The old town east of the cathedral, where the Mercado dos Lavradores gives on to Rua de Santa Maria, painted doorways, grilled fish and poncha counters.
Gavião Novo grills fish off the Funchal coast on Rua de Santa Maria, the old town street where the day boat rather than the menu decides dinner.
Signature: Grilled fish of the day, Atlantic seafood
Order: Fish from the Funchal coast, grilled whole off the day boat.
Tip: Book ahead for dinner. The dining room is small and the pavement tables on Rua de Santa Maria go first.
Restaurante do Forte has cooked inside the São Tiago fortress in Funchal since 2001, with terrace tables above the bay and a Portuguese carte.
Signature: Atlantic fish, Portuguese classics
Order: Fish from the Madeiran boats, cooked in the fortress kitchen.
Tip: Ask for a terrace table at sunset. The fortress walls block the wind that hits the promenade below.
Taberna Ruel works a Madeiran and Portuguese kitchen on Rua de Santa Maria, named for chef Ricardo Ruel and built on island produce and modern technique.
Signature: Madeiran daily plates, Portuguese wine list
Order: A Madeiran plate from the daily list, with a bottle from the Portuguese cellar.
Tip: It runs straight through from 11:00 to 23:00 every day, so it catches both the late lunch and the early dinner.
Lá ao Fundo sits at the fortress end of the Funchal old town, where chef-owner Jaime Cruz pulls Portuguese, African and Indian threads into one short menu.
Signature: Author dishes, Vegetarian plates
Order: The daily author dish, rewritten each morning around the market delivery.
Tip: Lunch and dinner run as two separate services with the kitchen shut between them. Book the terrace.
Casa Portuguesa lines its Funchal old town rooms with hand-painted cobalt tiles and cooks a traditional Portuguese carte, with fado by prior reservation.
Signature: Traditional Portuguese carte, Bacalhau
Order: A traditional Portuguese main, booked with the fado sitting if you want music.
Tip: Fado nights need reserving in advance rather than asking for on the door.
Gavião Novo grills fish off the Funchal coast on Rua de Santa Maria, the old town street where the day boat rather than the menu decides dinner.
Signature: Grilled fish of the day, Atlantic seafood
Order: Fish from the Funchal coast, grilled whole off the day boat.
Tip: Book ahead for dinner. The dining room is small and the pavement tables on Rua de Santa Maria go first.
Taberna Ruel works a Madeiran and Portuguese kitchen on Rua de Santa Maria, named for chef Ricardo Ruel and built on island produce and modern technique.
Signature: Madeiran daily plates, Portuguese wine list
Order: A Madeiran plate from the daily list, with a bottle from the Portuguese cellar.
Tip: It runs straight through from 11:00 to 23:00 every day, so it catches both the late lunch and the early dinner.
Lá ao Fundo sits at the fortress end of the Funchal old town, where chef-owner Jaime Cruz pulls Portuguese, African and Indian threads into one short menu.
Signature: Author dishes, Vegetarian plates
Order: The daily author dish, rewritten each morning around the market delivery.
Tip: Lunch and dinner run as two separate services with the kitchen shut between them. Book the terrace.
Casa Portuguesa lines its Funchal old town rooms with hand-painted cobalt tiles and cooks a traditional Portuguese carte, with fado by prior reservation.
Signature: Traditional Portuguese carte, Bacalhau
Order: A traditional Portuguese main, booked with the fado sitting if you want music.
Tip: Fado nights need reserving in advance rather than asking for on the door.
Barreirinha Bar Café sits above the old bathing complex in the Funchal Zona Velha, a seafront terrace running from morning coffee to weekend DJs.
Signature drink: Poncha on the seafront terrace
Tip: Morning coffee and late drinks happen in the same room. Weekends run to 02:00.
Barreirinha Bar Café sits above the old bathing complex in the Funchal Zona Velha, a seafront terrace running from morning coffee to weekend DJs.
Signature drink: Poncha
Food: Full kitchen
Tip: Morning coffee and late drinks happen in the same room. Weekends run to 02:00.
Mercado dos Lavradores opened in Funchal in 1940 to Edmundo Tavares's design, tiled front, fish hall downstairs and tropical fruit upstairs.
Tip: Go before 09:00 for the fish hall. Saturday shuts at 14:00 and Sunday is closed entirely.
Barreirinha Bar Café sits above the old bathing complex in the Funchal Zona Velha, a seafront terrace running from morning coffee to weekend DJs.
Order: Coffee and a plate on the sea terrace
Tip: Morning coffee and late drinks happen in the same room. Weekends run to 02:00.
Barreirinha Bar Café sits above the old bathing complex in the Funchal Zona Velha, a seafront terrace running from morning coffee to weekend DJs.
Try: Poncha and snacks
Order: A poncha on the terrace as the light goes off the water.
Tip: Morning coffee and late drinks happen in the same room. Weekends run to 02:00.
Barreirinha Bar Café sits above the old bathing complex in the Funchal Zona Velha, a seafront terrace running from morning coffee to weekend DJs.
Tip: Morning coffee and late drinks happen in the same room. Weekends run to 02:00.