Madeira Food: What to Eat and Traditional Dishes

What is Madeiran food like?

Madeiran cuisine is island food: plenty of fresh fish and seafood, grilled meat, warm bread, tropical fruit, and sweets made with the island's sugarcane. It is unpretentious and generous, best enjoyed in a simple restaurant or a Funchal market stall. Here are the dishes and drinks to look for.

Traditional dishes to try in Madeira

Espetada

The island's signature dish: chunks of beef rubbed with garlic and salt, traditionally skewered on a stick of bay laurel and grilled over embers. It is often served hanging from a hook at the table, with bolo do caco and milho frito on the side.

Bolo do caco

Despite the name, this is not a cake but a round, flat bread, traditionally cooked on a hot basalt stone (the caco). It is served warm and slathered with garlic and parsley butter, and appears alongside almost every meal.

Black scabbard fish with banana (peixe-espada com banana)

The black scabbard fish is a long, deep-sea fish caught off Madeira, and it is the island's most famous seafood. It is usually served as fried fillets topped with fried banana, a sweet-and-savoury pairing that sounds unusual and works beautifully.

Lapas (limpets)

These shellfish are grilled in the shell with garlic butter and a squeeze of lemon, and served sizzling as a starter. Simple and very good with a cold drink by the sea.

Milho frito

Cubes of cornmeal, cooked firm and then fried until crisp outside and soft inside, a bit like a savoury polenta chip. A classic side, especially with espetada.

Picado

A sharing dish for a group: fried cubes of beef with garlic, piled on chips and eaten with cocktail sticks straight from the plate. A staple of casual bars and nights out.

Banana da Madeira

Madeira's bananas are smaller, sweeter and more fragrant than the usual supermarket kind, and carry a protected geographical status. You will see them everywhere, eaten fresh, fried with fish, or baked into cakes.

Madeiran sweets

Bolo de mel (sugarcane honey cake)

A dark, dense, spiced cake made with sugarcane molasses (mel de cana), nuts and dried fruit. It is a Christmas tradition on the island, and by custom it is broken by hand rather than cut with a knife.

Broas de mel

Small, soft honey-and-molasses biscuits, spiced and moreish, sold in bakeries across the island.

What to drink in Madeira

Poncha

Madeira's traditional drink, made from aguardente de cana (sugarcane spirit), honey and fresh lemon or orange juice, stirred together with a wooden tool. It goes down easily, so pace yourself.

Madeira wine

The island's world-famous fortified wine has been made here for centuries and is aged with heat to give its distinctive flavour. Styles run from dry (Sercial, Verdelho) to rich and sweet (Bual, Malmsey), and a tasting in a Funchal wine lodge is a highlight in itself.

Where to eat in Madeira

Funchal has the widest choice, from the stalls and fruit of the Mercado dos Lavradores to seafood restaurants and traditional taverns. For espetada, head to the hillside restaurants around Câmara de Lobos and Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, which are known for it. A guided food or wine tasting is an easy way to try several specialities in one go.

Frequently asked questions about Madeira's food

What is Madeira's famous food? Espetada (beef skewers), bolo do caco (garlic-butter flatbread), black scabbard fish with banana, and the sweet bolo de mel cake, washed down with poncha or Madeira wine.

What food is native to Madeira? Dishes closely tied to the island include bolo do caco, espetada on bay laurel skewers, black scabbard fish with banana, milho frito, bolo de mel, and the sweet banana da Madeira.

What do Madeirans eat for breakfast? Often something simple: bread, especially bolo do caco, with butter or cheese and coffee, and fresh local fruit such as banana.

Where do locals eat in Funchal? Around the Mercado dos Lavradores and the old town for seafood and traditional food, and the espetada restaurants up the hill in Câmara de Lobos and Estreito de Câmara de Lobos.

What is poncha made of? Aguardente de cana (sugarcane spirit), honey and fresh lemon or orange juice, stirred together. It is Madeira's traditional drink.