4 Best Restaurants in Madeira, Portugal

This excellent coffee shop has a few branches across Funchal, but the best has to be the one on Rua da Conceição, where chairs spill out onto an unnamed square that's cobbled in black and white stripes. Small tables under shady parasols provide the perfect rest stop to grab a bica (espresso) and a pastel de nata (custard tart); step inside and you'll see row upon row of neatly presented cakes and tarts laid out in the chilled counters like gems in a jewelry box.

A classic spot to sit back and relax, this quaint tea shop specializes in various herbal and fruit teas, as well as coffees, cakes, and light lunches, that you can enjoy at outdoor tables facing a pretty square. You can pick up teas to take home, too.

Just across from the tourist office in the heart of Funchal, this restaurant-café has been open for business off and on since 1814; sit in the airy interior, capture one of the tables that flank the sidewalk, or—even better—bag a seat on the balcony. You can pop in for coffee, light local specialties, or British-style afternoon tea, or settle in for a feast of (somewhat pricey) Portuguese dishes.