Restaurants in Madeira

In Madeira, we could enjoy the rich cookery of the island, too. You can eat really, really well at a very good price, and the local products (meat, fish and fruits) have a great quality.

The restaurants here are very surprising for many reasons: the quality of the food, the kindness of the waiters and the excellent price-quality relation. It’s very easy to find a restaurant where you can order a menu with two dishes and a dessert, and the drinks are included in the price (10 € per person, more or less). This is common in the touristic areas and in the less crowded ones, too. In this post we’ll talk about our particular experience in this journey. That means that you’ll maybe find some other offers as good as that ones, or even better. It won’t be difficult.

You should not miss the fish dishes, the famous “espetadas” (pieces of meat served in a skewer) and also the tropical fruits. We think that it’s nearly impossible to be disappointed with the cookery of the island. ¡Bon proveito!

Restaurants in Funchal

Frutaria Cidade Velha

In this pedestrian street in the fishermen neighborhood you’ll find an open air museum. The doors of the houses have become true pieces of art and the street is full of restaurants and little terraces.

We ate at Frutaria Cidade Velha, where there was a “daily offer” with the day’s catch (bacalhau or swordfish) and an enormous salad. We really finished more than satisfied with the price and the quality. The place is in fact a greengrocer, so we had a spectacular fruit salad as dessert. We were also told that if you want a long coffee you have to order a “Carioca”. But if you like the short coffee, ask for a “Bica”.

Although the street may seem narrow and crowded, the truth is that we had a really peaceful time. 100% recommended.

Restaurant Ilha Kaffe

The restaurant Ilha Kaffe is in the hotel area and, as you’ll see, most of them only offer bed and breakfast. I guess this is to facilitate the wide gastronomic offer of Funchal.

Despite this avenue is plenty of restaurants, this particular one caught our eye for its modern and meticulous design, and also because the waiters didn’t assault us in the middle of the street, like most of the other restaurants do.

The terrace is very peaceful, the staff is nice and polite, and the menu for tourists is pretty complete. There are several main and second dishes of your choice and the price is quite good. If you’re not used to dine a big meal, you’ll find hard to get up from the chair, because the rations have a great size (in fact this is common at most of the restaurants).

Restaurant O Dragoeiro

O Dragoeiro is a restaurant and cocktail bar located at the most touristic area in Funchal: Lido. It’s in an old colonial house and the restaurant opened in 1988. The current owners have preserved the original characteristics, traditions and spirit from the old colonial houses. As an example, as soon as you go inside you’ll see a waiter dressed in period costumes, who will serve to you a glass of sweet wine from Madeira.

The restaurant has a very nice ambience, and the service is excellent and very professional. The fabulous garden offers a great variety of flowers, plants and trees, including an old drago (dragon tree) in the middle. Having dinner in the garden among exotic plants and listening to background music is an anti-stress method, for sure.

The à-la-carte menu has typical and international dishes, including kebabs, black scabbardfish and much more. The desserts including ice cream and tropical fruits are also a truly perdition. No doubt, you’ll be really satisfied and the price and quality are very remarkable.

Other restaurants in Madeira

Porto Moniz – Snack bar Esplanada

This restaurant is right before the famous and touristic natural pools of Porto Moniz, in front of a little bay with a cliff.

It’s a large terrace where you can taste the typical dishes of Madeira. You must be patient, because it’s a touristic place with lots of clients all the time. However the price-quality relation is good and the views to the natural pools with waterfalls make the wait more entertaining.

Ribeira do Faial

Ribera do Faial complex includes a large protected bay which is in fact a natural pool. It also has a restaurant area, changing rooms, help point and a great space to sunbathe. There is a kart circuit near the beach, which is perfect for motor sport lovers.

The day we visited the complex it was cold, windy and cloudy, so we ate inside the restaurant with a panoramic view of the bay. The menu here is larger than others and we could see different dishes, so this is a good option if you’re looking for something distinct. The staff is very kind and they explain to you what every dish is made of, if you need it. The price and quality are quite good. We recommend above all the fish soup.

Porto da Cruz

Here there is a restaurant just by the main parking area of the village, in a little bay with sea views. But instead of eating there we recommend you to go for a little walk through the alleys, to the natural pools. There you’ll find some restaurants with terraces, despite their little size. You’ll understand our advice when you see the amazing views of Cape St. Lawrence.

Here you can eat really well and cheap. The fish is fresh, the meat skewers are delicious and the views… Well, we’ve already said that. Enjoy your meal!

This list of restaurants we ate at is only a little example. I’ll say it again: it’s very easy to find a place where you can eat well at a very good price in Madeira.