Gastronomy
Six Senses Laamu hosts a trio of celebrity chefs for cxclusive culinary events in the Maldives
Maldives.net.mv – At a series of events during September and October 2013, Six Senses Laamu will be presenting a culinary coup, with three celebrity chefs introducing their respective unique cuisines. The dining events and learning experiences will be exclusively for guests of the resort.
Set in two periods, the first will be from 11th to 17th September and will feature the renowned TV chef and author Paul Merret, together with Anton Manganaro from London’s prestigious BAFTA 195 Piccadilly venue. They will create signature dinners at LEAF, and cooking classes at Zen.
The second sector of culinary events will be from 9th to 16th October 2013, and will feature Chef Joe Barza – innovative advocate of new Lebanese cuisine. He will also be presenting signature dinners at LEAF and a cooking class at Zen.
The venue for these memorable menus is LEAF restaurant, a symphony of rustic wood and palm-thatched roof perched above the resort’s organic garden. Maldivian fishermen and farmers are the source for many of the local ingredients. Guest participation at dinner is US$135++ per person.
Cooking classes will be held at Zen, on the upper deck of the unique overwater village, which also offers inspiring tropical vistas over the translucent lagoon waters. Class attendance is US$130 per person.
Special accommodation packages are offered, and for a minimum seven-night stay there is a savings of 15% off the best available rate, with breakfast included. An additional 10% savings applies to bookings made sixty days or more in advance of the arrival date. More details are available at http://www.sixsenses.com/
More about our Celebrity Chefs:
Chef Paul Merret has an impressive background in the restaurant world having worked with some of London’s top chefs, including Peter Kromberg and Gary Rhodes.
Paul’s media career began with a one off appearance on Channel 4’s Light Lunch. Since then Paul has been involved in many television projects including a ten-part BBC2 series named The Best, three series of Ever Wondered About Food on BBC1, Family Supercooks and most recently presenting Economy Gastronomy on prime time BBC2. Alongside this, Paul has been a regular contributor on Market Kitchen, ITV’s Sunday Feast, Perfect and Saturday Kitchen as well as appearing on both BBC Breakfast and GMTV.
Paul is also a keen author and his first book, Using The Plot was published in 2007. Economy Gastronomy followed, which has its foundation in the BBC Television series of the same name, which was hosted and written by Paul alongside Allegra McEvedy. Paul is currently writing his third book.
Paul now owns and runs The Victoria Public House – Dining Room and Hotel near Richmond Park in West London, which won Best London Gastro Pub 2011 in the Great Pub Awards.
Chef Anton Manganaro started his culinary career at the Royal Garden Hotel with David Nichols, formerly of the Ritz and now at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel. Since then he has worked with many of the well-known chefs of our time, including Gunther Schlender of Rue St Jacques, Paul Gayler of Inigo Jones and The Lanesborough, as well as Gary Rhodes and Anton Mosimann.
For five years he worked with Paul Merrett at Interlude and the Greenhouse achieving a Michelin star. He also travelled the world working in private households before he headed up the kitchen at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, where he has been head chef for the last 7 years.
Anton prides himself in using only the freshest, and most seasonal ingredients and supports many charities and organisations to promote wellbeing in farming and sustainability. Whilst he enjoys the exciting innovations of contemporary cuisine, he places great emphasis on his classical background.
After 21 years in the industry he is very keen to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of up-and-coming chefs. He works with students of West Thames College who train alongside his team in the BAFTA 195 Piccadilly kitchen.
Chef Joe Barza is an innovative advocate of new Lebanese cuisine. He earned his degree at the School of Hotel Management in Beirut, Lebanon and has become a Master Chef specialising in Lebanese cuisine. He has more than twenty-two years of professional cooking and kitchen management experience, leadership qualities and professionalism, backed by a consistent record of achievement.
Trained by Pierre Pomel, Marc Veyrat, Jean-Pierre Jacob, Pierre Marin and Chicho Sultano, Joe Barza has become a teaching instructor himself as well as a training and development specialist.He has worked alongside Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire, Joel Robluchon and Alfons Schuhbeck. In 2008, Chef Barza was the head of the delegation at the Bocuse d’Or.
Chef Barza has become a name synonymous worldwide with progressive Lebanese Cuisine. Globally recognised, with a perfect balance of passion, wittiness and creativity he brings a mix of tradition and modernism, elegance and warmth to Laamu’s dining experiences. He combines simplicity and innovation where he uses alternative ingredients instead of usual ones, to create new recipes.
The glow of charcoal beside the beach; Mediterranean seafood against the blues of the Indian Ocean. From 13–23 January 2027, Atmosphere Core’s Fire: Smoke: Soul brings back Chef Pasquale Palamaro of Michelin-starred Indaco at Regina Isabella, Ischia, Italy to the Maldives. Across VARU by Atmosphere, OBLU SELECT Sangeli and OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO, he joins the resident Executive Chefs in a meeting of Mediterranean technique and Maldivian ingredients.
“Food has a wonderful way of bringing people and cultures together. With Fire : Smoke : Soul, Chef Pasquale Palamaro and our Executive Chefs share their craft, ideas and personalities through the flavours, ingredients and traditions of the Maldives. Ultimately, we want our guests to leave with more than a great meal. We want them to remember the people they met, the stories they discovered and the moments they shared around the table,” says Anupam Banerjee, Vice President – Food & Beverage, Atmosphere Core.
Continuing the exchange established through Mediterranean Soul, Maldivian Heart in 2025, this series pairs Palamaro’s affinity with seafood and island produce with each restaurant’s distinct character. Cooking classes offer guests a closer encounter with the craft; Four Hands dinners bring the chefs together as equal culinary partners.
“Every destination has its own culinary identity, shaped by its ingredients and traditions. Returning to the Maldives gives me the opportunity to continue this exchange, explore new expressions of Mediterranean cooking and create alongside the talented resident chefs,” says Chef Pasquale Palamaro.
VARU by Atmosphere | Embers, Seafood and Shades of Blue
At VARU, the journey moves between the warmth of Charcoal’s beachside grill and the Mediterranean seafood sensibility of NÜ. Embers, aroma and the open evening air set the tone at Charcoal; at NÜ, the sea becomes the thread connecting two island kitchens. Named for the Dhivehi word for blue, NÜ finds a poetic counterpart in Indaco, whose name evokes the indigo of the sea at twilight.
Alongside Executive Chef Ajaya Kumar Sahoo, Palamaro will explore responsibly sourced seafood, Mediterranean technique and the interplay of fire and smoke. The programme opens with a GM Cocktail on 13 January, followed by dinner at Charcoal on 14 January, then a cooking class and Four Hands Dinner at NÜ on 15 January.
OBLU SELECT Sangeli | Fire Beside the Lagoon
At Sangeli’s Just Grill, lagoon-side dining gives the collaboration a convivial rhythm. Mediterranean craftsmanship meets the immediacy of the grill in a setting that pairs culinary precision with the ease of island life. Palamaro joins Executive Chef Ravindra for this chapter, beginning with a Cocktail with the General Manager on 17 January and dinner at Just Grill on 18 January. A cooking class and Four Hands Dinner, both at Just Grill, follow on 19 January.
OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO | Smoke, Sea and Island Hospitality
The final chapter unfolds at Helengeli’s Just Grill, where Mediterranean flavours meet an island setting defined by warmth and an unhurried sense of welcome. Working with Executive Chef Anirudh Deshpande, Palamaro brings the series to a close through fire, smoke and shared craft. A GM Cocktail on 21 January leads into dinner at Just Grill on 22 January, with a cooking class and the concluding Four Hands Dinner at Just Grill on 23 January.
The Details That Give Dining Its Depth
The series places equal emphasis on what reaches the plate and the thought behind it: responsibly sourced catch, traceable ingredients, hyperlocal produce where available and circular kitchen practices designed to reduce food waste. Seasonal vegetables receive the same creative attention as seafood and grills, while considered wine and alcohol-free pairings, personal interaction with the chefs and each resort’s live band add further texture to the evenings.
Beyond the guest experience, the exchange of techniques and perspectives is intended to endure within the kitchens, enriching the cooking long after the final dinner.
For travellers who seek a destination through its food, Fire: Smoke: Soul offers a different way to experience the Maldives: through the character of an ingredient, the glow of an ember and the conversation between two island traditions. Three settings, each with its own identity; a shared belief that the most memorable tables have a story to tell. This January, guests are invited to discover the stories, flavours and creativity behind Fire, Smoke, & Soul at Atmosphere Core resorts.
Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa has announced its first Hunter’s Wine Dinner, scheduled for 17 November 2026, bringing together Italian cuisine and wines from New Zealand producer Hunter’s Wines.
The event will feature a five-course Italian dining experience, with each course paired with selected wines from Hunter’s Wines. The dinner will be hosted by James Macdonald, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Winemaker at Hunter’s Wines, alongside Chelsea Macdonald.
The evening will provide guests with an opportunity to explore the relationship between food and wine, with the pairings designed to complement the flavours and characteristics of each course. Guests will also have the opportunity to engage with the hosts and learn more about the wines, winemaking techniques and principles of food and wine pairing.
Based in Marlborough, New Zealand, Hunter’s Wines is a family-owned winery established in 1979. The winery has played a role in the development of Marlborough’s wine industry and produces a range of wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wines.
James Macdonald, a member of the Hunter family, holds a degree in Oenology and Viticulture from Lincoln University. He has gained winemaking experience internationally and currently oversees winemaking operations while contributing to the winery’s management and development.
The upcoming dinner forms part of Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa’s culinary offerings, which include international dining experiences across its restaurants and bars.
Located on a seven-hectare private island in Raa Atoll, Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa is a five-star property operated by the Italian family-owned Emerald Collection. The resort is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and operates under a Deluxe All-Inclusive concept.
The property features 80 villas, comprising 38 beach villas and 42 overwater villas, surrounded by a lagoon and house reef. Its dining facilities include Aqua Restaurant, Beach Club Grill, Carnivorous Restaurant, Le Asiatique and Mediterraneo, offering Mediterranean, Asian and other international cuisines.
Additional facilities include The Emerald Spa, which offers Thai and Balinese treatments, a fitness centre, water sports and recreational activities. The resort is accessible by a seaplane journey of approximately 45 minutes from Velana International Airport.
The Hunter’s Wine Dinner on 17 November will provide another opportunity for guests to experience the resort’s culinary programme through a collaboration with an international wine producer.
There is something special about discovering a place through its wines. This November, Baros Maldives invites guests to experience a taste of Tuscany with an exclusive wine dinner celebrating the heritage and craftsmanship of Poliziano, hosted by third-generation winemaker Maria Stella.
Set against the beautiful ocean backdrop of The Lighthouse Restaurant, the intimate evening will take place on Sunday 29 November 2026, at 7 pm, bringing together fine wines, thoughtfully prepared cuisine and the pleasure of sharing a table.
Founded in 1961 by Dino Carletti in Montepulciano, Tuscany, Poliziano has long been guided by a deep connection to its land and the traditions of its region. Its name reflects both its Tuscan home and a tribute to Renaissance poet Angelo Ambrogini, known as Poliziano. Over the decades, the winery has remained true to its origins, producing wines that speak of their landscape, heritage and the people behind them.
Leading the evening, Maria Stella will share the story of Poliziano through a selection of its wines, offering guests a personal perspective on the family’s winemaking heritage and the philosophy that continues to shape the estate.
Each wine will be accompanied by a specially created dinner course, with pairings designed to bring out the character of both the glass and the plate.
Limited to just 16 guests, the dinner is intended to be as much about the company and conversation as it is about the wines themselves. An evening to slow down, discover something new and enjoy the simple pleasure of good food and wine in wonderful surroundings.
The experience is priced at USD 235 per guest, inclusive of the specially curated dinner menu and wine pairings. Advance reservations are essential, with seating limited to 16 guests.
Event Details:
- Date: Sunday 29 November 2026
- Time: 7 pm
- Venue: The Lighthouse Restaurant, Baros Maldives
For booking enquiries, please contact reservations@baros.com or call +960 664 2672.
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