The world’s most beautiful restaurant is located five metres below the sea in the Maldives and offers panoramic views of the marine underworld.
According to a ranking compiled by food blog The Daily Meal, the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at the luxury Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort is the most beautiful dining destination on the planet, not for cascading crystal chandeliers, gold-gilded decor or high end art, but for the stunning, unparalleled view.
Guests dine under a vaulted ceiling made of transparent acrylic that offers panoramic 180-degree views of the ocean and marine life.
Schools of rainbow-colored, tropical fish and sharks glide overhead as guests tuck into dishes like duck agnolotti and Maldivian lobster carpaccio, and the restaurant is illuminated by blue-green hues of the sea above.
For the list, editors looked at restaurants that had won awards and accolades for their design, the clout of the designer, location, and the destination’s overall reputation, be it from reputed sources like the Michelin guide or press reviews.
Taking the second spot is The Four Seasons Restaurant in New York, designed by celebrated architects Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe. The Grill was called “the city’s greatest dining room” by New York Magazine and is also known as America’s “most powerful lunchroom.”
Walnut-paneled walls and soaring, two story windows characterize the Grill, while The Pool Room is described as more airy and romantic.
And in the No. 3 spot is Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo, a sumptuously decorated restaurant in the style of Versailles splendor.
Here are the top 10 most beautiful restaurants in the world, according to The Daily Meal:
Most Beautiful Restos Around The World
1. Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Maldives
2. The Four Seasons, New York, U.S.A.
3. Le Louis XV, Monte Carlo, Monaco
4. La Maison 1888, Da Nang, Vietnam
5. Tori Tori, Polanco, Mexico
6. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, India
7. L’Opera, Paris, France
8. Maiden’s Tower, Istanbul, Turkey
9. Hakkasan, Beverly Hills, U.S.A.
10. Mugaritz, Rentería, Spain