SEA at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas takes underwater dining into one of the country’s most extraordinary natural environments. Located within Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the restaurant allows guests to dine beneath the surface while looking directly into the surrounding reef.

Large windows create panoramic views of tropical marine life, effectively transforming the reef into the restaurant’s constantly changing backdrop. Unlike a conventional aquarium, the environment outside is entirely natural, meaning the experience depends on the movement of fish and the changing conditions of the ocean.

SEA is also notable for combining its underwater setting with a sophisticated wine programme. The restaurant incorporates an underwater wine cellar, creating the unusual experience of pairing fine wines with a meal several metres beneath the Indian Ocean.

The cuisine is designed to complement rather than compete with the surroundings. Refined dishes, premium ingredients and carefully presented courses create a genuine fine-dining experience, making SEA suitable for celebrations as well as for travellers simply wanting to experience one of the Maldives’ signature underwater restaurants.

Its setting within Anantara Kihavah is another advantage. The resort has developed a particularly strong food and beverage identity, with its restaurants offering dramatically different environments and cuisines. SEA nevertheless remains the most distinctive, because its physical relationship with the reef cannot easily be replicated.

World Culinary Awards has repeatedly recognised the restaurant through nominations for Maldives’ Best Hotel Restaurant and international underwater restaurant categories. While it does not have the same collection of category victories as some restaurants on this list, its sustained presence in the awards programme demonstrates its continuing relevance.

More importantly, SEA combines several qualities particularly effectively: destination, architecture, wine, marine life and fine dining. Within the highly competitive field of Maldivian underwater restaurants, it remains one of the experiences most closely connected to the natural environment surrounding it.