Maldives Restaurants

Being a prominent crossroad in the Indian Ocean, Maldives has been visited by numerous traders from around the globe. Hence, Maldivian food is influenced by international cuisines, including Indian, Thai, Oriental and Middle Eastern. Seafood and tubers are the main ingredients of Maldivian dishes.

The typical cuisine is influenced by fish and seafood and vegetables that are used as fillings. Trevallies, barracuda and tuna are the commonly cooked fish in Maldives. The sweet dishes in Maldives include custard, bodibaiy (rice mixed with sugar) and tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes, papayas and watermelons.

Fish (mas), especially tuna (kandu mas) are the major ingredients of Maldivian food. Sea food is prepared in the Sri Lankan and south Indian tradition and is thus, hot, spicy and flavoured with coconut. Rice mixed with a clear fish broth called garudhiya and served with side dishes of lime, chili and onions is the staple meal in Maldives.  

Riha (Curry), rice supplemented with roshi, unleavened bread akin to Indian roti and papadhu, the Maldivian version of crispy Indian poppadums are the other popular meals.

Other common Maldivian dishes include mas huni (shredded smoked fish with grated coconuts and onions), fihunu mas (barbequed fish basted with chili) and bambukeylu hiti (breadfruit curry).

Popular dishes made using fish include snacks called hedhikaa (fish-based and deep-fried), bajiya (pastry stuffed with fish, coconut and onions) and gulha (pastry balls stuffed with smoked fish).

Other seafood dishes in Maldives are keemia (deep-fried fish rolls), kulhi borkibaa (spicy fish cake), masroshi (mas huni wrapped in roshi bread) and theluli mas (fried fish with chili & garlic).

In Maldives, one can eat at a restaurant at the resorts that serve diverse international cuisines, coffee shops and the restaurants on the liveaboard vessels. Apart from standard delicacies, the restaurants on the liveaboard vessels also serve an assortment of alcoholic beverages and pork dishes. Both of these items are prohibited in the inhabited islands.

The hotels, restaurants and most guest houses in the capital Malé serve western, continental & eastern specialities, along with a few local dishes. Local tastes can also be savoured at the cafés, known as hotaa.

Owing to the prominence of food in the Maldivian culture, the country celebrates many festivals. The main festivals like Eidal Al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) and Huravee Day are marked by cooking dishes like chicken curry, biryani, or a type of snacks called hedhikaa.

Famous street food points in the country are outer street of Malé, starting from the Raalhugandu Surf Point, onward to the back Streets of IGMH. The street food is served at Gaadiyaa, which offer Maldivian traditional snacks, Dhufun, Raa, Coconut Rum and fizzy drinks.   

Ithaa restaurant is a one of its kind restaurant that is located 15 feet below the surface of the Indian Ocean amidst a fertile coral reef.