Soneva has opened its newest dining outlet, Shades of Green at Soneva Fushi, the flagship private island resort in the Baa Atoll of the Maldives.

The 20-seat vegetarian restaurant is located in the resort’s organic garden, and is only open for dinner.

The concept and menu were created by Carsten Kyster, a Danish chef who has worked alongside Jamie Oliver at the River Café and Peter Gordon at The Sugar Club in London.

With this new restaurant, Kyster aims to tap into the global movement that places an emphasis on fresh, organic and local produce, while also aligning with Soneva’s values.

To begin the experience at Shades of Green, guests are guided through the garden to learn about the herbs, vegetables and fruits grown on the land, as well as actually pick the ingredients to be used in their meal.

Guests are encouraged to examine, pick, smell and taste the herbs, fruits and vegetables growing in the garden.

Guests are then invited to gather around a fire pit for the first course, before being seated at tables beneath the shade of the pergola and fruit trees for the remaining six courses.

The menu features simple yet experimental plant-based dishes, blending Maldivian and south-east Asian cuisines, which are prepared using Nordic techniques such as smoking, salting, fermenting and pickling.

In March last year, Kyster visited Soneva Fushi as a guest, where he experienced the organic garden lunch and was inspired to create this new dining concept.

Kyster, who is based in Copenhagen, also works as a food and travel writer, a creative food consultant and a food stylist when he is not in the kitchen.