underneath a shark's belly.

Of course if the glass breaks, you will instantly become shark's dinner

[Savanphil 3]

Cool

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

How do the toilets work? I don't want to see brown trout through the glass.

[Ladylethal 12]

Alex, it's only 5 meters deep, you can sure swim up.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Alex, it's only 5 meters deep, you can sure swim up.

If the glass (plexi-glass?) breaks there won't be much swimming.

[Alex+R 0]

Alex, it's only 5 meters deep, you can sure swim up.

Hm...Well, ok... I guess if I were with a group and the group really wanted to eat there and I was really hungry....

I wonder if they serve seafood. It would be weird to see what was dead on your plate also swimming by outside.