Cooking
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives to offers rich culinary landscape of global flavours

The Ritz Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands opens on 1 June with seven incredible restaurants and two bars for guests to explore, including options at Fari Marina Village.
Diners can enjoy a rich culinary landscape and travel the world on their palates, whilst feeling confident that every effort has been taken to ensure a focus on the highest-quality, seasonal ingredients and with the environment front of mind.
Experience the joy of a robust Italian espresso, share conversation over Cantonese tapas, toast to the sunset with a chilled glass of rosé or enjoy a local version of traditional Afternoon Tea.
Here is a taste of the global flavours that awaits guests.
La Locanda
A celebration of Southern Italy’s cuisine and customs!
La Locanda will be the ‘living room’ of the resort, where the spirit of Southern Italy will come alive.
It is a place to enjoy relaxed dining and delicious Southern Italian cuisine such as homemade pastas, a world-class espresso or a sunset aperitivo either indoors, or overwater, as well as sampling rare Proseccos, Italian wines, cannolis or boutique olive oils.
The Chef’s Table is available for bespoke tasting menus and Italian cooking classes, and there is also a private dining room for up to ten guests.
Design is light and fresh with floor to ceiling windows opening onto the Indian Ocean, beautiful terrazzo tabletops, Narumi bone china tableware and exclusive Kevala encircled by the carefully curated Italian library covering culture, fashion, food and art.
Summer Pavilion
An overwater restaurant showcasing Cantonese specialities!
Floating over the starlit Maldivian lagoon, the Summer Pavilion offers an intimate place to savour the finest Cantonese cuisine. Inspired by Michelin starred Summer Pavilion in Singapore, a menu of mouth-watering small plates has been curated.
This restaurant has the feel of being hidden within a Chinese garden filled with delicate plants and lanterns, enclosed by beautiful latticework.
It holds prime position next to the resort’s wine cellar, which stocks over 600 rare and high-end labels and also specialises in traditional Chinese tea rituals.
The cocktails, infused with Asian flavours such as lychee, ginger, Asian pear and mandarin, will be inspired by the speakeasy era, served in semi-private areas of the restaurant and made at the table to encourage that sense of conspiracy.
IWAU
Japanese flavours in an open-air setting!
The Japanese translation of ‘to celebrate’ IWAU is exactly that – an honouring of Japanese flavours.
Open to the night sky and a fantastic sunset spot, the restaurant has two nine-seat teppanyaki grills where guests can watch chefs prepare seafood and meat dishes.
Sushi and sashimi are offered at romantic tables for two set within the pool itself.
The pre-dinner Izakaya cocktails, using plum wine, yuzu, shochu, wasabi, miso, umeboshi will be mirrored by a wide menu of the finest sakes, Japanese whiskeys and teas.
Eau Bar
Beachfront dining that pairs elegance and wellness!
The adjacent Eau Bar is a chic setting, sweeping in a half moon shape around the iconic circular infinity pool, that speaks to health-conscious diners in an environment focused on wellbeing and relaxation.
The balanced menu features a selection of fresh oysters and caviar, while sipping on a table-side cocktail crafted from organic fresh ingredients.
Eau Bar will also offer a twist on the traditional afternoon tea, inspired by the Maldivian custom of hedhika.
The evening brings a moodier affair, offering a range of cocktails made at each table, inspired by Maldivian local spices as well as a selection of top shelf Champagnes and sakes.
Beach Shack
The Mediterranean meets the Maldives!
With sand underfoot and the sea just steps away, the family-friendly Beach Shack embraces the Mediterranean with its carefree, bohemian spirit.
Signature Mediterranean dishes include sharing platters such as burrata, heritage tomatoes and artichoke, seafood ceviche, paella, grilled fish, grilled tomahawk steaks and Sri Lankan mud crab all to be washed down with Provençal rose, many in magnum size, low-alcohol cocktails or delicious sangrias.
The open-air dining and live kitchen, close to Ritz Kids, is the perfect place to laze away the day, listening to chilled out music and the sound of popping corks, over a long lunch with family and friends.
Resident and visiting DJs spin throughout the day with kids’ story time offered fireside, as well as a starlit cinema and themed evenings.
Beach Shack also has its own gelato shop serving a range of ice creams, healthy sorbets, sundaes and milkshakes, including flavours such a Maldivian coconut and Valrhona chocolate.
Thanks to a strong connection to the dive centre, guests can also enjoy Jean-Michel Cousteau Naturalist sessions, bringing the surrounding marine environment to life.
Arabesque, Tum Tum at Fari Marina Village
The culinary landscape does not end at the resort, as the Fari Marina Village offers two additional restaurants.
Arabesque is a Lebanese inspired restaurant, with a tandoor oven, serving classic mezzes and north Indian cuisine. Cocktails will be refreshing and perfect for the sober curious, alongside Turkish coffee, Moroccan tea and Nebu Shisha.
The restaurant has been designed in the style of a Bedouin tent, with tactile textures, terracotta hues and shapes reflective of its Middle Eastern inspiration, as well as sunken tables perfect for ordering a smoking shisha cocktail and whiling away the hours.
In contrast, Tum Tum is a South East Asian food truck serving wonderful street food using wok and steam, including its six signature bao buns. This is a pit stop while enjoying a day of shopping and culture at Fari Marina Village.
Dishes include fresh, crisp Asian salads, delicious noodle and dumpling soups and steamed dumplings.
Dine by Design experiences
Integral to the culinary experiences at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is its Dine by Design concept, which allows guests to choose from a number of exclusive, private locations to dine in.
Imagine a sunset sandbank BBQ with a private chef, dinner with a private chef in a secluded cove or within the Wine Cellar, surrounded by rare labels with a specialist menu highlighting wines of the guest’s choice.
Other exceptional experiences include the Omasake Experience at IWAU where guests can enjoy a bespoke Japanese menu in the infinity pool itself, or a sunrise yoga breakfast to welcome the day in together.
These destinations have been hand-picked by the resort Ladies & Gentlemen as the most iconic spots for making those magical memories, such as private diners, proposals, beach weddings, family gatherings or memorable beach picnics.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
The Ritz Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands has a 100 per cent no single use plastic policy, which extends to no single use napkins, coasters, condiments or menus.
When designing the supply chain, the team has ensured there that no excessive packaging is used, that they order locally and that and excess food is donated to a local food bank.
A strong recycling programme has already been established, as well as a rubbish compactor, and all outlets will use the resort’s composting system for vegetable waste, or re-use scraps in other forms. All cooking oil will be collected and turned into bio-diesel.
Other efforts include training on cooking smartly to reduce unnecessary energy and water usage.
The menus at each restaurant will offer plant-based options to encourage guests to explore a vegan diet, but all meats, where served, organically produced and 100 per cent grass fed.
The Ritz Carlton Maldives, Fari Island is ideally located at Fari Islands, in the North Malé Atoll of the Maldives, which is a 45-minute journey by speedboat or a 10-minute seaplane flight from Velana International Airport.
The resort features white sandy beaches, turquoise lagoons and coral reefs with marine life.
Shaped by the Maldivian sun and shored by the Indian Ocean, guest villas at The Ritz Carlton Maldives, Fari Island are expected to range in size from one to three bedrooms, featuring the refined elegance and legendary service that define The Ritz-Carlton brand.
The property is also expected to offer a choice of outstanding culinary venues serving an array of international and local cuisines, in addition to a full suite of fitness and recreational facilities including a signature Ritz-Carlton Spa.
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is part of Fari Islands, an archipelago that features three world-class hospitality brands inclusive of The Ritz-Carlton.
The guests are expected to have access to a picturesque Fari Marina – the archipelago’s communal beating heart. Built around a vibrant Beach Club, Fari Marina features charming boutiques and a handpicked selection of dining options.
Spaces have been designed by the renowned Kerry Hill Architects, to bring about a delicate balance of serene and social.
Cooking
Grégory Doyen brings his sweet artistry to The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort is continuing its acclaimed Tastemaker Series, a curated programme of exceptional collaborations with world-renowned chefs, artists, and creative visionaries, with the arrival of Chef Grégory Doyen, one of the most distinctive talents in contemporary pastry art.
Born in Burgundy, France, into a family of artists, Chef Doyen discovered his passion for pastry during childhood, turning his family kitchen into his first studio. A graduate of the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure de la Pâtisserie, his career spanning two decades has taken him through Michelin-starred kitchens and international stages, earning him recognition as a leading figure in modern patisserie.
Renowned for his sculptural desserts and refined French craftsmanship, Chef Doyen’s creations merge technical precision with emotional expression, transforming pastry into a form of edible art. His innovative approach has led to collaborations with some of the world’s most iconic luxury maisons—including Cartier, Marc Jacobs, La Prairie, Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Vacheron Constantin, and Hermès—alongside bespoke commissions for Range Rover and Vogue. Often described as the creator of fashion-desserts, he is celebrated for infusing haute couture sensibility into the timeless artistry of French patisserie.
Guests at The St. Regis Maldives are invited to immerse themselves in Chef Doyen’s world of delicate textures and visual poetry through a special festive programme. On 10 December, he will conduct an intimate pastry masterclass, offering participants rare insight into his creative process and sculptural finesse. That evening—and throughout the festive season—his desserts will take centre stage at ALBA, the resort’s signature dining venue, where a curated dessert collection will be presented daily from 10 December to 7 January, offering a decadent celebration of the holiday season.
The residency’s highlight will unfold on 11 December at Decanter, where Chef Doyen will collaborate with the resort’s Executive Chef for a six-course, four-hands wine-pairing dinner, showcasing a symphony of refined flavours and masterful artistry.
A testament to The St. Regis legacy of exceptional taste and global collaboration, the Tastemaker Series at The St. Regis Maldives unites leading talents from gastronomy, art, and design in one-of-a-kind experiences that celebrate creativity and craftsmanship amid the breathtaking surroundings of Vommuli Island. From Michelin-starred chefs to visionary mixologists and artisans, the series continues the St. Regis tradition of curating the extraordinary—where innovation, tradition, and indulgence converge in the most exquisite of island settings.
Cooking
Journey Through the Vines: Dusit Thani Maldives launches two-night culinary collaboration

Dusit Thani Maldives has announced ‘A Journey Through the Vines,’ a two-night wine dinner series presented in collaboration with Ilaria Felluga and Liquid Concept. The events will take place at the resort’s beachfront restaurant, Sea Grill.
On 25 October 2025, the programme will begin with the Old-World Wine Dinner. Guests will experience a curated multi-course menu paired with celebrated vintages from Europe’s renowned wine regions. The evening will highlight the enduring connection between Old World terroir and fine dining.
The second event, the Ilaria Felluga Wine Dinner, will be held on 27 October 2025. Hosted by Ilaria Felluga, sixth-generation leader of her family’s distinguished wineries and recognised by Forbes as an Italian Excellence Under 40, the evening will feature her family’s signature wines. Each vintage will be paired with a specially designed island-inspired menu that reflects both tradition and innovation.
Both dinners offer discerning travellers the opportunity to enjoy world-class wines alongside bespoke menus in the setting of Baa Atoll, complemented by the distinctive Thai-Maldivian hospitality of Dusit Thani Maldives.
Jean-Louis Ripoche, Area General Manager of Dusit Thani Maldives, commented: “We are proud to offer our guests the opportunity to savour two distinct wine journeys in the idyllic setting of Baa Atoll. Partnering with Ilaria Felluga and Liquid Concept allows us to showcase exceptional vintages alongside inspired cuisine, creating memorable evenings that celebrate both heritage and innovation.”
Situated within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll, Dusit Thani Maldives combines Thai heritage with Maldivian warmth, offering a strong sense of place. The Journey Through the Vines series reflects the resort’s commitment to delivering immersive culinary experiences for luxury travellers in the Maldives.
Cooking
Milaidhoo Maldives marks Chefs Day with ‘Around the World in Five Courses’ culinary journey

Milaidhoo Maldives is set to celebrate International Chefs Day 2025 with a momentous dining experience, “Around the World in Five Courses”. This special one-night-only event invites guests to join us on a culinary journey that honours the talent, passion and creativity of the chefs who make every meal at Milaidhoo Maldives a unique experience.
The evening begins with a guided tour of the Chef’s Garden, where guests can explore the bountiful herbs, fruits and vegetables that are grown right here on the island. It’s a chance to see firsthand how Milaidhoo embraces fresh, local ingredients and the thoughtful care that goes into every dish (and cocktail).
As the sun sets, guests will gather at The Shoreline Grill, our beachfront restaurant, for a five-course tasting menu that takes them around the world. From the bold spices of Thailand and India to the rich, soulful flavours of Zimbabwe, the refined elegance of Sri Lanka and of course, the freshest Maldivian ingredients, each dish celebrates a different corner of the globe. This special menu reflects the diversity of Milaidhoo’s kitchen, where our team of chefs’ hails from five different countries, each bringing their own unique traditions and culinary influences to the table.
But this night is about more than just food, it’s about the people behind the dishes. Milaidhoo’s culinary team is a close-knit family, united by a shared passion for food. On International Chefs Day, we come together to celebrate not just the food, but the stories, cultures and traditions that inspire it. Guests will have the chance to chat with the chefs throughout the evening, learning about the personal journeys and inspirations behind each course.
Cluster Executive Chef, Ken Gundu from Botswana shares, “A meal is about sharing a moment together, one that lingers in our memories long after the last bite. What truly excites me is the dedication of our team, each member goes above and beyond to delight our discerning guests. Our team is dedicated to creating memorable experiences, often surprising our guests with dishes outside the menu and tailoring each meal to their preferences. We believe that no request is too much and we strive to make every moment around the table exceptional.”
At Milaidhoo, food is more than just a meal. It’s a chance to connect, both with the island and with each other. Our culinary experiences are crafted with care, each dish an invitation to slow down and savour the moment. “Around the World in Five Courses” isn’t just a dinner; it’s a celebration of the artistry and passion of our chefs and a chance to experience the flavours that unite us all.
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