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This excellent coffee shop has a few branches across Funchal, but the best has to be the one on Rua da Conceição, where chairs spill out onto an unnamed square that's cobbled in black and white stripes. Small tables under shady parasols provide the perfect rest stop to grab a bica (espresso) and a pastel de nata (custard tart); step inside and you'll see row upon row of neatly presented cakes and tarts laid out in the chilled counters like gems in a jewelry box.
Rua da Conceição Praça do Carmo 49, Funchal, Madeira, 9050-026, Portugal
Known For
- On a quiet square away from the main thoroughfare
- Dazzling array of traditional pastries and desserts
- Some of the best coffee in town
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The best seats in this intimate restaurant are at the counter in front of the open kitchen, where you can watch the talented young chefs work their magic with local seafood. Though there are a couple of meat items on the menu, fish is the star, with complex yet delicious flavors and beautiful presentations. Both the small plates as well as the more substantial fish and rice dishes are perfect for sharing.
Rua dos Murças 6, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-058, Portugal
Known For
- Delicious house-made sourdough bread
- Superlative creamy carabinieri (prawns) and seafood rice, and codfish tacos
- Attentive and knowledgeable service
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A café by day and bar by night, Barreirinha is popular with the locals no matter what time of day you visit. This is partly thanks to its menu of easy-to-eat items like burgers, sandwiches, burritos, and salads, and partly due to its location on a hillside with small outside tables on the terrace overlooking the ocean; huge white parasols shade you from the Madeiran sun while local musicians keep the atmosphere lively.
Largo do Socorro 1, Funchal, Madeira, 9060-305, Portugal
Known For
- Amazing ocean views from the shady terrace
- Delicious range of local sandwiches
- Plenty of ice-cold beer
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Seated on the 16th floor of the Savoy Palace, in a cozy room with painted ceilings, you’ll feel like you’re dining under the stars—and the food will truly transport you to another world. Chef Carlos Gonçalves serves up innovative five- to seven-course tasting menus (à la carte is also available) using local ingredients but with a twist—think traditional cozido panelo (vegetables and sausage) transformed into tasty tacos and creamy rice with nori seaweed and lemon purée.
Av. do Infante 23, Funchal, Madeira, 9004-542, Portugal
Known For
- Inventive tasting menus
- Wonderful Portuguese wine pairings
- Creative desserts using local fruits, such as pineapples and bananas
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch
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It's best to make reservations or arrive early to bag an outdoor table at this cozy, traditional restaurant in the heart of the old town, where they start you off with a complimentary shot of Madeira. The family-run restaurant offers simple yet delicious local food such as expertly grilled limpets, top-quality steaks, and some of the best grilled fish in town.
Rua de Santa Maria 131, Funchal, Madeira, 9060-291, Portugal
Known For
- Servers happily show off the freshest fish of the day
- Rustic stone-walled dining room
- Breezy tables out front
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Located within the Cliff Bay Hotel, this upscale restaurant serves ambitious, high-end tasting menus, with prices to match. Views are lovely from both the contemporary dining room and the terrace, dishes are presented as works of art, and the extensive wine list showcases bottles from around the world (the excellent sommelier is happy to pair each course with top Portuguese wine, if you choose).
Estrada Monumental 147, Funchal, Madeira, 9004-532, Portugal
Known For
- Ingredients from Madeira and the restaurant's own gardens
- One of the area's best views
- Wide-ranging wine selections
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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A classic spot to sit back and relax, this quaint tea shop specializes in various herbal and fruit teas, as well as coffees, cakes, and light lunches, that you can enjoy at outdoor tables facing a pretty square. You can pick up teas to take home, too.
Rua do Sabão 33–35, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-056, Portugal
Known For
- 130 different types of teas and infusions
- Quaint setting in Praça Colombo
- Tasty toasted sandwiches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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For the most unique dining experience in Madeira, head to the ground floor of a nondescript shopping mall, where you’ll enter into another world—one only experienced by six lucky diners at a time, who sit communally at one long table. Self-taught Swiss-born chef-owner Selim Latrous, who spent many years in Southeast Asia, incorporates Thai and Indian flavors into his five-course tasting menus; friendly sommelier Christian pairs every dish with unique drinks (either alcoholic or non) while Selim shares the story behind each dish, making for an entertaining and culinarily satisfying evening you won’t soon forget.
Av. do Infante, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-015, Portugal
Known For
- Beautifully presented surprise menus
- Ingredients foraged from throughout Madeira
- Delightful beverage pairings, including poncha and stout beer
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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You'll find this striking restaurant on the rooftop of The Vine Hotel, where at night the city sparkles below. The name comes from the Portuguese word for "grape," so it's no surprise that wine takes center stage here, with an excellent selection of local vintages that the waiters can confidently talk you through.
Rua dos Aranhas 27-A, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-044, Portugal
Known For
- Creative dishes using local ingredients
- Spectacular views from the huge windows
- Delicious wines from Madeira and Portugal
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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Set inside a former salt warehouse, this fashionable restaurant with bare brick walls and a few outdoor tables serves immaculately presented contemporary renderings of Madeiran and Portuguese dishes like black scabbard fish with lime risotto and vegetables from the garden. À la carte lunch and dinner menus are a good deal.
Rua da Alfandega 135, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-059, Portugal
Known For
- Delicious "gastronomic tour" set menu with wine pairings
- Serves the best of local seafood
- Seasonal produce from local suppliers
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.
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This restaurant—wedged into a restored house in the hotel zone around the corner from the Cliff Bay Resort—has lavish tile work, hand-painted murals, and a bar that resembles one of Santana's thatch-roof dwellings. The menu is heavy on fresh seafood (trussed lobsters float in a tank by the door) and regional dishes (including espada served many ways, such as with tropical fruit or shrimp), as well as tornedo (meat on a skewer), the house specialty—and, if you're tired of Madeiran food, pizzas.
Estrada Monumental 153, Funchal, Madeira, 9000, Portugal
Known For
- Expertly prepared tuna steaks
- Elegant checkered tables
- Live seafood "aquarium"
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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In the tiled dining room of this well-established restaurant, exuberant floral arrangements, white-lace curtains, and green tablecloths rustle gently in the breeze of ceiling fans, while outdoor tables are set beneath a leafy trellis. The food is prepared with great care, and menus change every few months; starters feature seafood dishes like swordfish carpaccio and mains include pastas, grilled fish, and Chateaubriand.
Rua Imperatriz D. Amelia 69, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-018, Portugal
Known For
- Beautiful open-air dining area
- Grilled scabbard fish is a specialty
- Old-world atmosphere
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Just across from the tourist office in the heart of Funchal, this restaurant-café has been open for business off and on since 1814; sit in the airy interior, capture one of the tables that flank the sidewalk, or—even better—bag a seat on the balcony. You can pop in for coffee, light local specialties, or British-style afternoon tea, or settle in for a feast of (somewhat pricey) Portuguese dishes.
Av. Arriaga 29, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-006, Portugal
Known For
- Sophisticated historical setting
- Decadent cakes and coffee
- Golden Gate dessert with walnut ice cream, roasted pineapple, and mango salsa
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This is one of Funchal's coolest café-bars; it's a great spot to hole up for a coffee, cocktail, or even a full meal. Nestled behind the Museu de Arte Sacra, there's outdoor seating facing the delightful main square.
Praca do Município 85, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-043, Portugal
Known For
- Tasty sandwiches
- Large selection of drinks (both non-alcoholic and alcoholic)
- Occasional live music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sat. and Sun.
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Traditional Portuguese cooking seems right at home amid the farmhouse decor at this casual spot on a narrow lane near The Vine Hotel. The dining room fills up with business executives enjoying a relaxing lunch and a mix of celebrating visitors and locals at dinner.
Rua das Aranhas 22, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-044, Portugal
Known For
- Stucco walls, beamed ceilings, and huge tapestries
- A range of excellent octopus dishes
- Algarve-style cataplanas, seafood stews served in copper-lidded pots
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.
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The inexpensive lunch specials at this streamlined dining room, just behind the municipal gardens, are popular with Funchal's businesspeople. Big portions of simple Madeiran cooking, such as espada, tuna, and grilled pork chops, are served with milho frito (corn fritters filled with garlicky collard greens); for something lighter, try the sopa de tomate e cebola com ovo (tomato and onion soup, garnished with a poached egg).
Rua de São Francisco 1, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-046, Portugal
Known For
- Reasonably priced plates
- Straightforward Madeiran food
- Friendly staff
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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At this formal restaurant in the lovely Quinta da Casa Branca, you can sit beneath ornate chandeliers in the elegant restaurant or dine outside on the beautiful terrace. The menu is not extensive, but dishes such as herb-crusted lamb with chestnuts and eucalyptus are prepared with care using fresh local ingredients; opt for three- or four-course menus with wine pairings, or order à la carte.
Rua da Casa Branca 7, Funchal, Madeira, 9000-088, Portugal
Known For
- Historic manor house is one of the prettiest spots in town
- Peaceful garden views
- Mix of local and international seafoods and meats
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch