Most visitors eat at their resort — board is usually included and resort islands have no outside competition. On the local islands of Maafushi, Guraidhoo, and Gulhi there are unfussy guesthouse restaurants and a handful of beachside cafés.
The local cuisine is Maldivian: tuna in every form (smoked, dried, curried, raw), coconut, chilli, rice, and short eats called hedhikaa — fried tuna pastries, fish balls, spiced root vegetable rolls. The Friday breakfast of mas huni (shredded smoked tuna with coconut, onion, and chilli) eaten with hot flatbread is the regional ritual worth seeking out. Alcohol is not legally sold on local islands, but most guesthouses run sunset boat trips into the lagoon with a bar on board.