New Restaurant for the rich opens "UNDER the sea"! [View All]

File this under. "WHILE ROME BURNS"....

>> 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.
>>
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