funchal-restaurants
· ·

The Best Restaurants in Funchal Madeira – Ranked & Reviewed

If you’re looking for the best restaurants in Funchal Madeira, then this is the guide you need! Funchal is the charming capital of Madeira Island with many great places to eat. Find out where to get the best breakfast in Funchal. Or, try some of the great vegetarian restaurants and top restaurants in Funchal to have dinner. The food in Madeira is generally focussed on meat with the famous espetada as must must-try if you’re a meat lover. But there are also great places to eat sushi in Funchal or to enjoy a fine dining experience with wonderful ocean views. Let’s dive into the best restaurants in Funchal on Madeira Island! 

All our photos are reserved for copyright. We don’t allow the usage of our pictures for informational or commercial purposes. If you want to use our pictures, you can buy a license. Contact us by email for more information to prevent legal problems. 

13 Best Restaurants in Funchal Madeira

Best restaurants in Funchal Madeira for lunch & breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it’s the first food of the day you fuel your body with. For a day of exploring Madeira Island or Funchal, you’ll need a good base to get going. Expect to walk a lot on Madeira, so eat breakfast like a king! There are a few restaurants in Funchal where we love to eat breakfast or have lunch.

The Best restaurants in Funchal Madeira with vegan options

The restaurants listed below are not only great for breakfast and lunch in Funchal, but they also offer vegan options on the menu. One of them is even a completely vegan restaurant.

1. Prima Caju

Prima Caju is one of our favorite restaurants in Funchal to eat breakfast or lunch. Their incredibly stylish interior is super Instagrammable with lots of jungle plants around. If you want to you can also sit outside. With a super healthy but tasty menu, this is your go-to spot if you love smoothie bowls, want vegan options, or a super tasty bowl filled with veggies, salmon or chicken, and rice or couscous.

Prima Caju is located on the ground floor of the Hotel Caju Le Petit Hotel, but you won’t notice that. We particularly liked the smoothie bowls, the Prima bowl with Thai chicken, and the Meraki bowl with salmon. If you’re in for a sweet dessert or snack, the pancakes of Prima Caju are also highly recommended! This is one of the best restaurants in Funchal on Madeira and it will never disappoint you for a healthy but tasty brekkie or lunch!

prima-caju-interior
prima-caju-smoothiebowl
prima-caju-bowl
prima-caju-pancakes

2. The Loft

Located in the São Martinho district, this is one of the more hip cafes in this area. With a retro 80’s 80-style interior, The Loft sets the vibe with relaxing music and friendly staff. Their varied menu has a selection of savory breakfast options, salads, or a great Açai smoothie bowl for the sweet tooth. The Loft offers pretty big plates for a reasonable price. The choice of egg dishes is varied but their menu also has vegan options. Great place for brunch, definitely worth a try! 

loft-funchal-restaurant
loft-funchal-restaurant-food

3. Three House Hotel Restaurant

On top of the Oudinot building, The Three House offers an endless panoramic view over Funchal City and the Atlantic Ocean with great food and cocktails. It’s a hotel, but outside guests can eat at the restaurant as well. Their stylish and Instagramable rooftop bar with a swimming pool invites you to enjoy this place for not only a quick breakfast or lunch. You can see they have an eye for detail in the selection of their menu, presentation, and color combination of the interior. The Three House provides some of the best rooftop bars and restaurants in Funchal with an extensive contemporary menu and a beautiful presentation of the food. 

three-house-funchal
three-house-funchal-restaurant-coffee
three-house-funchal-restaurant-food
three-house-funchal-swimmingpool

4. It’s Fresh by the Snug 

Tucked away in one of the streets close to the Farmers Market you will find this cute restaurant in Funchal. With the tropical feel interior, It’s Fresh provides a great variety of colorful poke bowls, smoothie bowls, and all sorts of wraps and toasted bread. It’s next to The Snug and part of that restaurant. We liked the poke bowls here. This place is worth a stop to grab some food in Funchal and deserves a spot in this list of the best restaurants in Funchal Madeira!  

its-fresh-funchal-smoothiebowl
its-fresh-funchal-pokebowl

5. O. Giro Churros & Paninis 

In the heart of Funchal center is the cute restaurant O. Giro Churros & Paninis located. It’s on the same street as Prima Caju and offers great paninis, salads, wraps, and churros for the sweet tooth. The portions are pretty big with reasonable prices and the fries that come with the sandwiches are amazing! Absolutely a great spot for lunch in Funchal with indoor and outdoor seating. 

ogiro-funchal-restaurant
ogiro-funchal-restaurant-panini

6. Mundo Vegan

Mundo Vegan is just like The Loft located in the São Martinho district. This Vegan restaurant in Funchal offers a variety of hot and cold dishes such as vegan pancakes, colorful salad bowls, pasta, burgers, and risotto. For the sweet tooth, there are cakes, smoothies, and fresh juices available. If you’re vegan this is a great restaurant in Funchal to have a meal. But if you’re spoiled like us with the incredible vegan food in Bali, then Mundo Vegan can’t beat that. However, the food is pretty good and of course very healthy! There is only indoor seating available but we didn’t find the interior a warm or cosy feeling. The chairs were also a bit uncomfortable to sit on.

mundo-vegan-funchal
mundo-vegan-funchal-burger

Best restaurants in Funchal Portugal for dinner

Whatever you like to eat for dinner in Funchal, there are plenty of options to choose from. Depending on your budget and taste, you can go for the affordable restaurants in Funchal that offer great meals for a price starting from €8. But for a fancy night out, you can book a table at one of the two Michelin-star restaurants in Funchal. Of course, you should at least try the typical espetada once when you’re in Madeira. But also seafood and sushi are amazing in Madeira. Below are some of our favorite restaurants in Funchal for dinner, from the best seafood, and espetada to burgers and Mediterranean food. 

7. Santa Maria Funchal Restaurant

For us, Santa Maria Funchal Restaurant is one of the top restaurants in Funchal. During the 7 months that we lived in Madeira, we went here at least once a month. Santa Maria Funchal Restaurant is located in the old town of Funchal in the charismatic Santa Maria street. With indoor and outdoor seating in their beautiful garden in the back, you will be assured of a relaxing dinner away from the hustle and bustle of Santa Maria Street.

The sushi at Santa Maria Funchal Restaurant is the best sushi in Madeira we tried. Order a white sangria with your dinner and your taste buds will tingle from pleasure! The meat steak and tuna steak on hot stone are also fantastic as you can make them exactly how you like them. I highly recommend trying one of the top restaurants in Funchal! Without a doubt, it’s one of the best Funchal old-town restaurants.

santa-maria-funchal-restaurant
santa-maria-funchal-restaurant-sushi
Santa Maria is some of the best seafood restaurants in Funchal with the best sushi in Funchal we had!
santa-maria-funchal-restaurant-dessert
santa-maria-funchal-restaurant-wine

Book a Food, Wine, and culture walking tour

Are you a lover of good food and would you like to learn more about the best local flavors while absorbing the rich culture of Funchal? Then this walking food tour is the perfect tour for you! During this tour, you will discover the exciting history of Funchal as you sample its flavors on a 3-hour guided walk. Hear about the city’s past, admire its architecture and of course, try some famous Madeira wines. Taste traditional foods from restaurants and the local market. 11 food tastings and 6 drinks are included in the price and if you reserve now you can pay later with up to 24 hours cancellation in advance to receive a full refund.

8. Kampo by Chef Julio Pereira

Kampo is a very unique restaurant in Funchal with an incredible experience. The concept is that you can sit at the chef’s table and watch how your food is being prepared. The amazing ambiance, high-quality food, and great service all contribute to a wonderful experience. Their Fusion cuisine is creative in terms of the combination of the ingredients. Great seafood and the meat is soft and melts in your mouth! You can choose different plates to share which makes the experience of tasting different dishes a fun night out. I highly recommend this unique and one of the best restaurants in Funchal Madeira! 

kampo-funchal-preparing-food
kampo-funchal-food-
kampo-funchal-dessert

9. Uva Restaurant at Hotel the Vine 

The Uva restaurant is located on the rooftop of La Vie shopping Mall and is part of Hotel The Vine. The incredible 360° view from the restaurant and bar overlooking Funchal City and the ocean will keep you in awe while eating. The gastronomic cuisine offers a great variety of delicious food that is cooked with fresh local products. French creative cuisine with balanced flavors well mixed in an incredible explosion of textures and tastes. The plates were very nicely prepared and presented and will give you an unforgettable fine dining experience in Funchal. Prices for the meals are not cheap, but it’s worth paying for the high quality.

funchal-restaurants
uva-restaurant-funchal
uva-restaurant-funchal-food

10. Aconchego

Aconchogo is located in the São Martinho district, so not in the center of Funchal. However, this restaurant offers amazing front-seat views of the ocean! From the outside, it does look a bit like a tavern, but once you enter the restaurant you will see it has a lovely garden with a sea view. The cozy atmosphere of Aconchego restaurant invites you to try their menu including seafood, Mediterranean, European, and Portuguese dishes. A great extensive menu with choices for everyone! Certainly one of the most affordable Funchal restaurants with a view! 

aconchego-funchal-food
aconchego-funchal-food-
aconchego-funchal-dessert

11. Goût

Goût is a pretty new restaurant in Funchal located near the Farmers Market. Their menu offers a great choice for lunch and dinner in Funchal with creative and fresh food served aesthetically. It may not be the cheapest place for dinner in Funchal, especially when you compare the prices, but the quality is very good and the food has a lot of taste! 

gout-funchal-food
gout-funchal-food-

12. Restaurante Santo Antonio – One of the best restaurants in Funchal Madeira to eat the local espetada

This is one of the best restaurants in Funchal Madeira to eat the local espetada. If you want to try the local favorite dish espetada, then Santo Antonio Restaurant is the place to go. However, this restaurant is not in the center of Funchal located. You have to get here with a rental car or taxi to Estreito De Câmara. The restaurant has little atmosphere inside but the food is really good. The espetada and Bolo do Caco was at Santo Antonio some of the best we had in Madeira. The meat of the skewer is very tasty and perfectly prepared in the stone oven.

santo-antonio-espetada
santo-antonio-stoneoven

Santo Antonio restaurante has the best espetada in Funchal!

13. The Snug Smoke House

For big burgers and smokey meat, you have to go to The Snug Smoke House. Their menu offers a great variety of burgers, chicken wings, pulled pork, smokey ribs, wraps, salads and more. Perfect for meat lovers, but if you want a vegetarian dish you can order it from the menu of It’s Fresh which is their other restaurant in the same street. 

thesnug-smokehouse
thesnug-smokehouse-burger

Where to stay in Madeira

Funchal

Several towns in Madeira are great to stay in while exploring the island. Funchal is the capital town of the island with the most restaurants around. It has a charming old town and all sorts of facilities you might look for such as a boulevard, shopping center, cafes, and nightlife. It is a great place to base yourself with plenty of cultural and beautiful old buildings and charming streets to explore. There are also a few beaches in Funchal to enjoy the ocean. However, these beaches are from pebble stones.

→ Check out this great tool to compare prices on hotels around the world and book your favorite hotel!

We have stayed in The Vine Hotel and Okulus villa which are both beautiful locations. The Vine has the comforts of a hotel including breakfast and is located right in the city centre. Okulus Villa is located in the Old Town with the most amazing ocean and city view.

→ Book your stay at Okulus villa here

→ Book your stay at The Vine hotel here

the-vine-hotel-funchal-madeira
sunset-funchal-okulus

Calheta

If you want to be based near a sandy beach in Madeira, then Calheta is a great place. While Funchal is more to the east of the island located, Calheta is more to the west of the island located. So eventually you can also stay a few days in both towns depending on the total length of your stay in Madeira. Calheta has an atmospheric marine with restaurants offering great spots to watch the sunset and enjoy a meal.

We have stayed a few weeks at Calheta Boutique Houses during our 7 months living in Madeira. Highly recommend these private villas as you have all the amenities you have at home as well. The modern design and amazing ocean views make it a perfect vacation home.

→ Book your stay at Calheta Boutique Houses here

Small villages in nature

If you want to experience really small towns to stay in Madeira, then check out the accommodations in Seixal, Porto da Cruz, Sao Vicente, or Ribeiro Frio. Take into account that there will be fewer restaurants around but you will be completely immersed in the local life and nature.

→ Check here the available accommodations in Seixal, Porto da Cruz, Sao Vicente or Ribeiro Frio

calheta-boutique-houses

Best Madeira island tours

If you want to explore the best of Madeira with a guide then here are some great tours I recommend. During these tours, you will pass by some of the best viewpoints which I share in this complete guide. All of these tours include transport with hotel pick up and drop off, certified guides, and sometimes entrance fees if applicable. You can reserve now and pay later, with cancellation up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund.

Madeira Tours

  • Customized 6-hour Madeira tour. On this six-hour tour, you can choose the different areas you want to visit on Madeira Island. Pick the landmarks and iconic places to make your itinerary with the help of your local guide/driver.
  • West Madeira private tour. Starting in the fishing town of Câmara de Lobos you will drive via Cabo Girao, the highest cape in Europe, to the beautiful view of Serra d’Agua valley. From there you will head to São Vicente to explore the Laurisilva forest. Continuing north, you will visit Porto Moniz, known for its natural lava pools where you can swim. As the last stop, you will visit the famous rocks at Ribeira da Janela.
  • East Madeira tour. Visit Pico do Arieiro viewpoint, take pictures at the Santana houses and the beautiful viewpoints at Porto da Cruz to finish the day at the impressive volcanic landscape of Ponta de São Lourenço.
  • Canyoning adventure with a transfer from Funchal. Get the thrill of canyoneering and explore Madeira’s untouched nature. follow a river as you walk, rappel, slide, and jump through hidden waterfalls with streams that cross endemic forests. A super fun and adventurous day!
  • Ponta de São Lourenço hike with pick up in Funchal. Explore the eastern tail of Madeira island with its unique volcanic rock formations to understand how the island was created.

Funchal Tours

  • Funchal 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour. Explore the lush landscape of Madeira and the sights of Funchal at your own pace with a 2 or 5-day ticket for the hop-on, hop-off bus.
  • Tuk-Tuk tour to Monte Tropical Garden with Toboggan ride from Funchal. Explore Funchal Old Town with a Tuk Tuk before making your way to the mountains to the stunning Monte Tropical Garden. There you will explore over 70,000 square meters of exotic plants. At the end of the tour, you will enjoy the thrilling ride down the hill with a Toboggan ride.
  • Funchal Old Town walking tour. Learn about the history of Funchal and Madeira on a guided walk through the city’s medieval center. Visit the farmer’s market, the Campo Almirante Reis. The Fortress of St. James and several other sites as your guide provide commentary.

Boat Tours

  • Dolphin & Whale watching Luxury Catamaran Cruise from Funchal. Enjoy the views of Funchal from a luxury catamaran. Look out for whales and dolphins in their natural habitat as you relax on board and explore the underwater world with a snorkel.
  • Scuba diving Madeira. Explore the underwater world of Madeira Island. A theory lesson and practice in the swimming pool are included. This before you will dive about 12 meters for 45 meters in the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Sunset tour from Funchal by Catamaran. Watch the sunset off the coast of Madeira on a 3-hour evening catamaran cruise from Funchal and spot dolphins (guaranteed, or you get a 2nd trip for free).

General travel must-haves for Madeira

Have you thought about how to get around in Madeira? A car is the easiest way to drive around the island.

  • Book your rental car here and compare the providers to get the best deal.
  • Book your scooter or motorbike here to get around in Madeira. For most of the scooters, you can drive with a driving license (A1/A2/A) from 18 years old, or from 25 years old with a car (B) license. The motorbikes have a minimum age of 20 or 21 with an A (moto) license.

Do you prefer a private driver for the day and the freedom to create your itinerary?

Have you already booked your accommodation? 

Are you insured during your travels?

  • Buy your travel insurance here. Safetywing not only includes coverage for travel delay, lost checked luggage, emergency response, natural disasters, and personal liability. But also covers all your medical expenses for hospitalization.
car-madeira

More Madeira travel inspiration

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about the best restaurants in Funchal.

For more information about Madeira, head over to our other travel blogs.

50 best things to do in Madeira – The Ultimate Guide

40 best photo spots in Madeira – The Ultimate Guide

30 best hikes in Madeira – The Complete Guide

30 Best Viewpoints in Madeira – The Complete Guide

25 best things to do in Funchal – The Ultimate Guide

25 best waterfalls in Madeira – The Ultimate Guide

20 best levada walks in Madeira – The Complete Guide

20 Best Restaurants in Madeira – The Complete Guide

15 best Sunrise Viewpoints in Madeira – The Complete Guide

15 Best Sunset Viewpoints in Madeira – The Complete Guide

12 best beaches in Madeira – The Complete Guide

All about Poncha – The Ultimate Guide about Madeira’s traditional drink

All about Madeira wine – The Ultimate Guide

Similar Posts

This post may contain affiliate links

We hope this guide will help you plan your travels! If you consider booking your accommodation, tours or rental car via our affiliate links, you support this blog because we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you!

One Comment

  1. Marjoleine says:

    Hello Ilse, your info about the restaurants in Funchal at Madeira, in one word……….YUMMIE ! We will keep this info in our minds when we visit Madeira. Thanks for sharing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *