The best restaurants in Madeira, in and around Funchal

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Visitors in Funchal soon find that the problem is not finding a restaurant but choosing one among hundreds. The best restaurants in Madeira fall into two groups. At one end are the island's Michelin-starred kitchens, all in Funchal: Il Gallo d'Oro, with two stars, at The Cliff Bay hotel; William, at Reid's Palace; and Desarma, on the roof of The Views Baía, with one each. At the other are the places people return to and review in their thousands, from the rooftop of Casal da Penha, the island's Bib Gourmand, to the terraces of Monte and the fish restaurants of Câmara de Lobos.

Between them lie most meals, and they are moderate: of the city's restaurants with a price band, the commonest is €10 to €15 a head. The kitchens range well beyond Madeiran cooking, with Italian, Indian, Asian and Japanese places, and a vegetarian restaurant among the Michelin selection.

The choice runs from the starred kitchens to Italian and Asian tables, the terraces outside the city, the most-reviewed places, the island's own food and its fish, and on to prices, booking, vegetarian food and brunch.

The city's restaurants in numbers

The common mistake is to judge the city by the menus on the seafront. The numbers show a wide, moderately priced choice.

Madeira restaurants in and around Funchal run into the hundreds: 746 places to eat are listed in the city and its hills. Of those with a price band, the commonest is €10 to €15 a head, with 54 places, followed by €5 to €10, 44, and €15 to €20, 43. At the top, 13 are in the €50-and-over band.

Most describe themselves simply as restaurants. Among the rest are 43 Portuguese restaurants, 18 Italian, 18 pizza places, 17 burger restaurants, 15 Indian, 10 Japanese and 8 seafood restaurants, with 20 brunch places.

The reviews are strong: 196 of the listed places are rated 4.5 or more from 300 reviews or more, so a well-reviewed table is rarely more than a short walk away wherever you stay. And 166 take bookings online, which helps for a Friday or Saturday night in the old town or the centre, the parts of the city with the most restaurants.

By area, the centre around the cathedral has 149 restaurants within 500 m, the old town 96 within 450 m of Rua de Santa Maria, the Lido hotel zone 135 within 1 km, and São Pedro 73 within 500 m.

Fine dining: the starred kitchens

People often assume fine dining on an island means one hotel restaurant. Funchal has three starred kitchens.

Il Gallo d'Oro, at The Cliff Bay hotel on the Estrada Monumental, holds two Michelin stars. Its chef, the Frenchman Benoît Sinthon, has led the kitchen since 2004; the first star came in 2009, the second in 2017, and a green star for sustainability in 2022.

The William restaurant Madeira knows best sits in Belmond Reid's Palace, named after William Reid, the hotel's founder. It holds one Michelin star for modern cooking built on Madeiran produce, with the Atlantic seen through full-length windows; its chef in 2026 is Francisco Avalada.

Desarma, on the rooftop of The Views Baía hotel on Rua das Maravilhas, holds one star, in 2024, 2025 and 2026, for chef Octávio Freitas's modern cooking of the island's products. It serves Tuesday to Saturday, with seatings from 19:00 to 21:00, and three menus of 6, 9 and 12 courses, which it calls moments.

All three are in the Michelin Guide's top price bracket. Book well ahead.

Italian, Asian and other kitchens

Visitors often expect only Portuguese food. Funchal has an international table, and some of its most-reviewed places are not Madeiran at all.

The Madeira Italian restaurant most reviewers go to is Alforno Madeira, on the Estrada Monumental in the hotel zone, rated 4.7 from 4,402 reviews, in the €15 to €20 band. In the centre, La Pasta, on Travessa da Praça, has 4.4 from 2,250, and on the Lido promenade Papa Manuel Lido Restaurant & Pizzaria 4.4 from 3,524.

For Indian food, Chef Guru Indian Restaurant, on Rua de Santa Maria in the old town, is rated 4.9 from 2,369 reviews, in the €15 to €25 band, and Sabor da Índia, on the Rampa do Lido, 4.8 from 2,166.

Sunrise Asian Fusion, on Largo das Torneiras, is rated 4.9 from 3,169, and the Michelin selection adds Avista Ásia, a fusion restaurant on the Estrada Monumental. For a steak, La Vaca Negra, on Rua Velha da Ajuda, has 4.8 from 2,151.

For sushi, Osaka Sushi, in the €15 to €20 band, has 4.5 from 1,038 reviews; Sushi by Gavinas, on the Rampa do Lido, 4.5 from 871; and Konsai, a poke and Japanese place on Avenida Zarco, 4.5 from 899. In the old town, Funchal Sushi Asian Fusion, on Rua de Santa Maria, is rated 4.8 from 434. For Mediterranean cooking, Bistrot des Anges, on Rua da Ponta da Cruz, has 4.8 from 531 in the €20 to €40 band.

Outside the centre

The mistake is to stay in the centre for every meal. Some of the most-reviewed tables are up the hills and along the coast.

Among the Madeira islands restaurants with the most reviews, two are on the roads above Funchal. Restaurante Alta Vista, at Largo do Miranda, is rated 4.8 from 5,964 reviews, the most of any restaurant in the area; Largo do Miranda is on the route of city bus 029. Abrigo do Pastor, on the Estrada das Carreiras, has 4.6 from 5,683, in the €20 to €45 band; a car or a taxi is simplest.

At Monte, Pátio das Babosas, a Portuguese restaurant on the square of the cable car's top station, is rated 4.6 from 2,652, in the €15 to €25 band, and O Rústico, on Caminho do Monte, 4.5 from 1,010.

West along the coast, Câmara de Lobos, 14 minutes by road, has Vila do Peixe, a fish and seafood restaurant in the Michelin selection, and the tradition of the black scabbardfish, fished there for generations.

The Michelin selection

People often read the Michelin Guide for its stars only. Its other choices are the better guide to an ordinary night out.

The Michelin star restaurants Madeira has, all in Funchal, are three: Il Gallo d'Oro with two stars, William and Desarma with one. The guide lists twelve restaurants on the island in all.

Its Bib Gourmand, for good cooking at a moderate price, goes to Casal da Penha, in the centre: a modest dining room with a rooftop terrace, where the cooking is traditional, with regional specialities, the fish of the day, and meat and rice dishes, at €€. It is rated 4.7 from 3,214 reviews.

The guide's other choices are Avista, a Mediterranean restaurant, and Avista Ásia, both on the Estrada Monumental; Gazebo, on Rua dos Ilhéus, rated 4.9; Audax, Oxalis and Ákua, contemporary kitchens at €€; Horta, a vegetarian restaurant on Rua de Leichlingen; and Vila do Peixe in Câmara de Lobos.

Their own ratings are high too. Avista, on the Estrada Monumental, has 4.7 from 1,698 reviews; Gazebo, on Rua dos Ilhéus, 4.9 from 276, and it takes bookings online; Horta 4.5 from 280 and Oxalis, on Rua da Estalagem, 4.5 from 29, both in the €50-and-over band. William, on the Estrada Monumental, has 4.6 from 161.

The Michelin Guide's Madeira page has each one's details.

Restaurants like Audax, Oxalis and Ákua offer contemporary kitchens in the mid-price range.

Choosing by where you stay

Visitors often cross the city for every dinner. Each area has its own well-reviewed places within a short walk.

In the old town, 96 restaurants lie within 450 m of Rua de Santa Maria: Taberna Madeira, with 4.5 from 2,870 reviews, Restaurante Lá ao Fundo, 4.6 from 1,769, and the Bela 5 Snack Bar, 4.8 from 2,590, for a cheaper meal. On Rua de Santa Maria itself, O Cantinho 100 Rolhas, a tapas place at number 99, has 4.7 from 35 reviews in the €15 to €20 band.

In the centre, on Rua dos Murcas, Restaurante Informal has 4.7 from 2,910 and Ákua, in the Michelin selection, 4.7 from 2,738; Armazém do Sal, a Portuguese restaurant on Rua da Alfândega in the €50-and-over band, has 4.3 from 1,877; on Rua da Alfândega, Kampo by Chef Julio Pereira has 4.7 from 2,492.

In the hotel zone, Alforno, La Vaca Negra and Leeno's Restaurant, with 4.5 from 2,335, are all within reach; in São Martinho, Dona Nina, on Rua da Ponta da Cruz, has 4.9 from 3,378 reviews in the €20 to €45 band.

In São Pedro, Rise & Dine and Restaurante Londres, both on Rua da Carreira, and Jarana "Tapas & Enchidos", 4.9 from 1,781, are the most reviewed. The where to eat guide goes area by area.

The most-reviewed places

The mistake is to trust one rating. Look for a high score from thousands of reviews.

The best restaurants in Funchal Madeira 2026 visitors rate most often are these, with their scores and review counts as of September 2026: Restaurante Alta Vista, 4.8 from 5,964; Abrigo do Pastor, 4.6 from 5,683; Alforno Madeira, 4.7 from 4,402; O Justiniano Garden, on Avenida do Infante, 4.7 from 3,921; A Bica, near the market, 4.5 from 3,588; Restaurante Marisqueira O Barqueiro, a seafood restaurant in the CentroMar centre, 4.5 from 3,517; Papa Manuel on the Lido, 4.4 from 3,524; Taberna Ruel on Rua de Santa Maria, 4.3 from 3,445; Dona Nina, 4.9 from 3,378; Casal da Penha, 4.7 from 3,214; and Sunrise Asian Fusion, 4.9 from 3,169.

Among them, the highest scores, 4.9, go to Dona Nina, Sunrise Asian Fusion, Chef Guru, Rise & Dine and Jarana.

Scores move with each season, so read the recent reviews before you book.

Restaurante Marisqueira O Barqueiro is a highly rated seafood restaurant located in the CentroMar centre.

For Madeiran food

Visitors often end up with pizza on the island they came to taste. Several well-reviewed places cook the island's own dishes.

The top restaurants Funchal Madeira offers for traditional food start with Casal da Penha, the Bib Gourmand, with its regional specialities, fish of the day and rooftop terrace. In the old town, Santa Maria Restaurant, a Portuguese restaurant on Rua de Santa Maria, has 4.5 from 1,855 reviews in the €20 to €25 band, and Taberna Madeira 4.5 from 2,870.

In São Pedro, Restaurante Londres, a Portuguese restaurant, has 4.5 from 1,856; at Monte, Pátio das Babosas, 4.6 from 2,652. For the island's bread, Casa do Bolo do Caco, on Rua Dr. Fernão de Ornelas, has 4.4 from 2,526 in the €5 to €10 band.

Order espetada, beef on a bay-laurel stick, with milho frito and bolo do caco; black scabbardfish with banana; and grilled limpets to start. The local dishes guide translates the menu.

Diners in Monte can try regional specialities like espetada at restaurants such as Pátio das Babosas.

Fish and seafood

People often order fish in the hotel zone and miss the harbour towns. They are worth the drive.

For the best restaurant Funchal Madeira has for seafood by review count, Restaurante Marisqueira O Barqueiro, in the CentroMar centre in the hotel zone, is rated 4.5 from 3,517 reviews. Eight of the city's listed restaurants are seafood restaurants.

West of Funchal, Câmara de Lobos, 14 minutes by road, is the home of the black scabbardfish fishing, and its Vila do Peixe is the only fish restaurant in the island's Michelin selection. The town's festival of the black scabbardfish ran from 6 to 9 August in 2026.

In the old town, Restaurante Embaixador Madeirense, a seafood restaurant at Rua de Santa Maria 92, has 4.5 from 1,084 reviews in the €10 to €15 band. In São Martinho, the Doca do Cavacas restaurant, on Rua da Ponta da Cruz, has 4.4 from 3,107 in the €20 to €45 band, and Marisqueira Splendida, in the Lido, 4.6 from 878.

On any menu, look for filete de espada, the black scabbardfish, breaded and fried, with banana or passion fruit; bife de atum, tuna marinated and fried; and lapas, limpets grilled in a pan with garlic, butter and lemon.

Prices and booking

The common mistake is to arrive without a table at the busiest places. Many take bookings, and the starred ones need them.

Most meals in Funchal are moderate: the commonest price band is €10 to €15 a head, then €5 to €10 and €15 to €20. The Michelin-starred restaurants are all in the guide's top price bracket, and the Bib Gourmand and most of the selected places are at €€.

Of the city's listed restaurants, 166 take bookings online. For the starred kitchens, book well ahead: Desarma serves only from Tuesday to Saturday, with seatings from 19:00 to 21:00. For the most-reviewed places in the old town and the centre, book for weekend evenings.

For a cheap meal, Castelo dos Hamburguers, on Rua da Carreira, has 4.6 from 1,750 reviews in the €5 to €10 band, and The Red Car American 50's, in the Jardim Monumental, 4.7 from 1,736.

For a glass before dinner, the wine lodges of the centre, Blandy's on Avenida Arriaga and H.M. Borges, are a walk from most of the restaurants; Blandy's tours start at €17. The wine lodges guide has their tours and prices.

Vegetarian and other diets

People often assume a meat-and-fish island leaves little for vegetarians. The choice is small but real.

Thirteen of the city's listed places describe themselves as vegetarian or vegan. The one in the Michelin selection is Horta, a vegetarian restaurant on Rua de Leichlingen in the hotel zone, in the €50-and-over band.

On any menu, the island's bread, bolo do caco with garlic butter, and the cornmeal, milho frito, are meat-free, and the fruit desserts, pudim de maracujá and mousse de anona, use the island's own passion fruit and cherimoya. For fish-eaters, the black scabbardfish and the limpets are the island's classics.

Ask about lard in the sweets: the bolo de mel is made with butter and lard.

Brunch, cafés and bakeries

Visitors often look for breakfast outside the hotel. Funchal has a brunch scene of its own.

Twenty of the listed restaurants are brunch places. The most reviewed is Rise & Dine, a brunch restaurant on Rua da Carreira in São Pedro, rated 4.9 from 2,435 reviews. For a bakery, Viana, in the Monumental Palace building in the hotel zone, is rated 4.6 from 2,902.

At Monte, the Monte Tea House, on Caminho do Monte, has 4.9 from 242 reviews, and the Café do Parque by Loft Brunch 4.5 from 231, both a short walk from the cable car. In the old town, the Bela 5 Snack Bar, 4.8 from 2,590, serves quick meals in the €10 to €20 band.

Other well-reviewed brunch places include Guto Brunch Experience, at Campo da Barca, 4.9 from 1,085; Brunch Club, on Rua do Bom Jesus, 4.7 from 1,347 in the €10 to €15 band; and LOFT brunch & cocktail restaurant, on the Estrada Monumental, 4.6 from 1,737. For cakes and coffee, Confeitaria na.avenida, on Avenida do Infante, has 4.4 from 1,888, and Padaria da Família, a bakery on Rua da Mouraria, 4.5 from 428 in the €5 to €10 band.

With a bolo do caco and a coffee, or a slice of bolo de mel, a Madeiran breakfast needs no hotel buffet. Visit Madeira lists more places across the island.

Common questions

Which restaurants in Madeira have Michelin stars?

Three, all in Funchal: Il Gallo d'Oro with two stars, at The Cliff Bay, and William, at Reid's Palace, and Desarma, at The Views Baía, with one each.

What is the Bib Gourmand restaurant in Funchal?

Casal da Penha, with traditional cooking, regional specialities and a rooftop terrace, at a moderate price.

How much does dinner cost in Funchal?

The commonest price band is €10 to €15 a head; the starred restaurants are in the Michelin Guide's top price bracket.

Is there vegetarian food in Funchal?

Yes: 13 places describe themselves as vegetarian or vegan, and Horta, a vegetarian restaurant, is in the Michelin selection.