Must-see restaurants in Madeira

  • Regional Flavours

    Funchal

    Take a superb location on pedestrianised Rua da Carreira, a team plucked from top Madeiran restaurants and an inspired owner, and the result is one of the…

  • Quinta do Furão

    Madeira

    Stylishly rustic, this excellent hotel-restaurant sets the highest standards on the north coast. Wonderfully imaginative gourmet dishes, such as cream of…

  • Gavião Novo

    Funchal

    Madeira's top seafood restaurant is an intimate affair at the heart of the Zona Velha, attracting tourists, locals and Portuguese rich and famous, who…

  • Il Gallo d'Oro

    Funchal

    Two Michelin stars shine brightly from the kitchen of chef Benoît Sinthon, who supplies very well-heeled diners with aromatic Mediterranean and gourmet…

  • Armazém do Sal

    Funchal

    Housed in an old stone-and-dark-beamed salt store, this is one of the city centre's best restaurants with a different menu to most of its competitors…

  • Dona Amélia

    Funchal

    This little piece of elegant old Funchal has somehow survived amid the expanding concrete of this part of the Hotel Zone, offering Michelin-reviewed but…

  • Casa Madeirense

    Funchal

    A Hotel Zone original that predates most of what's around it, this delightfully kitschsy Madeiran restaurant set in an ancient stone house is tastefully…

  • Atlantis

    Madeira

    The aptly named Atlantis looks as though it's risen from the waves and clamped itself to the cliffside above the suntrap beach below the Galomar Hotel…

  • Vila do Peixe

    Madeira

    This contemporary place is Câmara de Lobos' best seafood restaurant, offering the highest quality Madeiran fare. The fish, including parrot fish, red…

  • Tasca Literária

    Funchal

    The slightly obscure theme here is famous visitors to Madeira (mostly Portuguese celebs), but with a blood-red and basalt interior and black-and-white…

  • Estrela do Norte

    Madeira

    The 'Northern Star' seats 145 at formally laid, tightly packed tables, onto which waitresses plonk the mainstays of Madeiran cuisine such as espada …

  • Cachelote

    Madeira

    Around since the late 1960s, the 'Whale' wins the prize for Madeira's craziest restaurant location, sitting atop the crumbly volcanic rock on Port Moniz…

  • Quebra Mar

    Madeira

    Located on São Vicente seafront, the town's best restaurant serves up 360-degree views of the coast and seascape (the dining room actually revolves slowly…

  • Vila da Carne

    Madeira

    The sister restaurant of Vila do Peixe is the 'House of Meat', a clean-cut eatery specialising in traditional espetada (chunks of beef covered in salt,…

  • La Perla

    Madeira

    Occupying the original 19th-century mansion house at the Quinta Splendida, this gourmet restaurant serves the most exquisite meals on this stretch of the…

  • Casa de Abrigo do Poiso

    Madeira

    At the turn off on the ER103 for Pico do Arieiro, this rustic mountain refuge plates up Portuguese and Madeiran favourites in a welcoming, slightly old…

  • O Avô

    Funchal

    Outside the tables are dressed in traditional Madeiran stripes, inside Europe's largest collection of football scarves hangs from the ceiling while 1000…

  • Quinta da Casa Branca

    Funchal

    For a bit of olde-worlde elegance, head to the dining room of this quinta hotel, all Turkish carpets, antique lamps and starched tablecloths. Venison…

  • Boho Bistrô

    Funchal

    Fusion isn't a word used often in Madeiran dining (bananas don't fuse that well), but this funky little urban bistro is attempting something never before…

  • Restaurante Ribeiro Frio

    Madeira

    This cosy pre- or post-levada-hike refuge is good for a full-blown, calorie-replacing meal, or coffee and cakes while you wait for the bus back to Funchal…

  • Muralha

    Madeira

    This crimson box and terrace set high above the bay is a relaxed place to end the day. The menu is a mixed bag of grilled meat and fish – the Madeiran…

  • Sabores do Curral

    Madeira

    The 'Flavours of Curral' is the pinnacle of the dining scene in this tourist hotspot. After admiring one of the most gob-smacking, cliff-edge views you'll…

  • Cantinho da Serra

    Madeira

    Located a five-minute drive from Santana heading towards Achada do Teixeira, this rustic inn creates a cosy atmosphere with its real log fires, hearty…

  • Ilhéu

    Madeira

    All bare walls, exposed lightbulbs and stylised azulejos (hand-painted tiles), the most recent addition to the Câmara de Lobos dining scene is this…

  • Restaurante dos Combatentes

    Funchal

    No-nonsense, family-run option at one corner of the Jardim Municipal serving scabbardfish, espetada (barbecued beef on a skewer), lots of seafood and a…

  • Pau de Canela

    Funchal

    Old-skool bakery-cafe next to the Mercado dos Lavradores, usually inhabited by working-class Funchalese families, market workers and the odd pigeon, all…

  • Londres

    Funchal

    One of the original tourist restaurants around since 1976, the 'London' has a bright, simple no-frills dining room where you can enjoy the classics of…

  • O Celeiro

    Funchal

    One of Funchal's oldest places to fill the hole, 'the barn' tries to live up to its name with rural knick-knackery adorning the walls, but is otherwise a…

  • Convento das Vinhas

    Madeira

    Perched high above Calheta, this family-run place, not far from the Mudas Museu, serves up excellent food with a hefty side of panoramic views. Madeiran…

  • Ferro Velho

    Madeira

    A long-standing pub-restaurant in the cobbled streets of old São Vicente, this is the best place to cradle a Corral in the evenings if you're not driving…

  • Boca de Panela

    Madeira

    Arguably Santa Cruz's best place to dine, this mid-naughties block near the aquapark has floor-to-ceiling plate-glass windows providing ocean views and an…

  • A Central

    Madeira

    A smoky aroma of grilling meat wafts from the door of this central Caniço churrascaria (traditional grill). Meat and fish, expertly barbecued on acacia…

  • Quinta da Serra

    Madeira

    The French chef at this luxury hotel restaurant in the settlement of Jardim da Serra (north of Câmara de Lobos) cooks up an imaginative, international…

  • Santa Maria

    Funchal

    This snazzy, minimalist restaurant belonging to a great Zona Velha hostel serves up lobster, fish burgers, local limpets and sushi on square plates. The…

  • Doca do Cavacas

    Funchal

    One of Funchal's best seafood restaurants is Doca do Cavacas, which juts out of the volcanic rock like an ocean-going liner. The semicircular glazed…

  • Riso

    Funchal

    The menu at this restaurant abutting the Fortaleza de Santiago is a rice-themed trip around the world. Every dish (even the desserts) contains basmati,…

  • A Confeitaria

    Funchal

    This superb busy bakery with waiter service, opposite the casino, sells cakes and pastries all produced on the premises, plus coffees for €1. Freshness…

  • Hamburgueria do Mercado

    Funchal

    Humongous gourmet burgers are the dining attraction at this joint. The interior is all white gloss and turquoise wallpaper and the staff are very friendly…

  • The Snug

    Funchal

    Minimalist, hip and innovative, this recently renamed bar-cafe at the entrance to the Armazém do Mercado is a great place for a bite to eat after perusing…

  • Restaurante Grutas

    Madeira

    Madeira's only cave-based eatery is this snack bar-restaurant en route from Faial to points south, selling Madeiran and international food. It's a fun…