Cooking
Soneva Fushi opens new dining outlet, Shades of Green
Soneva Fushi has opened its newest dining outlet, Shades of Green.
The restaurant seats 20 and is open from 5.30pm till late. It is located in the resort’s organic garden, with the concept and menu created by Carsten Kyster, a Danish chef who has worked alongside Jamie Oliver at the River Café and Peter Gordon at The Sugar Club in London. Chef Carsten wants to tap into the global movement that places an emphasis on fresh, organic, and local produce as being important for a healthy lifestyle, while also being a climate conscious choice in keeping with Soneva’s values.
The experience at Shades of Green begins with all diners going on a guided tour of the garden to learn about the herbs, vegetables and fruits grown there. They will use all five senses as they pick the ingredients to be used in their meal. All diners are encouraged to examine, pick, smell, and taste the herbs, fruits, and vegetables growing in the garden. Along the way, they will come across a number of amuse bouche hidden amongst the greenery. After this, the diners gather around a fire pit for the first course before being seated at tables beneath the shade of the pergola and fruit trees.
The menu features simple yet experimental plant based dishes, blending Maldivian and Southeast Asian cuisines; which are then prepared using Nordic techniques such as smoking, salting, fermenting, and pickling. The menu celebrates the garden and the season revolving around colours (red, green, yellow), green umami (the fifth basic taste) or around one vegetable prepared in multiple ways. Each menu has six courses with dishes falling under: cleansing, crispy, raw, grain, fire and sweet. There will also be a cold press of the day, flavoured lemonade, fragranced iced tea, and cocktails. Examples of menu items include: aloe vera nam jim, red quinoa porridge, and screw pine fruit lemonade.
Chef Carsten, who is based in Copenhagen, also works as a food and travel writer, a creative food consultant and a food stylist when he is not in the kitchen. He has recently collaborated at a number of Soneva’s dinner events to develop new and innovative food concepts for guests in Scandinavia. They combined the flavours of the Indian Ocean with Southeast Asian cuisine and Nordic flavours.
In March 2018, Chef Carsten visited Soneva Fushi as a guest, where he experienced the organic garden lunch and was inspired to create this dining concept.
Chef Carsten has worked and travelled across Southeast Asia over the last 15 years, during which time he was a consultant in Chiang Mai, Thailand. While there he created Nordic and European menu concepts using local Asian ingredients. He creates recipes for the creative and commercial food industries, and has authored several cookbooks.
In 1995, the award-winning luxury resort Soneva Fushi set the standard for all desert island barefoot luxury hideaways in the Maldives. Located in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Soneva Fushi pairs Robinson Crusoe fantasy with intelligent luxury.
Sixty-two private villas with their own stretch of beach are hidden among dense foliage within touching distance of a pristine coral reef. Intuitive service is provided by Mr./Ms. Friday butlers.
Highlights include the open-air Cinema Paradiso, counting Saturn’s rings in the high-tech Observatory, the home-made chocolate and ice cream rooms, five hundred wines to choose from, six different restaurants and countless destination dining options. In November 2015, Soneva launched a floating villa concept, Soneva in Aqua, a treasure trove children’s Den and a multi-purpose facility encompasses a glass gallery, boutique and studio where guests can learn the art of glass blowing.
If the experiences are magical, the philosophy is simple: No news, no shoes. No pretensions either.
Following a season of culinary collaborations, Kandolhu Maldives has announced that Executive Chef Fabrizio Zanetti will visit the resort this October for a series of dining events.
The resort said the programme would offer guests an opportunity to experience Zanetti’s cuisine through a number of exclusive dining experiences.
Originally from St Moritz, Zanetti has led the kitchens at Hotel Suvretta House in St Moritz for more than a decade. The five-star Suvretta House, built in 1912 by Swiss hotelier Anton Bon, recently opened a new 4,670-square metre spa for the 2025-2026 winter season.
Zanetti has also worked at Michelin-starred establishments including Baur au Lac in Zurich and Savoy Grill in London. His work has been recognised with 17 points in the Gault-Millau Guide 2025 and the Mérite Culinaire Suisse award. In 2024, he was also named Gault-Millau Rising Star of the Year.
The collaboration at Kandolhu Maldives will begin on Wednesday, 14 October, with a three-course à la carte lunch at The Market.
A four-course dinner will follow on Saturday, 17 October, at Olive Restaurant. The evening will begin with a meet-and-greet with Chef Zanetti before dinner is served.
On Wednesday, 21 October, Olive Restaurant will also host a five-course Wine and Dine event, which will include a personal introduction from the chef.
Kandolhu Maldives said each evening event at Olive Restaurant would be limited to 22 guests, offering an intimate dining setting overlooking the Indian Ocean. The resort has encouraged guests to reserve early for the programme.
Baros Maldives is set to host a curated Earth Day experience titled Earth Day in Bloom on 22 April 2026, offering guests an evening programme centred on sustainability, nature and locally sourced ingredients.
The event will begin at 6:30pm at the resort’s Chef’s Garden, where guests will be welcomed with a Garden Spritz before taking part in a guided tour of the garden. The tour will introduce participants to local herbs and island-grown produce cultivated on the property.
As part of the programme, guests will be invited to plant their own herb, contributing to the garden while engaging in an activity aligned with environmental awareness. The experience will continue with a garden dinner starting at 7pm, featuring a menu designed around fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from the island.
An optional pairing of organic wines will also be available, providing an additional element to the dining experience.
The event is priced at USD 175 per person, excluding applicable service charge and taxes. Reservations can be made through the resort’s butler service.
The initiative reflects Baros Maldives’ focus on sustainability-led guest experiences, integrating environmental awareness with culinary offerings and on-island activities.
Kuredhivaru Resort & Spa presents a new chapter in destination dining with the launch of its Secret Garden concept, a thoughtfully designed experience that brings guests into a secluded setting surrounded by nature, soft lighting, and carefully curated details.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of the island, Secret Garden is created for those moments that deserve more than a traditional dinner. The space is styled with flowing drapes, warm candlelight, and natural greenery, creating a calm and intimate atmosphere that feels both personal and special. It is a setting that invites guests to slow down, connect, and enjoy the evening at their own pace.
At the centre of the experience is a seven-course menu, crafted to guide guests through a balanced journey of flavours. Each course is presented with care, with live cooking moments adding a sense of theatre and interaction throughout the evening. The service remains attentive yet discreet, allowing the experience to feel seamless and uninterrupted.
Guests can choose between two tailored offerings. The Romantic Escape focuses on the dining experience itself, complemented by a beautifully arranged setup and personalised service. For those looking to extend the evening, the Ultimate Romance Experience adds thoughtful touches such as a welcome glass of champagne, a private cinema moment under the open sky, in-villa breakfast the next day, and special bed decoration to complete the occasion.
The concept also allows for additional customisation, from floral arrangements to bespoke messages and decorative details, giving guests the flexibility to shape the evening around their celebration, whether it is a birthday, proposal, or simply a meaningful time together.
With Secret Garden, Kuredhivaru continues to expand its dining experiences beyond traditional venues, offering guests something more personal and immersive. It reflects the resort’s approach to hospitality, where every detail is considered, and each experience is designed to feel natural, effortless, and quietly memorable.
For any reservations or inquiries, guests are encouraged to contact the resort at Resort.Kuredhivaru.Reservations@ennismore.com or +960 6563000.
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