Meat. Heat. Salt. Named to 50 Best Discovery 2026

We are proud to share that Carné Diem Grill by Dharshan has been named to the 50 Best Discovery 2026 collection, and is the only restaurant in the Maldives featured in this year's global selection.

50 Best Discovery is an expert-approved guide to more than 3,500 restaurants, bars, hotels and vineyards worldwide. Being included means our guests and the people who judge food for a living have arrived at the same view: a steak cooked with care, over real fire, is worth the trip.

So what goes into that steak?

Three words: Meat. Heat. Salt.

When Chef Dharshan Munidasa opened Carné Diem Grill in 2020, he started from a simple idea. If the meat is excellent, the cooking should get out of its way.

There are no heavy marinades and no sauces poured on top. We source exceptional beef, cook it with carefully controlled heat, and season it with salt. Everything on the plate depends on getting those three things right.

Meat: Westholme Wagyu, and nothing else

Every steak on our menu is Wagyu from Westholme, one of Australia's finest producers. We cut it thick, at least three fingers, because a steak that size cooks evenly and stays juicy all the way through.

The cuts are made to share:

• Wagyu Porterhouse. The sirloin and tenderloin on one bone. This is the steak guests talk about most.
• Wagyu Sirloin. Rich and well marbled, with plenty of beefy flavour.
• Bone-in Ribeye. Generous, deeply flavourful, and cooked next to the bone.

If you are not ordering steak, the 8-rib rack of Maimoa lamb from New Zealand gets the same reverse-sear treatment. The Carné Diem Burger, made with the same Westholme Wagyu, skips the usual ketchup-and-cheese formula.

Heat: Ignis Maximus

At the centre of our kitchen is Ignis Maximus, a custom charcoal grill inspired by Chef Dharshan's Sri Lankan and Japanese heritage and by traditional Japanese yakitori grills.

It is built entirely by hand, weighs about 200 kilograms, and uses no gas or electricity. Running on charcoal alone, it reaches 750°C.

We cook our steaks on skewers using a reverse sear. The meat cooks gently and evenly first, then gets a final blast of intense heat to build the crust. You won't see criss-cross grill marks or any scorching, just an even crust outside and a consistent doneness from edge to edge.

Salt: the finishing touch

After the fire, each steak rests in Sri Lankan salt. Resting lets the juices settle back into the meat, and the salt seasons it while bringing out the flavour of the beef.

That's why we serve our steaks without sauce. Once you taste one, we think you'll agree it doesn't need any.

The setting

Carné Diem Grill is in a hacienda-style villa at The Marina at CROSSROADS Maldives, about 15 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport. You can sit indoors, outdoors overlooking the marina, or book our private wine cellar for a more intimate evening. Keep an eye out for the large metal bull by a Sri Lankan artisan. You can't miss it.

Finish your meal with our Crunchy French Toast, served with whipped cream, fresh strawberries and palm sugar syrup.

Thank you

Recognition like this belongs to everyone involved: our team in the kitchen and on the floor, our producers, and every guest who has made the crossing to eat with us. Thank you.

If you haven't visited yet, there has never been a better time to come and taste what Meat. Heat. Salt. means to us.