Under Water Restaurant
Under-The-Sea Luxury
Hotels and Restaurants with a Swimmingly Good View
Few places are more fascinating than beneath the ocean’s surface. From exotic fish with shimmering scales to flowering seagrass and otherworldly invertebrates, there’s something magical about being down below. So, skip the aquarium and center your whole experience to be under the sea. Under, Europe’s first underwater restaurant in Norway, opened for previews this past Wednesday and functions as both a fine-dining retreat and marine life research center; while Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara in Dubai’s Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel boasts award-winning chef Nathan Outlaw to create their luxe seafood fare. Wherever you decide to dine, remember to look up—and out—at the marvelous marine life just a window pane away.
Under, Norway
Thousands have already reserved their seat at the table of this underwater design feat. Located in Lindesnes near Norway’s southernmost point, Under brings together the freshest ingredients from waters just outside the restaurant with chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard’s creative, Scandinavian culinary style. The partially submerged building will also adapt to the biodiversity of its surroundings, with a concrete wall that functions as an artificial reef and cameras in place to facilitate marine biology research.
Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara, Dubai
Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw brings his signature modern English cuisine to the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah with his restaurant, Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara. Standing out in Dubai is no easy task—but the otherworldly design of this aquatic retreat stuns with a golden tunnel entryway, leading to a dining area set against a massive aquarium. Inspired by artful simplicity and sustainability, the menu boasts fresh seafood fare such as hand-dived raw scallops with an herb mayonnaise and apple tartare dressing, as well as roasted whole wild turbot.
5.8 Undersea Restaurant, Maldives
Check your shoes at the door and submerge yourself 5.8 meters underwater for the dining experience of a lifetime at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant. Located at the five-star Hurawalhi Island Resort, this surreal culinary space is completely surrounded by glass, giving diners 360-degree views of technicolor marine life. The natural reef that surrounds the restaurant was fashioned from unhealthy, dislodged coral blocks and repurposed to create this thriving reef system. And in case you were wondering—yes, the inventive seafood dishes live up to the beauty of their surroundings.
Ossiano, Dubai
Staff at Ossiano are known to treat their guests like royalty—and you’ll certainly be eating like kings and queens of the sea as you dine surrounded by 65,000 fish, sharks and stingrays. The dimly lit atmosphere and rich, slate and black color scheme of the dining room make the vibrant, blue aquarium the star of the show. Expect to be entertained by the food in front of you, too, as each dish is plated so artfully, you’ll almost feel sorry that you’re eating it. Almost.
Subsix, Maldives
Nothing says glamour like a locale that guests reach by speedboat. Descend six meters into Subsix, where the dining experience is immersive in the literal and figurative sense. Above, abstract Italian chandeliers hang like delicate coral, while below guests seat themselves in sea anemone-inspired chairs. Surrounded by windows for optimum views, guests will love munching on unique cuisine (don’t miss the spiny lobster medallion) while gazing out into the depths of the Indian Ocean.
