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Conrad Maldives – The Restaurant Tour

Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-118If you’ve been keeping up with my Conrad Maldives series of posts so far you’ll know that this article is a promised one, a full article dedicated to the amazing eateries the luxury resort has to offer.

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Isalnd boasts 10 restaurants, all of which luxurious and novel in their own unique ways. During our stay we were lucky enough to try 7 of them.

Before I take you through the mouthwatering journey of these amazing eateries I would say to anyone new to my site, have a read of my Hotel Review (here) prior to continuing with this article as it will set the scene perfectly for these wonderful restaurants.  The scenery and service at The Conrad Maldives really is second to none, there is no resort in the Maldives that can match the excellence and variety when it comes to fine dining and in my opinion, each restaurant you read abut below wouldn’t be out of place in cosmopolitan city.
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Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-256Starting at the very beginning, breakfast. There are two great spots for breakfast on the islands of Rangali. Atoll Market and Vilu restaurant. Atoll is on the family friendly island and offers a huge buffet style spread with pretty much everything you can imagine! Smoothie bar, french patisserie, egg station, continental counter, sushi even and that’s just naming a few 😉 I was partial to a tropical smoothie with pancakes and bacon in the mornings, they also do an amazing iced latte which started my day perfectly 😉

The second option is on the quieter side of the island, Vilu Restaurant. Here there is a large a-la-carte option as well as a small buffet. That beautiful stack above is from Vilu, the view here is unreal too. Read more about Vilu here.
Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-117

Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-71We had lunch in the same spot everyday, poolside and looking out onto the beautiful crystal waters of the Indian Ocean at Rangali Bar. Here they have the most amazing selection of midday food options as well as unreal cocktails! I am always partial to a cocktail with lunch and the iPad style menu here allows you to see the cocktail before selecting – let’s be honest ladies, the drink is just as much about the aesthetic as it is the taste 😉

Food wise I would highly recommend the quesadillas and the melon and parma ham salad – both divine! Also the iced coffees here are AMAZING!

Another great day time spot is the famous Ithaa , the under-the-sea restaurant that has, quite rightly been described as the most beautiful restaurant in the world on numerous occasions. We enjoyed a morning champs in here with some yummy nibbles, I can’t really comment too much on the food I’m afraid as I was so mesmerized by the sights around and above me that I can’t really remember the taste! There’s honestly no place in the world like this, you are immersed into the underwater sea life whilst staying dry as a bone 😉 The Conrad group selected the location wonderfully as there was so much sea life to watch and enjoy and after construction in Singapore then a 16 day sail, this structure is quite simply perfect! All table settings are by the window so you are able to enjoy an unobstructed view and really stay within your own little bubble, such a delightful, unique and novel idea – a MUST add to your bucket list!

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Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-267Now let’s talk Dinner, on our first evening we dined at the picture perfect Maldivian style restaurant, The Mandhoo Spa restaurant.

This gorgeous eatery is built on wooden stilts, just like our water villa and sits out onto the ocean so that you can enjoy shark spotting whilst dining. The menu is really diverse and exciting, based on 5 concepts of nourishment and relaxation. The menu is divided into sections; Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Plant and you chose the dishes to suit your mood. The food is delicious and the setting is simply stunning, we were lucky enough to watch a shark circle throughout our entire dining experience and it really was the perfect way to start our trip. There’s no better way to dine in the Maldives than in the sea 😉The following night we were lucky enough to enjoy Lobster and Champagne, another real treat of island living, the amazing barbecues!

So beachside we dined and lobster we ate 😉 Lobster was not the only thing on the menu however, almost every meat you can imagine also made an appearance as well as delicious starters and deserts. I thought this night would be a safe one for the waistline, lobster usually means a light dinner for me! The Conrad Maldives team do not do anything by halves, I imagine the staff secretly place bets on guests to see if their swimsuits are still fitting at the end of a week! JK 😉

The lobster was insane, honestly the best I have ever tasted. Which is really quite something. When eating food in the Maldives you have to be aware that the majority of the foods are imported in. To get fresh and delicious food on the island is not an easy task – so this was a real testament to the service and management of The Conrad Maldives. We spoke to one of the restaurant managers on one of our first days in the resort and every single meal was eaten with such appreciation, knowing that there is an entire team who’s job it is to travel the world sourcing the very best ingredients and making it possible for the guests to enjoy them whilst on a small secluded island in the middle of the Indian Ocean!Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-77

Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-76The following night we returned to our favourite breakfast destination, Vilu Restaurant. This was also one of my favourite evening meals during the trip.

The setting is just as beautiful at night as it is in the morning, although the bright blue skies have shifted to a midnight blanket of stars. The subtle sound of the sea and the secluded spacing of the tables is perfect for a romantic beach dinner for two.

The a-la-carte Mediterranean menu here was nice and varied but as soon as I saw the sea bass I was sold, it’s rare I look past it on any menu 😉 My dish was ridiculously yummy, the fish was perfectly cooked and the accompanying sauce and sides were delicious. What I loved the most about this restaurant however was the table’s bread, a warm wholemeal loaf that makes my mouth water writing about it, served with a choice of vintage balsamic vinegars and selection of olive oils. If I could have snuck some of these oils back to the UK I would have! So so yummy.Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-43

Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-42

Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-41Then was our turn to try out the famous Uffa, one of the most recognised restaurants in the resort. An authentic Chinese restaurant with an traditional Karaoke bar in tow.

Here we shared the iconic and historic Reunion Hotpot, which I loved! The hotpot is essentially a steaming hot bowl of flavoured water, packed with amazing spices that you cook your own food in. You are served the hotpot with a tower of fresh meats, fish and vegetables and you throw them into the hotpot and take them out seconds later to enjoy. You loose one or two pieces (slippery little suckers) along the way but trust me when I say this is something you have to try if dining here. The taste is so divine and the opportunity to cook your food to your liking whilst having so much fun with it is not an chance to be missed!

They also serve a great a-la-carte menu here but we just couldn’t resist the excitement of the HotPot!

It was in this restaurant that I was reminded, once again of the great lengths that The Conrad hotel Group go though to have the very best staff working in their resorts. I learnt from the restaurant’s manager that all of the waiters, chefs and managers have been sent to China to experience the traditional culture prior to working in this very restaurant. It really shows, that commitment to their brand and their staff, it flows through the resort in the most heart-warming way every day.Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-159

Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-158

Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-157
Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-155The next restaurant we were lucky enough to try was Koko Grill, another sure treat and another belly busting array of delicious courses.

This exclusive restaurant is also set on the beautiful beach. With a capacity of just 8 the restaurant has an open air Japanese style set-up in which you are able to watch the chef create your dish by hand and in some cases even watch him cook it on the huge hot plate in front of you.

This Japanese menu was set to 10 courses, all delicious and delicate. My favourite was the sashimi and the lobster. Again, it’s so apparent that the ingredients are so important to each restaurant and whenever I took a moment to appreciate the effort that must have gone into the selection and import process my mind boggled! So I made the conscious effort to simply sit, sip and enjoy 😉

Each chef in The Conrad Maldives is a master of his or her craft. This special touch and careful selection process is something that is very obvious from the moment you taste your first dish. The island hosts restaurants that if found in the city would be booked up for months and the Koko Grill was no exception. The pre-dinner sake was amazing too – something I had to note as we loved it so much we ordered a whole bottle 😉

Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-205

Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-204

Conrad Maldives, Clutch and carry on - travel blogger, conrad maldives travel blog, london travel blogger-202For the final evening, the pièce de résistance if you like, we dined once again at The Vilu Restaurant. This time we were graced with two famous chefs that had been flown in all the way from Europe. Visiting from the famous French, two Michilen star restaurant; La Claire de la Plume. This was a real treat for the whole island and with a seven course menu to enjoy the culinary excellence we were not left disappointed!

This is something The Conrad Maldives do quite regularly, invite special chefs from all over the world to come and cook for their guests. I think this is such a lovely idea and really suited to the style and luxury of the entire resort. There is no length this hotel won’t go to to impress their guests. Remember how I said I felt like a princess from the moment I arrived? This is one of the many, many reasons why.Clutch and carry on - uk travel blogger - conrad maldives - travel blogger maldives-204

Clutch and carry on - uk travel blogger - conrad maldives - travel blogger maldives-205

And there you have it! A culinary tour of the Conrad Maldives. I want to extend a huge thank-you to the wonderful Zainab for putting together this truly unforgettable dining itinerary for us, we couldn’t have wished for a better week. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ll ever have a week that will match it when it comes to the delicious food and outstanding hospitality, the views weren’t too shabby either 😉

Sign-off


 

 

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5 Comments

    • Sabrina
      April 11, 2016 / 10:01 am

      Thank-you hun, it really is so special! x

  1. Lottie
    April 10, 2016 / 11:32 pm

    Omg this looks amaizng! So glad you separated these posts, we all love a good drool! 😉 X

    • Sabrina
      April 11, 2016 / 10:01 am

      Thanks Lottie! Oh so glad you liked it 🙂 x

  2. Lucy
    February 1, 2017 / 4:30 am

    That underwater resteraunt looks insane!! I HAVE to go!

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