Madeira's Best Restaurants: A Local’s Guide to Food and Dining in Portugal's stunning archipelago
As an island far from the Portuguese mainland, Madeira’s culinary tradition is heavily influenced by the sea. Its proximity to the African coast is another major contributor to the cuisine, which creates unique flavors and dishes in Madeiran cooking, making our food rich and distinct from anywhere else in Portugal.
Of course, Madeira also has its Mediterranean influences, so you will certainly never be bored by the food here!
When visiting Madeira, there are a few things to be aware of that will help you have the best experience possible.
In this article, I’ve given a solid foundation for understanding some of the main dishes and principle ingredients of Madeiran cooking, as well as what to expect in terms of service, tipping, and the timing of meals.
After, I share a list of some of the island’s best restaurants as well as my recommendations for must-try dishes at each of them!
For more Madeira travel info, have a look at our Madeira travel guide or this list of 8 Madeira travel tips.
If you could use some help planning your Portugal itinerary and finding out about unique activities and authentic places to visit, consider scheduling a Portugal travel consultation.
More Portugal travel info:
Table of contents
Introduction to dining in Madeira
Timing of meals
Service at restaurants
Tipping
Culinary influences in Madeiran cooking
Typical food in Madeira & dishes to try
The 8 best restaurants in Madeira and what to order at them
Barra Azul - Located in Praia Formosa, Funchal
Santo Antonio - Located in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos
Lareira Portuguesa/Marisqueira - Located in Funchal Hotel area Lido
Sete Mares - Located in Funchal & Câmara de Lobos
Goya - Located in Funchal Hotel area Lido
O Classico - Located in Lido Funchal
Taberna da Poncha - Located in Serra de Água
Lá ao Fundo - Located in the old part of town in Funchal
Dining in Madeira
Timing of meals in Portugal & Madeira
Breakfast is not usually a large meal, and is usually just something light to get your day started.
We sit down for the first meal of the day anytime between 6:00 and 9:00 am. Don’t expect late breakfast or brunch!
Lunch, on the other hand, is the biggest meal of the day for many of us.
Typically eaten from 12:30 to 3:00, this is a leisurely meal, had at a slow pace with ample time to enjoy the food and socialize with friends, family, colleagues, who whoever you’re eating with.
For Dinner, the Portuguese usually eat between 7:00 and 9:00 PM. While this is not as late as in Spain, for example, most of the restaurants don’t even open until 7:00 PM for dinner, so travelers accustomed to eating earlier should expect to adjust their schedule and eat a bit later than usual.
Service at restaurants in Madeira
In all cases, regardless of whether you’re having lunch, dinner, or even just a snack, you should expect the service to be slower and less attentive than you may be used to. This can take some getting used to, particularly for North American travelers.
The service is by no means bad, but as meals here are meant to be leisurely and eaten slowly, your server will not rush you out of the restaurant or bring you your bill unless you ask for it.
Tipping in Portugal & Madeira
Tipping is not included nor do we have a set percentage to give, but it is common to tip in Madeira. If the food is good and the service friendly, tips are highly appreciated and appropriate.
Many people may tell you that tipping is not necessary and that restaurant workers earn a healthy wage, but this is not really true. Staff at restaurants earn among the lowest wages in Portugal and they rely on tips. As such, a tip is always appreciated.
With those practical matters covered, let’s talk about the food!
Madeiran Culinary Influences
As I mentioned above, Madeiran food has a variety of influences: as part of a mediterranean country our cuisine shares similarities with food from Spain or Italy for example, but we’re also an island archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, so our dishes are heavily influenced by the flavors and bounty of the sea.
African cooking also has a strong presence in our food, with the bolo do caco (flatbread) and milho frito (cornmeal mixed with collard greens, water, garlic, lard and olive oil) being two excellent examples of this.
The climate also strongly impacts our food, so in the colder and harsher periods of the year, we eat bread soup to warm us up, and in the past, the wheat and chestnut soup was a hearty and filling staple dish that our sisters/daughters would bring to their fathers and brothers who were working on the land and the levadas.
All of these influences have combined to create a really unique, interesting, and delicious cuisine!
Typical Food of Madeira & Dishes to Try
Sopa de Tomate, a tomato and onion soup with a poached egg, is a very sought-after starter dish here and is especially good when paired with some hearty, toasted bread.
Sopa de Trigo, wheat soup, is a filling winter dish perfect for cold, grey days. The soup is made with wheat, salted pork, cabbage, potatoes and carrots. It can be eaten as a side in a larger meal, or as a standalone main dish, depending on what you’re looking for!
Sopa de Castanhas, chestnut soup, is a similarly robust meal and is primarily found in specific areas of the island. It’s made of sweet chestnuts, potatoes, red beans, carrots and again salted pork. Salted pork is very typical because we used to use salt to preserve our meat as there were no fridges here.
Acorda, our last soup on the list (they’re very popular, as you can see!), is a bread soup and a very acquired taste. Born out of necessity and to reduce waste, this soups uses 2 or 3 day old bread, combined with hot water, salt, a poached egg, olive oil, and thyme. Like the other soups above, it warms you up perfectly on a cold night.
Moving on from soups, let’s get into some fish and meat!
Lapas, known as limpets (small cone-shaped shellfish), are a local shellfish that we typically fry in butter, season with garlic, and sprinkle with lemon juice.
Espada is black scabbard fish mostly found in the waters surrounding the island of Madeira. The filleted fish is usually fried in a batter and accompanied with fried banana and sometimes with a passionfruit sauce.
Carne de Vinho e Alhos is a Christmas dish associated with the pig slaughter that traditionally happened a few weeks before Christmas. A big event, everyone in the village would attend.
This dish is made of pork marinated for three days in white wine, vinegar, salt and pepper, and then cooked with small potatoes, sliced carrots and turnip. It is a treat!
Espetada is another meat dish which is beef on a skewer, seasoned with salt, garlic and laurel leaf, then grilled over an open fire.
This was a dish typically made during the local festivities, but now it’s commonly found in restaurants too.
Picado is cubed beef in a sauce with mushrooms. Its usually accompanied by french fries.
Now onto our fabulous side dishes and desserts!
Milho frito is best described as a firm, fried polenta. It originally comes from a porridge made of ground sweetcorn, sliced cabbage, garlic, olive oil and salt cooked for more than an hour and then cooled off before being sliced and fried. It accompanies dishes like the Espetada.
Bolo do Caco is a traditional round, flat bread with garlic and parsley butter.
Like everywhere else, we also love our desserts, so here are a few that I especially enjoy!
Passionfruit is commonly used in many desserts because of the fruit’s abundance here, and the puddings and soufflés that incorporate it are divine.
Queijada is a pastry made with local cheese that can be found in most pastry shops.
Nikita is a cocktail made with vanilla ice cream, white wine, beer, a piece of pineapple and a local passionfruit soft drink. As you can tell, this is a totally unique drink and something that every visitor absolutely has to try.
Poncha is a local cocktail made from sugarcane rum, honey and lemon juice. Poncha comes in many different flavors, and I strongly recommend that you try one with a passionfruit base.
*Now that you know what to expect from our food, keep reading below for my recommendations on the best restaurants to try all these dishes at!
The Best Local Restaurants in Madeira
If you’ve made it this far, you now know what our food is like, but you still don’t know where to get it. Let’s change that!
Below I’ve shared 8 of my favorite restaurants in Madeira, what I love about them, and what some of the must-try dishes at them are.
I’ve tried to mix in different kinds of eateries, so you’ll find some higher-end restaurants, local family-run ones, hole in the walls, and everything in between. What they all have in common is the fantastic food. Enjoy!
1. Barra Azul
Praia Formosa Funchal
Situated in Praia Formosa, an upscale and fashionable area, the restaurant is in a lovely wooden restructure right on the only public beach in Funchal.
The outdoor dining area overlooks the beach, and lends an airy, casual vibe to the restaurant. If you feel like having a swim before or after your meal, this is a great choice!
What to order:
Limpets, picados of beef, octopus and squid, espada (black scabbard fish) with banana
Find it on Google Maps here.
2. Santo Antonio
Estreito de Câmara de Lobos.
Located in Câmara de Lobos, high up in the mountains amongst the malmsey Madeira wine vines, you couldn’t ask for a better location. The route up to the restaurant is very picturesque, so just getting here is a lovely experience.
The restaurant doesn’t have an outdoor space, but the dining area is huge and every table has plenty of space for the ample portions its diners will receive. A mostly casual space, the restaurant is often filled with locals having a meal with their families.
What to order
Here, the Espetada (beef on the skewer seasoned with garlic, salt and laurel leaf and grilled over an open fire to taste) is king.
There are also chicken skewers, which are usually accompanied by milho frito (fried polenta), a green salad or french fries.
Find it on Google Maps here.
3. Lareira Portuguesa / Marisqueira
Hotel area Lido Funchal
Squarely in the middle of Funchal’s hotel zone, the restaurant is surrounded by activity and entertainment options.
A large establishment itself, the restaurant has two floors with different atmospheres and dining options: the top floor is more casual and is primarily focused on meat dishes, while the bottom floor is darker, intimate, and more formal, and serves mainly fish. Either floor is a good option for dates, but for a special occasion the lower level is especially nice.
What to order
Meat and Fish are the stars of the show here, but I would recommend opting for fish, especially the tuna dishes which are excellent when in season. If you prefer meat, the spring chicken is an excellent choice.
Find it on Google Maps here.
4. Sete Mares
Funchal & Câmara de Lobos
Sete Mares now has two locations, so you can pick which one to go to based on what type of atmosphere you’re looking for. One of the restaurants is on the port side of Funchal, just under the CR hotel, and boasts a spectacular view over the port and the city. For ambience, this is hard to beat.
The other location is situated right in the city centre of Câmara de Lobos, amongst the traditional local taverns and about 20m away from the bay. The interior of both restaurants is lovely, with nautical themes, and breezy outdoor spaces.
What to order
They are very well known for the tomato and onion soup with poached egg, the limpets, and their picados.
Their prego (a typical Portuguese sandwich) is with beef steak and served on the traditional bolo do caco bread, and can have lots of different toppings added to your liking.
They also have excellent cocktails : poncha (lemon juice, honey, and sugarcane rum) and Nikita (made of vanilla ice cream, passionfruit softdrink, white wine, beer and a piece of pineapple) are the two I would recommend.
Find it on Google Maps here.
5. Goya
Hotel area Lido Funchal
Right in the center of the hotel zone and very close to the seaside promenade, the beautiful, elegant interior is what makes this restaurant special.
It’s classical and tastefully decorated and is the perfect spot for a date or special occasion.
What to order
This is a fine dining establishment, and just about everything on the menu is excellent. Their passionfruit soufflé is among the best on the island.
Find it on Google Maps here.
6. O Classico
Lido Funchal
Located inside of the Duas Torres hotel and with stunning views overlooking the Atlantic ocean, the view here is simply incredible.
The food is excellent, the service is great, and Chef Manuel makes it a point to visit the tables to chat, check on the food, and get feedback.
What to order
If you enjoy fish, they always have the freshest seafood and delightful daily specials. They’re very well known for their octopus dishes, but also squid, and platters of mixed fish.
They have a good selection of meat dishes as well, so if someone in your party doesn’t like seafood they will still have plenty of options.
Find it on Google Maps here.
7. Taberna da Poncha
Serra de Água
This is a bit of a drive out from Funchal (about 30 minutes), but it’s well worth the journey.
Nestled in the Serra de Água (the mountain of water) the tavern has stunning views over the mountains, and if you continue on a little further, you’ll enter the Laurel Forest, which is a world heritage site. You can easily combine a visit here with some time spent in the mountains and forest.
The taberna itself is a very casual place. The floor is usually filled with peanut shells as peanuts are served to accompany every drink.
The food is good, not spectacular, but you should really come here for the atmosphere and the drinks more than anything else. There are also 2 outdoor spaces, so it’s especially pleasant to be here on nice days.
What to order
The Poncha is the most famous cocktail on the island and is very well prepared here. Be sure to try the fisherman’s and passionfruit ponchas if you want something a bit different.
They do an interesting twist on the traditional Nikita, so I highly recommend trying one of these as well.
Find it on Google Maps here.
8. Lá ao Fundo
Old part of town, Funchal
Our last restaurant on the list takes us into the heart of Funchal’s old part of town, down a cobblestone street lit up by the colorfully painted doors of the surrounding buildings.
A short walk from here will take you to a small rocky beach and the fort of Saint James. Inside, the restaurant is rustic, with stone walls and a cosy atmosphere perfect for dates and special occasions. It’s fairly casual during lunchtime and gets a bit more formal in the evening.
What to order
This is typical Madeiran food with a twist. You’ll see many of our staple dishes on the menu, but each has a unique flavor or addition.
The African and Indian culinary influence is also evident in the food here, so this will be a nice change of pace from many of the other restaurants that you’ll visit during a trip here.
Find it on Google Maps here.
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