Which Maldives underwater restaurant is best?

Claire's favorite is 5.8 Undersea at Hurawalhi. It's a little deeper than Ithaa, and the tasting menu is as good as the view.

Can you sleep underwater in the Maldives?

Yes. The Muraka at Conrad Maldives is a residence with an undersea bedroom, at a price to match.

Which other Maldives resorts have underwater restaurants?

Sea at Anantara Kihavah has an underwater restaurant with a wine cellar, and Subsix at Niyama Private Islands hosts underwater lunches, dinners and parties.

Maldives Underwater Restaurants Guide

Q: What was the world's first underwater restaurant?

Ithaa, at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, opened in 2005 as the world's first all-glass undersea restaurant. It sits about 5 meters below the surface.

In the Maldives you can sit down to a tasting menu while reef fish and the occasional shark glide past the window. Underwater dining has become one of the country's signature experiences.

Which underwater restaurant in the Maldives is worth booking? Ithaa at Conrad Rangali Island was the world's first all-glass undersea restaurant, and it's still the icon. My favorite is 5.8 Undersea at Hurawalhi, a little deeper and with a tasting menu that's truly good. Book a daytime seating for the most light in the water.

Key facts

The first: Ithaa at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, opened in 2005, about 5 meters below the surface.
Claire's pick: 5.8 Undersea at Hurawalhi, named for its depth of 5.8 meters.
Best seating: daytime, when the most light reaches the water.
Sleep under the sea: The Muraka at Conrad Maldives has an undersea bedroom.
Caviar trip:The Sri Lanka + Maldives Experience, which finishes at Anantara Kihavah, home of the underwater restaurant Sea.

The Restaurants

Aerial view of an overwater restaurant jetty and reef at Conrad Rangali Island in the Maldives Photo: Mike Swigunski / Unsplash

Ithaa, at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, opened in 2005 as the world's first all-glass undersea restaurant. Other resorts have followed:

Ithaa at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, about 5 meters below the surface
5.8 Undersea Restaurant at Hurawalhi, named for its depth of 5.8 meters
Sea at Anantara Kihavah, an underwater restaurant with a wine cellar
Subsix at Niyama Private Islands, an underwater venue for lunches, dinners and parties
The Muraka at Conrad Maldives, a residence with an undersea bedroom

School of silver jacks swimming over a coral reef Photo: Sebastian Pena Lambarri / Unsplash

This is the view through the glass on a good day: a whole school of fish turning at once, close enough that you forget your fork.

Claire's Pick

Thatched beach pavilion silhouetted against an orange Maldives sunset Photo: Sebastian Pena Lambarri / Unsplash

5.8 Undersea at Hurawalhi is a favorite. It's a little deeper than Ithaa, and the tasting menu stands on its own, so the meal is as good as the view. Ask for a daytime seating if you want the most light in the water.

The Muraka is in another category entirely, an undersea bedroom at a price to match. 5.8 gives you most of the magic for a fraction of the cost.

Still choosing where to stay? My Maldives luxury resort guide matches islands to the kind of trip you want, and the Maldives vs Bora Bora comparison helps if you haven't picked an ocean yet.

Dine beneath the Indian Ocean with Caviar in the Air, where the view is always moving.

6X Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist with 65+ countries visited across all 7 continents.