COMO Maldives celebrates festive season with chef-led dining and ocean-to-table experiences
COMO Hotels and Resorts has unveiled its 2026 festive culinary programmes at COMO Cocoa Island and COMO Maalifushi, featuring Italian cooking classes, Japanese dining experiences, wine-pairing dinners and seafood-focused menus incorporating locally caught fish.
Running throughout December and into January 2027, the programmes will bring together international cuisine, interactive cooking sessions and special dining events to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
For chefs and food and beverage professionals, the highlights include fishing-to-table experiences, pasta and risotto classes, French wine pairings and Japanese culinary traditions.
Italian cuisine and fresh-catch dining at COMO Cocoa Island
At COMO Cocoa Island in South Malé Atoll, the culinary programme will centre on Ufaa restaurant, beginning with a five-course Italian Christmas Eve dinner on 24 December, accompanied by live music.
A Christmas Day dinner under the stars will follow on 25 December, while a steak and seafood barbecue is scheduled for 29 December.
Guests will also have opportunities to participate in Italian cooking classes focusing on pasta and risotto, providing an introduction to two preparations central to Italian cuisine.
Other dining experiences will include afternoon high tea at Faru Bar and an Indian thali dinner.
One of the programme’s distinctive culinary experiences will involve sunrise fishing excursions on 20 and 27 December.
Participants will have the opportunity to catch fish that will subsequently be prepared by the resort’s chefs as a four-course meal, featuring preparations such as sashimi, Maldivian-style soup and coconut curry.
The experience will connect guests with the process of sourcing seafood and preparing it through different culinary traditions, from Japanese raw fish preparations to Maldivian cooking.
COMO Cocoa Island will welcome 2027 with a White Soirée at Ufaa on 31 December, featuring live cooking stations, entertainment and a live band.
Japanese gastronomy and French wine pairings at COMO Maalifushi
At COMO Maalifushi in Thaa Atoll, the festive culinary programme will feature Japanese dining, French wine pairings, seafood experiences and a special Christmas dinner.
The resort will present a Christmas Around the World five-course dinner across Madi, Thila and the poolside, accompanied by entertainment and live music.
On 27 December, the Noble Vines wine dinner will feature a four-course menu paired with wines from different regions of France.
The event will provide an opportunity to explore the relationship between wine selection and menu development, bringing together French winemaking traditions and the resort’s culinary offering.
Japanese cuisine will also feature in the programme through dining experiences involving sushi, nigiri, temaki, sake pairings and yakiniku.
These events will introduce guests to different elements of Japanese food culture, from seafood preparation and sushi assembly to grilling and beverage pairing.
Fisherman’s Table connects local seafood with resort kitchens
COMO Maalifushi will also offer a Fisherman’s Table experience on selected dates, allowing guests to accompany a fisherman to a local fish market before having their catch prepared by the resort’s chefs.
The experience will highlight the relationship between local fishing practices and resort gastronomy, with the selection of seafood forming part of the dining journey.
For culinary professionals, such experiences demonstrate how local seafood sourcing can be incorporated into guest-facing activities while supporting a closer understanding of ingredients and their origins.
Additional dining events will include Champagne breakfasts, seafood experiences and a New Year’s Day beachfront lunch.
The resort’s New Year’s Eve celebrations will feature a Tropical Gatsby Gala Dinner on Madi Beach on 31 December.
The evening will begin with cocktails and canapés, followed by dinner, live music, dancing and a fireworks display to welcome 2027.
Culinary experiences across two island resorts
Beyond their dining programmes, both resorts will offer marine excursions, family activities and wellness experiences throughout the festive period.
At COMO Cocoa Island, activities will include snorkelling, sunset cruises and treatments by visiting Japanese healing practitioner Yuki Nishikubo.
COMO Maalifushi will offer marine safaris, coral planting and wellness sessions with visiting practitioner Kimberly Rose Kneier.
The festive programmes will place culinary experiences alongside these activities, with chefs and food and beverage teams contributing through cooking classes, themed dinners, wine pairings and destination dining.
From preparing freshly caught fish at COMO Cocoa Island to Japanese culinary experiences and Fisherman’s Table at COMO Maalifushi, the programmes will showcase different approaches to gastronomy while incorporating ingredients and experiences connected to the Maldives.
