Ithaa, which means mother of pearl in Dhivehi, is a mostlyacrylic underwater restaurant secured five metres below sea level atthe Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in Rangalifinolhu, Maldives.The five-by-nine meter restaurant has a capacity of 14 people and is encased inR-Cast acrylic which is a transparent acrylic roof offering a 180° panoramicview. The restaurant was designed and constructed by M.J. MurphyLtd. – a design consultancy based in New Zealand – and was opened on April 15,2005. Food served in the restaurant has evolved over the years and is now bestdescribed as contemporary European with Asian influences.
Ithaa‘s entrance is a spiral staircase in a thatchedpavilion at the end of a jetty. The tsunami which followed the 2004 IndianOcean earthquake topped out at 0.31m below the staircase entrance, and causedno damage to the restaurant.
In April 2010, to celebrate the restaurant’s 5thanniversary, it was made possible to sleep in Ithaa for the night ifthe restaurant was not booked for dinner. The restaurant is also usedfor private parties and weddings.
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