Espetada is Madeira's signature dish: cubes of beef rubbed with garlic, sea salt and bay leaf, skewered on a bay-laurel stick and grilled over wood embers, then hung from a hook at the table. Eat it inland in Câmara de Lobos, Estreito or Santo da Serra — €12–18 with bolo do caco and milho frito.
True espetada madeirense uses pau de louro (bay-laurel wood) for the skewer, which perfumes the beef as it cooks. The cubes are seasoned only with coarse salt, crushed garlic and bay leaf — no marinade, no sauce — and grilled over vine clippings or oak embers, never gas. The skewer is delivered upright on an iron hook so juices drip onto bolo do caco below.
The dish was born in the hills above Câmara de Lobos at village festivals (arraiais), and the best versions still come from inland tascas rather than seafront tourist restaurants: Santo António da Serra, Estreito de Câmara de Lobos and Camacha are the heartland. Expect to pay €12–18 per person; portions are large and usually shared.
Sides are non-negotiable: bolo do caco (sweet-potato flatbread with garlic butter), milho frito (deep-fried cubes of polenta) and a tomato-and-onion salad. Wash it down with a jug of vinho seco or a poncha pescador before the meal.