3 Best Restaurants in Madeira, Portugal

Located within the Cliff Bay Hotel, this upscale restaurant serves ambitious, high-end tasting menus, with prices to match. Views are lovely from both the contemporary dining room and the terrace, dishes are presented as works of art, and the extensive wine list showcases bottles from around the world (the excellent sommelier is happy to pair each course with top Portuguese wine, if you choose).

For the most unique dining experience in Madeira, head to the ground floor of a nondescript shopping mall, where you’ll enter into another world—one only experienced by six lucky diners at a time, who sit communally at one long table. Self-taught Swiss-born chef-owner Selim Latrous, who spent many years in Southeast Asia, incorporates Thai and Indian flavors into his five-course tasting menus; friendly sommelier Christian pairs every dish with unique drinks (either alcoholic or non) while Selim shares the story behind each dish, making for an entertaining and culinarily satisfying evening you won’t soon forget.

If you need refreshment before sledding back to Funchal, stop at the snack bar called Alto Monte, just above the main square of Largo da Fonte. The cozy interior is lined with soccer scarves and hats, while the terrace has soul-stirring views of Funchal unfolding below.