Niyama Private Islands Maldives reopens its Asian restaurant, Nest, with reimagined jungle dining reinforced with bold, new flavors in a surreal treetop setting.
At the heart of Play Island, Nest provides a captivating twist to the experience of Asian cuisine, surrounded by wild, indigenous flora that transports guests to a magical realm.
At the heart of Play Island, Nest provides a captivating twist to the experience of Asian cuisine, surrounded by wild, indigenous flora that transports guests to a magical realm.
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Walking along the winding boardwalk among the tangled vines of the jungle is the first part of the trip. Then, after decades of development, the enchantment of Nest is revealed beneath the shade of a banyan tree. Fire-loving teppanyaki awaits you around the showcase huts on the ground level, which are surrounded by thatched-roof tribal huts. Alternatively, visitors can go up the spiral staircase, go across the bridge, and arrive at their six-meter-tall dining platform.
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.
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.