Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort’s signature Italian restaurant ‘Il Mare’ has become the first and only restaurant in Sri Lanka to earn the highly coveted ‘Restaurant Award ' from prestigious Wine Spectator magazine.

Wine Spectator magazine is regarded worldwide as a leading guide to the world's best wines. The title’s annual Restaurant Awards recognise restaurants that show passion and commitment when it comes to wine. This year, 3,595 restaurants from 72 countries were honoured for their outstanding wine programmes, with Il Mare the only – and first ever – restaurant to be awarded in Sri Lanka.

Winners of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence match wines to their menus thematically, and Il Mare’s choices are no exception. For Il Mare, the fine-dining and wine offerings are not the only significant highlights of the restaurant. Perched dramatically on the cliff edge, overlooking the Indian Ocean, Il Mare features an elegant dining room and spacious outdoor deck. The panoramic ocean view reveals a captivating scene of swaying coconut palms and waves crashing against rocks.

The delicious menu transforms the local fishermen’s catches and gourmet Mediterranean ingredients into classic antipasti selections, flavoursome seafood and meat dishes, pizzas and pastas made to order at a live culinary station and signature specials, complemented by a world class collection of wine. Authentic Italian desserts such as tiramisu and panna cotta, along with exotic flambéed sweets like pineapple with dark rum, honey, cinnamon and vanilla ice cream, tempt even the most jaded palette.

Opened in December 2015, Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle is the first luxury international resort in Sri Lanka offering travellers a new chapter in unmatched amenities and hospitality. The resort comprises 152 guest rooms and pool villas, set amidst a 21-acre coconut plantation that opens onto a golden sweep of beach and the warm Indian Ocean. Located in Tangalle on Sri Lanka’s southernmost shore, the resort is reachable by a scenic 40-minute sea-plane flight from Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport or luxury Hybrid SUV transfer.

For more information, visit www.anantara.com