Best Poncha Bars in Madeira
Where to drink Madeira's signature shaken sugar-cane rum the way it's supposed to be made.
Poncha is Madeira's national drink: white sugar-cane rum (aguardente de cana), bee honey, fresh lemon, and nothing else, shaken by hand with a wooden tool called a mexelote. It's powerful, deceptively easy to drink, and the difference between a tourist version and the real thing is enormous.
Taberna da Poncha in Serra de Água leads our picks, followed by Bar Filhos D' Mar in Câmara de Lobos, Rei da Poncha in Funchal and Bar Nº 2 - É Prá Poncha in Câmara de Lobos. Peter's Grutas takes you to Faial, while Venda do Sócio and Peter's Poncha offer two stops in Caniço. Tasquinha O Salsa in Machico completes the list, with poncha and sandwiches on Rua da Banda d'Além.
How we chose
Our curated poncha stops in Serra de Água, Câmara de Lobos, Funchal, Faial, Caniço and Machico.
| # | Name | Type | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taberna da Poncha | Bars | Serra de Água, Ribeira Brava |
| 2 | Bar Filhos D' Mar | Bars | Câmara de Lobos |
| 3 | Rei da Poncha | Bars | Funchal |
| 4 | Bar Nº 2 - É Prá Poncha | Bars | Câmara de Lobos |
| 5 | Peter's Grutas (Peter's Poncha Faial) | Bars | Faial |
| 6 | Venda do Sócio | Bars | Caniço |
| 7 | Peter's Poncha | Bars | Caniço |
| 8 | Tasquinha "O Salsa" | Bars | Machico |
The list (8)
Bars
1.Taberna da PonchaA traditional poncha stop beside the ER104 in Serra de Água, in the green valley above Ribeira Brava, with outdoor seating and no dress code. Monkey nuts (peanuts in their shells) come with the poncha, a familiar Madeira tradition: customers throw the shells on the floor, leaving it covered in shells. Thousands of business cards and football scarves decorate the walls, giving this countryside poncha stop its unmistakable character.
poncha bar€2.Bar Filhos D' Mar
BarsA poncha bar at Largo do Poço in Câmara de Lobos, listed as Bar Filhos D' Mar (Poncha negra). Outdoor seating and food at the bar make it a stop for a drink and a bite in the town centre.
poncha bar€
Bars
3.Rei da PonchaA classic Funchal poncha bar serving the island's signature drink, sugarcane rum (aguardente de cana) whisked with honey and fresh citrus or passion fruit, best taken standing at the bar with a cup of boiled peanuts.
poncha bar€Late night4.Bar Nº 2 - É Prá Poncha
BarsA poncha bar on Rua da Carreira at Largo do Poço in Câmara de Lobos. Bar Nº 2 - É Prá Poncha has outdoor seating and food at the bar, with later opening hours on Friday and Saturday.
poncha bar€
Bars
5.Peter's Grutas (Peter's Poncha Faial)Sister bar to Peter's Poncha in Caniço de Baixo, this roadside poncha stop sits on the ER101 at Sítio da Degolada / Lombo de Baixo in Faial, just by the new Faial bridge. Poncha regional and poncha à pescador shaken to order, plus fruit versions such as strawberry and tangerine, the natural pause on a north-coast drive between Santana and Machico.
poncha bar€6.Venda do Sócio
BarsA poncha stop in Caniço on Rua Sidónio Seródio, with outdoor seating and bar games. Venda do Sócio is one of our picks for a poncha in the Caniço area, alongside Peter's Poncha.
poncha bar€7.Peter's Poncha
BarsNo-frills poncha bar in Caniço where the drinks are shaken by hand at the counter, traditional lemon and honey plus fruit versions, cheap petiscos and a mixed crowd of locals and residents. The back room is built into the rock, with barrels and a cave-like bar.
poncha bar€
Bars
8.Tasquinha "O Salsa"Little poncha bar in old Machico, in the yellow-and-brown row on Rua da Banda d'Além, with wooden bench tables in the lane under a big awning and festival bunting overhead. Four ponchas on the board (regional, passion fruit, pescador and pé de cabra), plus sangria, nikita and cold beer, with cheap toasties and sandwiches to soak it up: carne de vinho e alhos, squid, tuna and gaiado seco. You order at the counter.
poncha bar€
Practical notes
- One copo is generous; two will catch up with you. Order petiscos to share alongside.
- Ask for poncha tradicional (lemon), pineapple, passion fruit and tangerine variants exist but the original is the benchmark.
- Most poncha bars open from late morning to around midnight. The Câmara de Lobos vendas often close by 22:00.
- Cash still helps in the smallest vendas, though cards work in most places.