Estrelícia Awards
Our editorial recommendation system for Madeira's best restaurants, bars, cafés and nightclubs. Named after the Estrelícia (Bird of Paradise) — Madeira's most iconic flower.
Awards are given by the MadeiraInfo editorial team based on repeat visits, cooking, hospitality and consistency. Not paid. Not sponsored. Not for sale. Reviewed annually.
Each category is judged independently. A three-Estrelícia café is not compared to a three-Estrelícia restaurant — cafés compete against cafés, bars against bars, restaurants against restaurants, nightclubs against nightclubs.
How the tiers work
3 flowers
Exceptional
Exceptional — worth planning a trip around.
2 flowers
Excellent
Excellent — worth a detour.
1 flower
Very good
Very good in its category.
Restaurants
Judged only against other restaurants.
Exceptional
Exceptional — worth planning a trip around.
Excellent
Excellent — worth a detour.
- Restaurants · Funchal — São Martinho / Lido
Il Basilico
Tuscan Italian restaurant on the Funchal seafront promenade, led by Florence-born chef Cristiano Cutietta. Wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta and coastal seafood on a sunny deck terrace with the Lido at your back.
- Restaurants · Funchal
Joy
Stylish, modern Funchal restaurant — not too formal, with food as good as the atmosphere and great cocktails.
- Restaurants · Funchal
Theo's
Portuguese restaurant with a modern sharing concept by Chef Júlio Pereira, next to Funchal's Sé Cathedral. Reborn in 2024, it celebrates the city's old tertulias with a menu of Portuguese classics reinterpreted for the table, plus signature cocktails and a lively, young atmosphere.
Very good
Very good in its category.
- Restaurants · Funchal — Casa Branca
3 L's Restaurant
Bright, lively spot in the Casa Branca area of Funchal serving comforting international favourites and casual cocktails.
- Restaurants · Funchal
5 (Cinco) Sentidos
Rustic-style Funchal restaurant blending a warm atmosphere with inventive Portuguese dishes and friendly service.
- Restaurants · Funchal
Ákua
Seafood restaurant by Chef Júlio Pereira in the centre of Funchal, a short walk from Kampo. Contemporary Atlantic cooking with a focus on the island's fresh fish, shellfish and sea flavours, served in an intimate, family-style room. Michelin Guide listed; the 'water' counterpart to Kampo's 'earth'.
- Restaurants · Funchal
Design Centre by Nini Andrade Silva
More than a restaurant — a design space inside an iconic fortress with gourmet cuisine and sweeping views over Funchal.
- Restaurants · Funchal — São Martinho / Lido
Horta
From the vegetable garden to the table — Horta brings healthy comfort food to the Lido promenade, led by Chef Afonso Nogueira. The vegetable is the centre of the plate, using local and proximity ingredients. Michelin Guide recommended since 2024.
- Restaurants · Caniço
Munchies Restaurante & Bar
A beloved local spot in Caniço de Baixo with a warm, welcoming atmosphere and diverse menu. Open 9 AM to 11 PM — ideal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- Restaurants · Funchal
Restaurante do Forte
Fine-dining inside the 17th-century São Tiago fortress overlooking Funchal's Old Town and the Atlantic. Views and atmosphere as much as the food.
- Restaurants · Funchal
Yuki
Japanese izakaya by Chef Júlio Pereira in Funchal's old town — sushi, sashimi, small hot plates and sake-led drinks in a casual, sharing-focused setting. The newest member of the chef's quartet, born from the Asian touches that first appeared at Kampo and Ákua.
Bars
Judged only against other bars.
Excellent
Excellent — worth a detour.
Very good
Very good in its category.
- Bars · Funchal
Cloud Bar
Rooftop bar on top of The Next Hotel Madeira on Estrada Monumental, with panoramic views over Funchal Bay and the hotel-zone coastline. Cocktails, small plates and sunset drinks — one of the newer rooftops on the western side of the city, open to non-guests.
- Bars · Funchal — Hotel Zone
Galáxia Skybar — Savoy Palace
17th-floor rooftop bar on top of the Savoy Palace hotel on Avenida do Infante — the highest cocktail terrace in Funchal, with an infinity pool, full bay view from Câmara de Lobos to the Old Town, and a dressier sunset crowd. Open to non-guests.