If like me you like to wander out looking for somewhere to have dinner in the evening, or if you are super organised and you like to book ahead (I recommend the Fork as a booking platform in Madeira) it is useful to break Funchal’s very vibrant dining scene into a number of discrete “quarters”, Five in this case, I know…..
My mental map is based on the following quarters, Downtown Funchal, Sea front Funchal, Old town Funchal (Zona Velha), The Savoy, Carlton and Casino district around the Rua da Imprezza Dona Amelia and The hotel district.
Funchal’s dining scene is vibrant and restaurants do come and go, others have been there as long as I have been visiting Funchal, so lets dive in.
Cafe’s on Avenue Arriage
Downtown Funchal is characterised by a considerable number of pavement café come restaurants, offering drinks and lighter meals on busy pavements. There are a procession of such cafes on Avenue Arriage as it runs along to the Cathedral at Se The Theatre Café (outside Madeira’s smaller replica of the famous la Scala Theatre), to The Ritz café with its lovely tiling, and onto the famous Golden Gate café, from which you can gaze up to the statue of Zarco, Madeira’s founder. Walking on and turning right in front of the Cathedral is a wide pedestrianised road named after Dr Antonio Jose de Almeida (a former President of Portugal) there a several more bars and cafes lining this attractive and lively street.
Some very talented street Musicians often play here (by the Cathedral) and many of the Cafe’s have live music as well.
The coffee in Madeira is excellent, A bica is a Portuguese espresso, and very good it is too. Most of the café bars have extensive menus, Omelettes are very good, the Madeirans being great egg lovers. Soups are good lunchtime options as well. Freshly made tomato soup with a poached egg in, is just wonderful. The fish soups can be very flavoursome as well. Salads reflect the fresh vegetables grown on the island and fruit is often added to salad dishes. Pastal da Nata’s are ubiquitous and obligatory in my view..
Hidden gems
Other cafe’s and restaurants (many open only in the evening) are dotted around Funchal and several are worth hunting out. In the central park, (Jardim Municipal) which you can view from the Ritz, behind a line of taxi’s you will find a series of small craft stalls, an open air amphitheatre and a very good little café. On the corner opposite the park on R. Ivens is Restaurante do Combatentes, which is very good indeed, a long established restaurant and justifiably so. Blandy’s atmospheric bistro 1811 is also nearby.
Following Avenue Zarco walking towards the sea front (and in front of the imposing fort de San Lourenco) are a number of restaurants, but off to the left in a narrow alley is Akua (a siter restaurant to Kampo) which is hugely popular.
The busy Rua da Se and the lovely Parca de Colombo
If, facing Se Cathedral (with the popular Apolo Café behind you) you walk down Rua da Se, passing the cathedral on your left you will arrive at one of my favourite squares or “places” Parca de Colombo. Here there is a museum to Madeira’s once thriving sugar industry and a wonderful café specialising in teas of the world. The square is delightful, the tea equally so. The very famous Kampo restaurant is on this square. Booking very much advised. This is super cool restaurant, you can book stools at the counter and watch the chef’s at work. Very impressive.
Exiting Parca de Colombo via the narrow alleyway Rua da Alfandega (passing the excellent Perola wine shop) you will see the sign for Amazem do Sal, – The Salt Cellar on your left. And indeed it was once a salt cellar, tucked up a narrow alley with some tables and chairs for outdoor dining as well as the atmospheric former salt cellar. Excellent for lunch – very popular with Madeira’s business folk and equally good for dinner. Ask for the specific lunchtime menu and the squid is a delight.
The streets off and around Parca de Colombo are dotted with bars (including some good Poncha bars, ideal for trying “bar made” Poncha, Madeira’s rum led high octane cocktail). There are also a number of new style boutique hotels in downtown Funchal.
Instead of walking to Parca de Colombo, instead walk with the Cathedral to your right on Rua do Aljube, passing Zara on your left and the truly amazing Bazar do Povo (Funchal’s department store with a difference) crossing 2 busy roads in quick succession turn right into the pedestrianised Rua Dr Fernao de Ornelas (a famous Mayor of Funchal who did much to modernise the city in the 20th Century). This is probably Funchal’s busiest shopping street, but it is also peppered with snack bars serving Madeira style dare I say it “street foods”.
Street foods
The most popular street food appears to be Bolo do Caco com Chourico, a sweet potato bread with pieces of sliced Portuguese Chourico folded in, usually baked on a hot basalt stone slab. The paprika oils from the Chourico oozes into the bread giving a delightful flavour. Bolo do Caco is used for a range of sandwiches including Prego – a simple steak and garlic butter sandwich, Bifana which is thinly sliced marinated pork – in white wine, garlic and paprika and then gently simmered till cooked and tender in a Bolo do Caco.
Fish sandwiches using Bolo do Caco include Espada fish goujons/fingers or Tuna marinated/pickled in vinegar, onion and garlic (Atum de Escabeche). Grilled octopus Bolo do Caco sandwiches are not uncommon and of course burgers have been given the Bolo do Caco treatment as well.
Mercado dos Lavradores
At the end of Rua Dr Fernao de Ornelas is Funchal’s delightful, colourful and enticing market building – Mercado dos Lavradores (farmers’ market), it is as much a fish market as a farmers market. Non the less it is busy and great fun. There are naturally a number of bars dotted around, and a rooftop cafe – the garden terrace which is very pleasant indeed. Wandering the market is great fun and samples of local produce are offered for tasting. Who needs lunch?
The market forms the jumping off point for our next quarter -Funchal’s Old Town or Zona Velha.
This guide is based on personal experience and as such cannot guarantee the quality of any restaurant mentioned.