Many restaurants around the world offer stunning views of the sea, are in the perfect spot to watch the sunset, or offer diners wonderful views of the mountains. These are all beautiful, of course, but if you’re looking for something even more exciting, then you might want to seek out an underwater restaurant.
Underwater restaurants have become a phenomenon that allows restaurant goers to dine with an out of this world view. Check out some of the world’s most exciting underwater restaurants and bars:
Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Maldives
Ithaa boasts the title of the world’s first all-glass undersea restaurant, located 16 feet below sea level at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island hotel. Surrounded by vibrant coral gardens, diners can enjoy a panoramic ceiling of buzzing marine life while they enjoy a four-course lunch menu or a seven-course dinner menu. Look out for incredible dishes such as saffron champagne risotto, Maldivian lobster carpaccio, and salty caramel sable.
Guinness Deep Sea Bar, Sweden
This submarine is the world’s first deep sea bar located in the Baltic sea in the Stockholm Archipelago. However, It was created to celebrate its 250th anniversary. The interiors designed as per the fluid concept which reflects the Guinness brand statement ‘Alive Inside’. It captures the feeling of being ‘immersed in a dynamic, flowing experience’.
Red Sea Star, Eilat, Israel
This underwater restaurant is located at the coral reefs of Eilat. It has two sections, one above and one below the surface of the water. The one above is the Metro Bar with the view of the Gulf of Aqaba and the one below is the restaurant. However, At night, the coral gardens around the restaurant are illuminated using lights that will not disturb the fragile eco-system.
Sea, Maldives
From your over-water villa, head underwater to the aptly named Sea at Anantara Kihavah Villas in the Maldives. It is one of the few underwater restaurants with the world’s first underwater wine cellar. The mirrored interior reflects the surrounding Indian Ocean sea life, such as fish, turtles, and even sharks, as you dine on European cuisine and take suggestions from the sommelier.
Cargo Hold Restaurant, South Arica
Housed within the stern of the Phantom Ship, a tribute to Durban’s coastal ghost lore, Cargo Hold Restaurant incorporates the region’s culture and history into its ambiance. Menu items include freshly shucked oysters, mussels, and honey ginger panko prawns that can be enjoyed while dining in this faux sunken ship surrounded by sharks.
Subsix, Maldives
Located nearly 20 feet below the Indian Ocean, Subsix earns bragging rights as the world’s first underwater club. International DJs spin as patrons dance beneath the waves. The floor-to-ceiling windows lining the walls of the bar provide spectacular night views of the illuminated ocean floor. More than 545 yards from the coast, Subsix is only accessible by boat from the Niyama Resort.
Undersea, Maldives
The Hurawalhi Island Resort in the Maldives will be the ideal spot for those looking to dine among extraordinary marine life, as it’s exclusive eatery 5.8 Undersea looks to be one of the best underwater restaurants in the world. This incredible dining spot accommodates only 16 guests at a time for either breakfast, lunch or dinner. Placed by a heavy-lift ship 5.8 meters below the surface of the sea, vast panoramic windows and acrylic arches allow visitors to view the incredible Maldivian coral reefs.
Apart from these submerged restaurants that are built under natural bodies of water, there are a few swim-up bars and restaurants featuring large aquariums that are popular in many tropical resorts or restaurants around the world.
Al Mahara, Dubai
Located inside the luxurious Burj Al Arab, this centerpiece of the intimate Al Mahara restaurant is a floor-to-ceiling aquarium containing more than 30 different species of fish, which acts as a key feature in all the dining areas. Al Mahara, which translates to “the oyster shell,” offers a menu well suited for the restaurant’s ambiance, including poached tsarskaya oysters and sea salt–crusted sea bass.
Atrium Bar, Berlin
Located underneath the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium, the Atrium Bar in the lobby of the Radisson Blu in Berlin serves drinks and small treats prepared by the hotel’s in-house pâtissier. The AquaDom is a vast free-standing aquarium that stretches 25 meters above diners. Bar patrons can sip cocktails and eat cake while gazing up at gallons of water and more than 1,500 tropical fish of more than 110 different species.
Aquarium Restaurant, Nashville, US
This “underwater dining adventure” is right in the heart of Nashville. Located within the Opry Mills Mall, the Aquarium Restaurant offers expansive underwater views of its 200,000-gallon aquarium. The menu includes mahi-mahi, shrimp, and macadamia–crusted tilapia, paired with views of an aquarium that houses more than 100 species of fish from around the world.