Award-winning Danish chef Jesper Koch returns to Vakkaru Maldives from 26 October to 5 November 2026, bringing his distinctive Nordic culinary perspective to the island for a series of intimate dining experiences at Vakkaru Reserve.
His return follows an initial visit in July, when nearly two weeks spent alongside Vakkaru’s culinary and service teams became an exchange of ideas, techniques and perspectives. That collaboration now moves from the kitchen to the table, with three five-course tasting-menu evenings on 29 October, 1 November and 3 November.
For each dinner, Chef Jesper will work alongside the resort’s culinary team to bring together his Danish and Nordic roots with the character of the Maldives. Local ingredients, produce harvested from Vakkaru’s Organic Farm, locally sourced seafood and regional influences will find their place across the menus, incorporated where they naturally complement each dish. Wine and non-alcoholic pairing options are also being developed to accompany the experience.
The setting adds another layer. The dinners will unfold within Vakkaru Reserve, the resort’s award-winning wine cellar, home to 680 Old and New World labels and recognised with Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence for six consecutive years. Surrounded by an exceptional collection of vintages, the intimate space provides a fitting backdrop for evenings centred on flavour, conversation and the meeting of two culinary perspectives.
The programme opens on 27 October with a cocktail reception, giving guests an opportunity to meet Chef Jesper before the tasting-menu series begins.
With more than three decades across gastronomy, hospitality and entrepreneurship, Chef Jesper is regarded as one of Denmark’s influential culinary figures. His career includes leading Restaurant Syttende to Michelin recognition, being named Danish Chef of the Year, representing Denmark at the Bocuse d’Or, receiving an Honorary Diploma from the Danish Gastronomic Academy and recognition as Chef’s Chef by the Danish Gastronomy Foundation. He is also widely known as a long-standing judge on the Danish edition of MasterChef.
Set within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll, Vakkaru Maldives continues to bring international culinary talent into conversation with the island’s own ingredients, setting and team. Chef Jesper’s return takes that exchange one step further, translating a collaboration that began behind the scenes into three evenings created to be experienced at the table.
