{"id":11579,"date":"2019-09-20T17:43:07","date_gmt":"2019-09-20T16:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/?p=11579"},"modified":"2026-06-16T17:55:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T16:55:19","slug":"what-to-eat-and-drink-in-madeira","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/what-to-eat-and-drink-in-madeira\/","title":{"rendered":"What to eat and drink in Madeira"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every destination has its unique food and drinks, which play an important role in the culture of its people. If the food is good, then it\u2019s even better! Madeira might be best known for its nature and hiking trails. But its gastronomy is becoming very popular due to the fusion of flavors and the use of high-quality regional products in its recipes.<\/p>\n

If you are planning a trip to Madeira and don’t know what to eat and drink, here are some local treats you should taste!<\/p>\n

1. Exotic fruits at the local market<\/h2>\n
\n
\"Exotic

Exotic fruits<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

If you are not used to having fresh fruits at home, you will be amazed by the diversity that you will find in Madeira. Due to its mild climate, Madeira is full of locally grown mangoes, papayas, and tiny bananas. As well as different varieties of passion fruit like pineapple passion fruit, lime passion fruit, tomato passion fruit and so on.<\/p>\n

At the local market in Funchal, you can try them all, but beware, the prices are too high.<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you do decide to buy some fruit to take away, near the market, you will find some small fruit and veg shops at much lower prices.<\/p>\n

2. Espada vs Espetada<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t confuse these two: Espada<\/em><\/strong> is fish, and Espetada<\/em><\/strong> is meat!<\/p>\n

\n
\"Scabbard

Espada – scabbard fish<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

One of the best-known fish on the island is the Espada<\/em> – scabbard fish, it has a scary look, but are tasty on a plate. It is normally fried and served with the island\u2019s Bananas, potatoes, and a side of fresh salad.<\/p>\n

If you are a meat-eater, you will love the Espetada,<\/em> which is usually cooked in the holiday season.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Espetada

O Lagar<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Traditionally, the beef is seasoned only with garlic and salt, skewered on a laurel branch. Unfortunately, nowadays it\u2019s often made on metal skewers.<\/p>\n

You should always try to go to a local restaurant, off the beaten track and far from any restaurant trap, where the food is delicious, and the prices are fairly good. Our suggestion goes to O Lagar<\/em>, a restaurant in a small town called C\u00e2mara de Lobos<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Try to find out if there are any local festivals while you’re in Madeira. It will be the only place where you might find and taste the original Espetada on a laurel skewer!<\/p>\n

3. Lapas<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Lapas\"

Lapas<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Lapas are very much appreciated by both locals and visitors. The limpets – Lapas<\/em> are cooked in a frying pan in garlic and butter, and their taste increases after you splash fresh lemon on top.<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Lapas go very well with a side of Bolo de Caco. You can have it as a light snack on a summer day with a cold Coral\u00a0<\/em>(beer from Madeira).<\/p>\n

4. Poncha<\/h2>\n

Poncha is the ultimate local drink in town. The original version (ask for regional<\/em>) is made out of sugar cane rum, honey, and fresh lemon juice, but you can find Poncha made with other fruits such as orange or passion fruit.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Poncha

Poncha<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The most popular place to have a Poncha is at the Taberna da Serra d\u2019Agua,<\/em> a tiny bar decorated with hundreds of business cards and with peanut shells littering the floor.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Poncha

O Riquinho<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

However, if you want to taste the best Poncha on the island, you should go to O Riquinho, also <\/em>in Serra d’\u00c1gua<\/em>, a family-run business famous for the quality of the rum used in their Poncha recipe.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t put the peanut shells on the table\u2026 drop them on the floor!<\/p>\n

5. Bolo de Mel<\/h2>\n
\n
\"Honey

Honey cake<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Bolo de Mel<\/em> which translates to \u201choney cake,\u201d is the oldest recipe in Madeira island. A moist and dark looking cake with cinnamon, walnuts, almonds and orange zest. Everyone loves it!<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t buy it in the supermarket! Buy the Bolo de Mel<\/em> at a local and specialized bakery. In a small town called Calheta<\/em>, next to an old sugar cane factory, you\u2019ll find a store where they sell the best Bolo de Mel<\/em> on the island!<\/p>\n

Taste the authentic Madeira<\/b><\/h2>\n

Portugal Premium Tours has many private day trips<\/a> in Madeira. If you can’t find a tour that suits you, call our travel experts<\/a> and get the best deals for your trip to Madeira<\/em>. You can reach us at our US TOLL-FREE number (+1) 800 327 0936 or email<\/a> us your request.<\/p>\n

We have local guides very passionate about Madeira and will make your trip unforgettable!<\/p>\n

Portugal Premium Tours team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Madeira\u2019s dramatic landscapes may steal the spotlight, but its gastronomy is equally unforgettable. Discover the local dishes, traditional drinks, and authentic flavours that every traveller should experience while visiting the island.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11579"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22378,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11579\/revisions\/22378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumtours.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}