3 Best Restaurants in Madeira, Portugal

Seated on the 16th floor of the Savoy Palace, in a cozy room with painted ceilings, you’ll feel like you’re dining under the stars—and the food will truly transport you to another world. Chef Carlos Gonçalves serves up innovative five- to seven-course tasting menus (à la carte is also available) using local ingredients but with a twist—think traditional cozido panelo (vegetables and sausage) transformed into tasty tacos and creamy rice with nori seaweed and lemon purée.

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.

Set inside a former salt warehouse, this fashionable restaurant with bare brick walls and a few outdoor tables serves immaculately presented contemporary renderings of Madeiran and Portuguese dishes like black scabbard fish with lime risotto and vegetables from the garden. À la carte lunch and dinner menus are a good deal.