Fine Dining Experiences in Madeira If your list of things to do on Madeira Island includes having dinner in a restaurant, worthy of Michelin stars, this article was written for you. Madeira has two Michelin-starred restaurants in Funchal: The Il Gallo d’Ouro Restaurant (with 2 Michelin stars) and the William Restaurant (with 1 Michelin star). Moreover, once a year, around the month of March, the chefs leave the starry sky of their kitchens, to walk a route, the “Stars Route”one of the most prestigious gastronomic events in Portugal. It all started in 2010, when António Trindade, President of the PortoBay group invited his team, namely Benoît Sinthon (Head Chef of Il Gallo d’Oro 2 Michelin-starred restaurant at The Cliff Bay Hotel) to develop an event in the fine dining cuisine. It began in Madeira and toured the country, in several points of reference in the stardom of local and international cuisine. It already has eight editions and brings together dozens of invited chefs and hosts from various countries, namely Portugal, Spain and France, whose restaurants are …

Route of Ponchas – Part 2 Venda do Sócio – Tendeira – Caniço For over 50 years, this grocery store has belonged to Mrs Amara’s family. She tell us that this is a family business, which attracts lovers of bikes, sports and good ponchas. It is decorated with sports props, mainly national and international scarves and even regional clubs, like the Canicense. They offer the dish of the day and barbecues of entrecosto, chicken and beef. The tapas “dentinhos” vary:  wine and garlic pork, pasta and beans “feijoada”. The regional poncha and the fisherman’s poncha are the most popular. Snack Bar Vermelho- Nogueira – Camacha This snack bar used to belong to Mr. João Vermelho, hence the name. It was about 3 months ago that Márcia and Dionísio Teixeira acquired this establishment. They serve poncha and regional tapas. Chicken wings, stewed stews and pork ears are some of the specialties. Here you can alço attend fado performances, on one of the last Saturdays of each month. O Girinho – Caboucos – Camacha Two and a …

Where to find live music & festivals in Funchal Although Funchal is not the typical cosmopolitan city where you can easily find a music gig happening every night, I have compiled a list of my favourite live music bars and Summer Festivals. Whenever I go travelling I enjoy discovering hidden bars and local bands. It allows me to experience the city as a local while sharing an authentic experience. There’s something about a good live music performance that makes me feel very happy and living in the present. All my darkest memories vanish. I’m just there healing through rhythms… One of the highlights of my summer in Madeira was attending the Music Festival Nos Summer Opening in Funchal.   Plus I got the chance to meet and listen to the amazing voice of Skye Edwards! Morcheeba songs accompanied me since my days in the University in Lisbon so whenever I listen to those warm psychedelic tunes I feel those good vibes coming back. I love the mellow sounds and the wise lyrics accompanied by the most …

I accepted the challenge proposed by a group of friends, to write this article on the blog – A route of the best ponchas in Madeira. (Due to practical issues, the route was divided into 2 parts, this is the route 1, to be coming soon is route 2) Some of the oldest grocery stores of Madeira are called ‘ Vendas or mercearias’ . These are the symbol of our grandparents lifestyle, when life had a quiet pace; other times. At those times, the products were sold by weight, without pre-packaging or pallets. The ‘Vendas’ sold pretty much everything. Since creams, potatoes, brooms and shovels, chewing gum, candies and even string. Right beside the groceries selling area, there was always a bar, selling wine with fizzy orange juice ‘ laranjada’ and local rum drink, Poncha. It was with joy and pleasure that through this route, I was able to relive the old days, where all the bills were registered in a “list” and paid at the end of the month. We were able to glance …

‘Hi, I’m vegetarian and I would like to know which is the best Vegetarian Restaurant in Madeira?’ This is a question I get frequently asked and to be honest I don’t think Madeira is the easiest place to find exclusive Vegetarian Restaurants, however I do think Madeira has amazing vegetables and fruits which grow easily in the Island due to our fertile soil and climate, so I’m sure we can also offer delicious dishes with the help of our chefs. What’s the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan? Neither vegans nor vegetarians eat meat. However, while vegetarians may consume dairy products and eggs, a vegan excludes all animal products from their diet. Good to Know… Although one of the most typical dishes in the Island is made with beef ‘espetada’ you’ll also find in a typical Madeiran Restaurant, fried corn cubes, sweet potatoes/potatoes, rice, mixed vegetables, tomato and onion soup (my favorite), salads (we always have tomato, lettuce, cucumber and onion salads as a side dish), bolo do caco (typical bread of Madeira that …

10 COFFEE WITH FREE WIFI IN FUNCHAL You can not leave home without your phone? You love to read online news, Facebook updates, post photos on Instagram and check the mail on your phone? This list is for you. We tested 10 free Wi-Fi coffee shops in Funchal. There is also an application called Mandic Magic indicating which are the cafes in the surrounding areas of your location with WiFi. If you know other cool spots or want to make a suggestion, you can leave your comment below the post. 10 COFFEE SHOPS WITH FREE WIFI IN FUNCHAL 1) Barreirinha Bar Cafe An alternative place, very close to the Old town. The music is great and the view is unforgettable. Live DJs at night. A super brunch on Sundays. Largo do Socorro 1 Open Mon-Sun 7-24h 2) Snack Bar Garden Santa Luzia A garden, a park, a lake and na ice-cream. Take your dog for a walk and share his photos on instagram. It also has a beautiful playground. Rua 31 de Janeiro Open Mon-Sun …

Drinks in Madeira are mostly famous due to the world known Madeira Wine, but there are others… Names like “Poncha”, an alcoholic typical beverage, “Coral” beer, “Laranjada” fizzy drink and even “Garoto” coffee will enrich your vocabulary and your taste of Madeira Island. Madeira Wine This is a fortified wine made in Madeira. It is produced in a variety of styles from dry to         medium dry, to sweet wines. It can be consumed with dessert or on their own as an aperitif. As a curiosity, the Declaration of Independence of USA was signed in the 4th July of 1776 and the Madeira wine was the toasting beverage of choice. We’re very proud of our wine and you can visit some of the most popular cellars in Funchal such as D’Oliveiras or Blandy’s Lodge. “Poncha” Sugar cane production was the engine of the Island’s economy back to the 15th century when the island became a major supplier of sugar, which became known as “white gold”. Therefore, Poncha is a traditional alcoholic drink …