Anantara Kihavah Maldives’ Sea underwater wine cellar and restaurant has been awarded the three-star recognition in the World’s Best Wine Lists for the fourth year.
Judges noted that the fine international cuisine and extensive collection of bottles at Sea suggests a remarkable gastronomic as well as visual spectacle, where Michel Picard Puligny-Montrachet 2010 is matched with Atlantic salmon mi-cuit, crisp potatoes galette, snow peas trendril, and an orange and miso reduction. Or where Antinori Tignanello 2010 is paired with 500-day grain-fed Tajima Beef tenderloin, served with truffled mashed potatoes croquette and steamed white asparagus in a pearl onions and lemon barley reduction, they said.
Nilesh Bootun, the Area Wine Guru at Anantara Kihavah Maldives, also stressed that the wine list enables oenophiles to embark in a journey with amazing adventures from Old World to New World by discovering some prestigious selection among 360 labels, handpicked from 20 renowned wine producing countries including the new horizons such as India, China, Thailand and Turkey.
“Personal taste always varies from each individual but the preference of enjoying young wines (ready to drink) to vintage treasures (at their peak) would be definitely possible with the 90 year of wine history (from 1924 to 2014) having a selection from each decade,” he said.
“And this is where I use the ‘Savoire Faire’ and great culinary ‘Haute & Nouvelle Cuisine’ experience of our Executive Chef Gaspare Greco to make some exceptional food and wine pairing so as to enhance the palate’s pleasure.”
Anantara Kihavah Villas is just 35 minutes by seaplane from the main Velana International Airport. Following the scenic flight, guests arrive to a picture-perfect setting surrounded by the jewel-coloured waters and uninhabited islands of the majestic Indian Ocean.
Comprising 74 one-bedroom villas, four two-bedroom residences and a three-bedroom residence, each hideaway boasts large personal infinity-edge pools, dining pavilions, expansive wooden sundecks and ample lounging areas complete with swinging daybeds, hammocks and sun loungers. All villas feature his and hers walk-in wardrobes, rain showers, outdoor showers and over-sized bathtubs big enough for two. Sunken glass bottom bathtubs in the over water villas offer a mesmerising view of the sparkling ocean, both below and beyond the adjacent infinity-edge pool.
The Sea, where diners are seated amid a 360-degree view of the Indian Ocean’s technicolour marine life, boasts itself as the world’s first underwater wine cellar.
Now in its fourth year, the World’s Best Wine Lists awards by The World of Fine Wine celebrate the importance of a good selection of wine from around the world, and has become as coveted as Michelin Stars.