We weren’t sure what to expect coming to the Hard Rock in the Maldives. We’d heard of reviews detailing the “Caribbean of the Maldives” and we were genuinely surprised to discover that those reviews were not accurate, unless you spent your entire stay eating at the Hard Rock Café. Between the Marina, Hard Rock and SAii, there is something for everyone, including Maldivian Cuisine.
The weakest link at the Hard Rock was the breakfast offering at Sessions. The food was ok, but it certainly wasn’t great. They did offer a large selection of items and we tended to stick to the fresh-made omelettes (like the Maldivian omelette – yum) and the fruit. We did also enjoy the complimentary champagne – very nice touch.
Our favorite onsite restaurant was The Elephant and the Butterfly, a Latin-American style restaurant. We loved the beachfront setting, allowing guests to dine with their toes in the sand, and we loved the small plates. The wine selection (on all-inclusive) was excellent and the cocktails were pretty good. We can definitely recommend this option. Our recommendation is to pick a night where Sessions is not doing a show or open for dinner to maximize the romance. Since the two restaurants are located next to each other, the music can be a bit loud from Sessions.
We also had the chance to experience the dining at the Marina while we were on property and we loved our meals at the Marina. It’s almost a little weird, but when you walk into the restaurants you actually feel like you are in the place that each restaurant represents. For example, at Kinkao, we were greeted by the Thai waitstaff and the food really transported us back to Thailand- it was fabulous. and spicy. It was perfect.
Kebab & Kurry was much of the same: beautiful Indian cuisine, served by the most amazing waitstaff who we let just pick whatever they wanted for us to eat. We had an amazing time with them, tasting their favorite dishes and everything was absolutely amazing.
Lastly, the floating breakfast was a real treat and a perk of being in a villa with a pool. We had champagne, salmon toast, fruit, yogurt and granola. It was delicious and fun- and great for honeymooners ;).
Overall, the dining at Hard Rock that you have access to is so diverse and so interesting, you will never be bored. The access to the Marina means guests can really explore and enjoy so many different dining options and you never have to go back to the same place twice.