ONE&ONLY REETHI RAH, MALDIVES 

Reethi Restaurant has plenty to admire besides its menu: carved wooden doors, flourishing frangipani reflected in the overwater pools and, when the sun sets, lanterns flickering romantically. 

Breakfast is a creative à la carte affair – highlights include huevos rancheros and crêpes with wild berries and ricotta – and for lunch and dinner, the menu leapfrogs between Asia and Europe. Tapasake (dinner only) serves modern Japanese dishes featuring fish from the Indian Ocean: expect succulent sushi and sashimi, lobster gyoza, black cod and the ilk; at fanciful Fanditha, Mediterranean classics get a Maldivian spin. Puff on shisha pipes, post-meal. 

The hotel’s roster of dining options (eight in total) includes the Beach Club at ClubOne and the Chef’s Garden, a candelit patch of the vegetable garden, designed with intimate dinners in mind. The food at the latter is fresh and healthy: grilled and steamed dishes such as yellowfin tuna tartare and fish or vegetables with an infusion (lemongrass and curry leaves, or coconut oil, garlic and lime). No meat is served at the Chef’s Garden.

Room service
The 24-hour room service spans the full restaurant menu; there’s a special selection just for little Smiths, too.