Thun’di Cafe - The Island Restaurant — Restaurant in Malé Atoll

Went here on the first evening and the food was OK. Tuna steak and garlic rice. Salad on the side was extremely bitter, possibly from the raw onion. Came today and the short eats were not good. Really greasy samosa. Soaked with oil. Two other short eats were different on the outside, but the fillings were exactly the same. Unusual, as everywhere else these items do not contain the same filling at all. I reckon it was the left over tuna onion coconut from breakfast. They stuffed all the short eats with this filling so nothing was wasted. Unfortunately it was boring eating the same taste three times. Then I had noodles. This was not stir fry noodles asian style. This was 3 minute instant noodles, cooked and drained, with some tuna flakes and onion in. Not what I was expecting, and pretty awful. I had already told the server I don't like egg, when I ordered the short ears. Despite this he cooked egg pieces in the noodles, and put a cold fried egg on top? Just to make sure all ended well, the bill was thumped down as soon as I wiped my mouth, and had just picked up my tablet. I never even asked for the check. So it means even though the place was empty. I must pay and leave! Only other place who done this was Maafushi Sunrise restaurant. Previously never before. And, something dodgy about their payment machine. Tried several times over two days. Machine for card, with Bank of Maldives only takes us dollars? Refuses to take Maldivian ruffian? Why? This is the Maldives, not Hawaii. What country will not accept their own darn currency? Only had this issue at this Thundi place. Utter madness, and scam. The manager fella tells me twice, both yesterday and today. I should take cash out. To take out cash costs 100 Maldivian each transaction. Would he do it if he were me? I think not. That might be a huge portion of his wage. Lovely friendly service on these local islands, not. Been and stayed at several locally populated islands. Not really that keen, as the locals are not friendly. Better to stay at private island resort where staff are paid to be nice. These cheap islands have loads of Bangladeshis, and they really are not customer service orientated. All the resorts I stayed before in the Maldives mainly had Maldivian, Indian, or Sri Lankan staff. Thoroughly enjoyed every single resort I...

A special mention goes to Tundi Café. We dined there multiple times during our stay, and each visit was memorable.

The food was absolutely delicious, and even when we were hungry after 10pm, the café was still open and welcoming. We were thrilled to find Malaysian dishes like nasi goreng, which gave us a taste of home. My friend, who’s vegetarian, really enjoyed the vegetarian pasta — the chef included thoughtful ingredients like olives, making it much more flavorful than what we found at other cafés. I tried a few pasta dishes myself and they were incredibly tasty.

One of the waiters, Juda, kindly recommended we try a local dish called Garudhiya — a simple yet flavorful fish soup made with tuna, onions, garlic, curry leaves, salt, and pepper. Without hesitation, I gave it a try. It was different from what I’m used to, but I truly appreciated the experience and the effort to introduce us to authentic Maldivian cuisine.

What made the dining experience even more special was the personal touch — one night, the chef came out to ask how the food was, especially checking if the vegetarian dishes were okay. It was a warm and thoughtful gesture.

Lastly, I have to rave about their cardamom tea — it was only 10 MVR per glass, but I ended up having at least 4 glasses during my visit. So addictive and comforting!

If you're in the area, Tundi Café is a must-visit — whether you're in the mood for local flavors or familiar favorites, you'll be treated with great food and genuine hospitality. The waitress was a...

Delicious maldivian food and its snacks to enjoy! My family had almost every meals here during 3 short nights in the island! The grilled octopus topped with thick sweet sauce was my favorite, along with delicious healthy moringa vege salad and garlic rice was super tasty. My English husband loved the fish curry. And my little son couldn't enjoy more the simple yet tasty tuna sandwich than anywhere else. We really appreciated the Bangladesh staff treated my boy the chocolate dripping pancakes, and passion fruit, which were ultimately his best food ever! highly recommend this place for anyone looking for delicious food at an affordable price. We will come here again...