Wine & Dine Under the Sea at Anantara Kihavah SEA Underwater restaurant

Come to dine at 6 metres underwater in Maldives at the fabulous SEA underwater restaurant at Anantara Kihavah.

World famed powdery sands, deserted pearl islands and one of the greatest diving destinations on the planet, are the charms which naturally catapult the Maldives to the top of most people’s holiday hot list.

Dine and taste fantastic wine cuvée’s at SEA Underwater Restaurant

At Anantara Kihavah Villas, you are are just as likely to be attracted by the unique gastronomic experiences – an unmissable highlight being the resort’s exclusive underwater wine cellar and restaurant.

Sea. Fire. Salt. Sky. is a unique under-and overwater gastronomic concept that highlights Anantara Kihavah Villas’ idyllic location in the dazzling Baa Atoll, North Maldives.

The amazing overwater pavilion consists of 4 separate restaurants.
Sea, one of the few underwater wine cellars and restaurants in the world.
Salt, the Fine Asiatic Restaurant serving some of the rarest salts of our Planet .
Fire, the Grill & Teppaniaki Lounge and …
Sky, the bar and now Sky observatory is located on the roof top and offers panoramic view over Baa Atoll beauties.

Each outlet is as unique as its perspective. Situated on the edge of the house reef, this highly visible group of buildings resembles a small village from afar.

SEA underwater restaurant , the construction and design

Ed Poole of Poole Associates based in Singapore, one of the world’s best Design Agency created the interior design as well as the resort’s food and beverage outlets, the library and reception building.

Sea was constructed on a nearby island and wielded to a barge before it was floated to its permanent resting place.
The barge was sunk to the ocean floor on 26 October 2010 by slowly filling it with sand, thus replacing the volume of air used to float it.
It was then aligned over pre-constructed piles anchored into the reef.

The primary view windows are only 1 meter away from a more than 50 meter deep channel.
Depending on the tide, the roof of the underwater wine cellar and restaurant is between 1 and 2 meter under the water surface.

Designed to optimize the underwater views

The octagonal shaped Sea underwater wine cellar and restaurant was designed to optimize the underwater views from a diner’s perspective; the acrylic windows are set lower than the dining tables and extend past the guests’ peripheral vision, giving the illusion that they are part of the surrounding reef.
Each chair has a hand embroidered lumbar pillow that is derived from the reef occupants, such as file fish, leopard wrasse, grouper and angelfish.

We’ve been dazzled by the amount of fishes that swim around Sea.
We saw most of the underwater marvels of Maldives (a stunning Spa or the World’s first Underwater Night-Club) , but as we entered Sea, we’ve been amazed by the life and the colors around us.
Just beyond the viewing windows, striped lionfish, moray eel and bright orange clownfish look for meals of their own around the corals, while just a bit further away trevallies chase whatever they can. Neon fusiliers, parrotfish and surgeonfish are all around and, with midnight and two-spot snappers in the distance, offer a mesmerizing view.

Linger here long enough and your patience might be rewarded with a glimpse of an eagle ray or turtle hurrying by!
Designers have pushed the experience further by setting up a mirror game everywhere ( on the ceiling, the columns, the walls ) giving the sensation of being in the sea amongst fishes.
The result is mind blowing.

The experience goes higher with exquisite lunch and dinner set menus featuring the resort Executive Chef’s classic seasonal creations. ( who kindly shared with us one of his recipe here  ).
The lunch set menu offers a delectable selection of lobster dishes and the five-course dinner menu offers choices for each course. Diners are tempted by the resident Wine Guru’s perfect accompaniments as he pairs each course from a vast array of new and old world selections.
The experience is a delight for the eyes and taste buds.
The mouth watering menus and wines proposed at the end should give you an idea of what I mean !

About the underwater Wine Cellar.

Let’s drink a Château Margaux beneath the lagoon, shall we ?

Exceptional vintages and rare bottles are available for Wine Lovers.
Oenophiles will delight in the impressive underwater wine cellar with view windows, featuring one of the most balanced and diverse wine collections in the Maldives with 275 labels from 15 countries.
20 labels are available by the glass and regular tasting sessions offer guests a tantalizing journey through the vineyards of the world.

If you’re after a good quality wine to try, at ‘Sea’ you are no longer restricted to the greats of the Old World – Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone Valley and Barolo, to name but a few.
Countries everywhere from Argentina to Australia and even China, Canada, India and Thailand are now producing great wines.

What to choose?
The resident Wine Guru, Nilesh Bootun, has the perfect solution – a once-in-a-lifetime unique selection of 13 classic rare and fine wines
Some of the exceptional vintages on offer are hard to come by, with only a few bottles available in the world.
Some have not yet reached their maturity, but this may be your only opportunity to try these extraordinary gems.

You love wines ?
Here are 13 classic rare and fine wines that you must try if possible underwater and before you die.

1. Richebourg Grand Cru, Domaine de la Romanée Conti 2006, Burgundy, France
2. Penfolds Grange 1998, Barossa Valley, Australia
3. Chateau Margaux 2000, Margaux Bordeaux, France
4. Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Bouchard Père & Fils 2008, Burgundy, France
5. Pétrus 1998, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France
6. Château Lafite Rothschild 2005, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
7. Langhe DOC Sori San Lorenzo, Gaja 2007, Piemonte, Italy
8. Amarone Della Valpolicella, Dal Forno Romano 2003, Veneto, Italy
9. Harlan Estate 2005, Napa Valley, USA
10. ‘Unico’, Bodegas Vega Sicilia 1996, Ribera Del Duero, Spain
11. Krug 1998, Reims, Champagne, France
12. Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1996, Champagne, France
13. Château d’Yquem 2001, Sauternes, Bordeaux, France

The underwater cellar can be opened just for you for a Wine tasting session.
A private wine tasting session with the resident Wine Guru can be arranged.
Regular wine tasting sessions with other guests (US$130 per person) are proposed by the resident Sommelier, Nilesh Bootun, for a tantalising journey through the vineyards of the world.

Reservation :
Sea has 8 tables only. Thus, a reservation for lunch or dinner at Sea is strongly recommended.
It is better to pre-book your reservation when you receive your accommodation reservation letter from the resort’s Reservations Team if you dream to taste this unique experience.

Immerse yourself in Video !

You saw the photos, now we propose you a true immersion into this fantastic place with our latest video of the Resort.
Discover Anantara Kihavah Villas in Video here or CLICK the video to Travel.
Enjoy the Dream !

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