Dine like you’ve never dined before in the jungle in Nest at Niyama

Niyama Private Islands Maldives reopens its Asian restaurant, Nest, with reimagined jungle dining reinforced with bold, new flavours. Located within the deep heart of the island of Play, Nest brings dramatic flair to Asian fine dining, with a unique setting of wild, indigenous flora that envelops you in the surreal and transports you to another world.

How It Starts

The experience begins with a stroll along the meandering boardwalk through the jungle’s overgrown vines. The magic of Nest then reveals itself under the canopy of a banyan tree decades in the making. On the ground floor, tribal, thatched-roof huts centre around the showcase teppanyaki, where fiery flavours await.

Moreover, you can ascend the spiral staircase, then cross the bridge to the dining platform suspended six metres in the air.  The original design of Nest was conceived in 2013 by Poole Associates and landscape architect Drew Anderson of TOPO Design. They envisioned a multi-level treehouse connected by a labyrinth of wooden walkways and bridges that appears then melts back into the trees.

Back And Better Than Ever

After a decade of operation, Niyama unveils an enhanced setting, with denser, more dramatic landscaping by the resort’s chief engineer Michael Selvin to envelop each table more fully in nature and exclusivity. At night, the trees shimmer with hundreds of lights, and hints of red add an element of the exotic, reminiscent of the neon glow of the streets of Saigon, Tokyo or Bangkok.

A new menu has also been revealed, with flavours of the avant garde by new Executive Chef Thierry Vergnault. Highlights include the wagyu and sea urchin tataki (Japan), sizzling bo lok lak (Vietnam), and chilli reef lobster from local waters (Singapore).

Gastronomic Innovation

With a relentless pursuit of the novel and intriguing, Chef Thierry’s creations combine the freshest, high-quality ingredients with unexpected culinary techniques and innovations. Hard-to-find Asian herbs and spices come from the island’s own garden, which also informs the experimental cocktail list by consultant Mathew Atkinson of Bruff Drinks.

For more information, or to make a booking, visit the Official Niyama Website.