Lunch under the reef at Ithaa. Photo: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

Underwater dining · Updated October 2026 · By Abdulla Maseeh

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Conrad Maldives

Ithaa is the world’s first undersea restaurant, opened in 2005 about 5 metres below the sea at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in South Ari Atoll. It seats just 14 people under a curved acrylic roof, for breakfast, a lunch tasting menu or a longer dinner. You do not have to stay at Conrad to eat there, but you do need a transfer, and tables go fast.

Book Ithaa with your stay Lunch or dinner?

Ithaa at a glance

You reach Ithaa down a spiral staircase inside a small pavilion at the end of a jetty. At the bottom, the room opens into a tunnel of clear acrylic, 5 metres wide and about 9 metres long, set on the sand beside Rangali’s reef. Fish swim past at eye level and the light changes with every cloud overhead.

The name means “mother of pearl” in Dhivehi. The restaurant was built in Singapore, shipped to the Maldives in 2004 and lowered onto steel piles in the lagoon. It was the first of its kind anywhere, and it still feels special two decades on.

Where Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, South Ari Atoll
Depth About 5 metres below the surface
Seats 14 guests per sitting
Opened 2005, the world’s first undersea restaurant
Meals Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus a short visiting hour
Dress code Smart casual

Small white pavilion at the end of a long jetty over a shallow reef, the entrance to Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island — The pavilion above Ithaa, the undersea restaurant. Photo: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

Breakfast, lunch or dinner at Ithaa?

Each sitting feels different. Lunch and dinner are tasting menus that the chef builds around Maldivian seafood, with dishes such as local lobster and Wagyu beef. Times below were current in 2026 and can change.

1
Breakfast
The quietest way in. Morning light filters down through the water and the reef is busy with fish.
Best for: early risers and photos with soft light
2
Lunch
A tasting menu at 12:30, when the sun is high and the water is at its brightest blue. The most popular sitting for photos.
Best for: the clearest views of the reef
3
Dinner
A longer tasting menu from 6:30 pm, lit from inside as the reef turns dark blue. The most romantic of the three.
Best for: anniversaries, proposals and honeymoons

There is also a short visiting hour in the late morning for a look and a drink without a full meal. Ask us whether it is running on your dates.

How to book Ithaa

Aerial view of the twin islands of Rangali and Rangali-Finolhu joined by a long bridge across a turquoise lagoon, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, South Ari Atoll, Maldives — The two islands, joined by a 500-metre bridge. Photo: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

Book earlyFourteen seats a sitting means a few weeks’ notice in busy months. Reserve it with your stay.
Staying at ConradThe resort books it for you; we can request your date and sitting before you arrive.
Staying elsewhereDay visits for lunch or dinner are possible with a seaplane or speedboat transfer to Rangali.
CelebrationsTell us if it is a proposal, birthday or anniversary, so the resort can plan the moment.
Dress codeSmart casual. No beachwear or flip-flops.
ChildrenThere is a kids menu, but sittings and ages can be limited. We confirm before you book.

Ask about a table Conrad resort guide

What you will see from the table

Ithaa sits beside a living reef, so the view is never the same twice. Expect schools of reef fish around the glass, and often angelfish, stingrays, reef sharks and turtles. Lunch is the best time for colour; at dinner the lights draw fish closer to the glass.

South Ari Atoll is one of the best places in the Maldives for marine life. Whale sharks live here all year, and the resort runs trips to look for them, so plan a day on the water as well as a meal under it.

Conrad is also working on something new for Ithaa: a vintage Champagne laid down in the sea nearby, which the resort says will be brought up in December 2026 and poured only for Ithaa diners.

Whale shark swimming in deep blue water seen from above, South Ari Atoll, Maldives — Whale sharks live in South Ari Atoll all year. Photo: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

Ithaa and the other underwater restaurants

Ithaa started it, and several resorts have followed. Here is how they compare. For menus, sittings and the full picture, see our best underwater restaurants guide.

Underwater restaurants in the Maldives. Prices are not shown: they change by sitting and season.
Restaurant	Resort	Atoll	What sets it apart	Read more
Ithaa	Conrad Maldives Rangali Island	South Ari	The original, opened in 2005; 14 seats under a curved acrylic roof	Conrad guide
5.8 Undersea	Hurawalhi	Lhaviyani	Named for its depth of 5.8 metres; an all-glass room on the reef	Hurawalhi
SEA	Anantara Kihavah	Baa	Underwater restaurant with a wine cellar beside it	Kihavah guide
M6m	OZEN LIFE MAADHOO	South Malé	Minus Six Metres; part of the resort’s top all-inclusive plan	OZEN LIFE MAADHOO
Subsix	NIYAMA Private Islands	Dhaalu	Underwater bar and restaurant reached by boat from the island	NIYAMA

Underwater restaurant with tables set beside large windows full of fish and coral at SEA, Anantara Kihavah — SEA, the underwater restaurant at Anantara Kihavah. Photo: Anantara Kihavah.

Tables inside the curved glass tunnel of the 5.8 undersea restaurant with reef fish outside, next door to Kudadoo — The 5.8 undersea restaurant on neighbouring Hurawalhi. Photo: Hurawalhi Island Resort.

King bed in an underwater bedroom beneath a curved acrylic dome with fish outside, The Muraka, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island — The Muraka’s master bedroom, about five metres below the sea. Photo: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

Make a stay of it at Conrad

Overwater restaurant deck with tables and a thatched roof above turquoise water, Mandhoo, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island — Mandhoo, the overwater restaurant. Photo: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is two islands joined by a 500-metre bridge, about 30 minutes from Malé by seaplane. Ithaa is one of several restaurants, alongside Mandhoo over the water and a wine cellar set below ground.

If one meal under the sea is not enough, The Muraka has a master bedroom about 5 metres below the surface, so you can fall asleep watching the reef. Read our Conrad guide for villas, the adults-only Rangali island and the spa.

Quote a Conrad stay Compare resorts

More underwater dining and luxury guides

Why book Ithaa with HolidayVibe

Trusted brandHolidayVibe is a trusted brand in the Maldives travel industry, licensed by the Ministry of Tourism (MOT.O1.RS.TA.25.RD9933).
Luxury travel experts in the MaldivesWe are based in Malé and book Ithaa, the Conrad villas and transfers as one trip.
The right sittingWe help you pick breakfast, lunch or dinner for the light, the menu and the moment.
Day visits arrangedNot staying at Conrad? We sort the transfer and the table together.
Celebrations plannedProposals, anniversaries and birthdays shared with the resort in advance.
On call while you travelOne WhatsApp chat from first question to flight home.

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Ithaa Undersea Restaurant: your questions answered

How deep is Ithaa Undersea Restaurant?

About 5 metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean. The dining room sits on the seabed beside the reef at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, under a curved acrylic roof that gives you sea on three sides.

How many people can eat at Ithaa?

Fourteen per sitting, which is why it books up. If you have fixed dates, reserve a table when you book your stay rather than after you arrive.

Do you have to stay at Conrad Maldives to eat at Ithaa?

No. Conrad says lunch and dinner visits do not require an overnight stay, but you need a seaplane or speedboat transfer to the island. We can arrange a day visit, or see our resort day pass guide.

Is Ithaa lunch or dinner better?

Lunch has the brightest water and the best light for photos. Dinner is longer and more atmospheric as the reef darkens. For a honeymoon or anniversary we usually suggest dinner; for marine life and photos, lunch.

Can children eat at Ithaa?

Ithaa has a children’s menu, and the booking system accepts children, but sittings and ages can be limited. Tell us their ages and we will confirm which sitting works.

What is the dress code at Ithaa?

Smart casual. Think a collared shirt or smart top and smart shorts or trousers; no beachwear.

What will we see from Ithaa?

Reef fish all around, and often stingrays, angelfish, reef sharks and turtles. Nothing is guaranteed: this is a wild reef, not an aquarium.

How much does Ithaa cost?

It depends on the sitting and menu, and the resort changes prices, so we do not publish them. We include Ithaa in your quote with the stay or the day-visit transfer.

Want a table under the sea?

Send your dates and whether you would like lunch or dinner. We will check Ithaa, quote your stay or day visit, and plan the transfer so you arrive relaxed.

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Written by Abdulla Maseeh, HolidayVibe Maldives, Malé. Updated 28 October 2026. Facts come from Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s website, published histories of Ithaa and our own bookings. Sittings, menus and rules change, so we confirm them in writing before you book.