Dine with sharks, stingrays and turtles! Inside the world's first glass underwater restaurant, five metres BELOW the Indian Ocean

By Travelmail Reporter

Published: 05:19 EST, 8 May 2014 | Updated: 02:20 EST, 15 May 2014

With all-glass windows from floor to ceiling, sitting five metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean, this is the world's first underwater restaurant.

Boasting unrivalled views of sharks, stingrays, turtles and stunning coral, the five-star eatery at the Conrad Maldives Hotel was built so that guests can enjoy the beauty of the ocean without getting their feet wet.

Set under the crystal-clear blue water, the restaurant is so bright, diners and staff are required to wear sunglasses.

Scroll down for video

Restaurant with a view: Guests inside underwater restaurant Ithaa can dine on five-star cuisine while surrounded by sharks, sting rays and turtles

Restaurant with a view: Guests inside underwater restaurant Ithaa can dine on five-star cuisine while surrounded by sharks, sting rays and turtles

ConradMaldivesIthaaUnderRest_HR.jpg
PIC FROM CATERS NEWS - (PICTURED: The restaurant) - DEEP sea diners enjoy a meal surrounded by sharks at the worlds only underwater restaurant. Ithaa in the Maldives sits three metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean in a vibrant coral garden. The all-glass structure - which consists of three five-metre wide, 125mm thick glass arches - allows diners to scoff caviar as sharks and sting-rays swim by. SEE CATERS COPY.

Underwater love: The restaurant in the luxury Conrad Maldives resort is so bright, guests and staff are required to wear sunglasses

High end resort: The Conrad Maldives Hotel, on Rangali Island in Alif Dhaal Atoll built the restaurant so guests could experience the ocean without getting their feet wet

High end resort: The Conrad Maldives Hotel, on Rangali Island in Alif Dhaal Atoll built the restaurant so guests could experience the ocean without getting their feet wet

Rated 'the most beautiful restaurant in the world' by the New York Daily News this year, Ithaa - meaning 'mother of pearl' in the Maldivian language of Dihevi - offers breathtaking 180-degree panoramic views.

 

More...

A spokesman for the luxury resort on Rangali Island said: 'Using aquarium-inspired architecture, Ithaa was built to allow guests to enjoy the colour, clarity and beauty of the Indian Ocean without getting their feet wet.'

The unusual building seats 14 people - and will set you back £190 per person for dinner.

 

To watch the video in full please visit TRAVIP.

World first: The Ithaa restaurant at the Conrad Maldives Hotel is five metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean

World first: The Ithaa restaurant at the Conrad Maldives Hotel is five metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean

PIC FROM CATERS NEWS - (PICTURED: The restaurant) - DEEP sea diners enjoy a meal surrounded by sharks at the worlds only underwater restaurant. Ithaa in the Maldives sits three metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean in a vibrant coral garden. The all-glass structure - which consists of three five-metre wide, 125mm thick glass arches - allows diners to scoff caviar as sharks and sting-rays swim by. SEE CATERS COPY.
TheOverWaterSpa1_HR.jpg

Water view! Guests dine in the world's first underwater restaurant, while, right, holidaymakers can also enjoy spa treatments looking into the Indian Ocean

Luxury hotel: The Conrad Maldives is a five-star resort, boasting the world's first underwater restaurant

Luxury hotel: The Conrad Maldives is a five-star resort, boasting the world's first underwater restaurant

High-end holiday: The Conrad Maldives boasts a stunning infinity pool with breathtaking views across the Indian Ocean

High-end holiday: The Conrad Maldives boasts a stunning infinity pool with breathtaking views across the Indian Ocean

It serves contemporary European cuisine in a six-course set dinner menu - including dishes such as caviar and lobster for dinner while the four-course lunch menu offers lighter fare.

The restaurant is also open for mid-morning cocktails and can be booked privately for breakfast, weddings or other special occasions.

The ingeniously designed restaurant has never had water inside, instead it was built on dry land in Singapore before workers carefully lowered it into the ocean in one piece.

The structure cost a staggering £3m to build and weighs 175 tonnes, with another 85 tonnes of sand ballast used to weigh it down.


Book your travel

Comments (136)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

Visit the maldives soon! Global warming means the sea levels are rising and maldives won't be here much longer

12
6
 Click to rate

Hmmm... sharks swimming above the diners whilst they have dinner. And just suppose the unthinkable happens, that glass shatters and breaks guess who's gonna be what's dinner.

1
9
 Click to rate

just be careful when opening the champagne, hold the cork tightly!

0
12
 Click to rate

Not going to see much at night unless it's flood lit.

6
3
 Click to rate

Wow that is cool. Kiki I think at night a lot of fish are photo luminescent, and a lot of fish are attracted to light. Any time of day or night it would be wonderful experience.

1
12
 Click to rate

Doesn't it get dark t around 6pm in that part of the world? It would be nice to have dinner there, so you could take your time. Seems like it might only really work for lunch though, so that the natural light comes through the water.

2
4
 Click to rate

Dear DM, the language is Dhivehi, not Dihevi

2
12
 Click to rate

(null)

5
0
 Click to rate

Amazing! Wanna dine there in the future.

2
14
 Click to rate

Place a small amount of water by a seam (all while eating there) and on the floor and yell water leak! Could be quite funny for a short. Make sure to salt the water before playing trick!

23
11
 Click to rate

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now