7 Food and Drinks to Try on Madeira (And Where to Get Them)

Black Scabbardfish

Black scabbardfish may look like the stuff of nightmares if you stumble upon it at a fish market, but when served pan-fried and topped with passionfruit or banana sauce, it becomes a delicacy worth seeking out.

Thankfully, you can find black scabbard fish at many restaurants on the island that serve seafood, and it comes together for a flaky whitefish reminiscent of haddock or other flaky white fish. Try both sauces if you are able to get this one more than once, as the banana and passionfruit flavors offer excellent style variations to one another (we personally loved the banana sauce!).

Where to Try Black Scabbard Fish: You’ll likely find this one all over the island, but for a more fine-dining presentation, we quite enjoyed it at Restaurante Calamar.

Espetada

It may sound unusual to recommend eating beef on an island known for its seafood, and for espetada, we’ll make an exception. These are beef skewers served on a spit hoisted vertically for an impressive wow factor visually just as much as the taste.

Be on the lookout for when restaurants cook them over laurel branches, as the wood imparts a nice flavor that works nicely with the richness of the meat. That said, we encountered several restaurants that serve this one on more modern steel skewers as well (which are, admittedly, still quite tasty).

Where to Try Espetada: We particularly liked the espetada at Mercado da Ribeira just south of Sao Vicente in the north and Vila da Carne in Camara de Lobos.

Limpets

Limpets are an aquatic snail species that are a popular snack or appetizer in Madeira. On the surface, these look like a mix of mussels, scallops, and abalone and are meaty bites from the ocean floor.

Admittedly, the limpets tried were quite firm, with almost a chewy texture (as opposed to more delicate and creamy mussels, which we also found plentiful on the island). But if you have never tried these before, you should definitely seek them out at least once when on Madeira even if they aren’t your cup of tea.

Where to Try Limpets: Although we were told we’d see limpets on menus all over Madeira, we only saw them at Restaurante Calamar during our visit.

Bolo do Caco

Bolo do Caco is Maderia’s famous bread, made with white sweet potato and flour as its base. This one is cooked in a hot pan and served almost in cake form (giving it its name), with a soft interior and charred exterior, and often served with ample butter and garlic for good measure.

On one hand, yes, it is just bread. But on the other hand, it is so oddly addictive and makes for a great vehicle for all the sauces and seafood you’ll be enjoying on the island. We liked this one so much we made it as soon as we got home!

Where to Try Bolo do Caco: Virtually every restaurant on Madeira will have bolo do caco on the menu, and, honestly, you should just order it every chance you can get- it’s a perfect bread course.

Madeiran Rum

You may know that Madeira is a famous wine producer (which we’ll talk about in a moment), but you may also be surprised to find out they are a producer of high quality rums, too, thanks to sugarcane being grown on the island as well.

A lot of the sugar cane on the island is made into aguardiente, a white spirit most commonly used in poncha (which is coming up next), but many producers also barrel age their rums with premium bottles with age indications that would rival top rum producers in the Caribbean and elsewhere. So if you like a taste of the good stuff, be sure to swing by one of the many acclaimed rum distilleries on the island for a taste.

Where to Try Madeiran Rum: There are many rum distilleries all over the island; however, we particularly enjoyed the premium rums at Sociedade dos Engenhos da Calheta outside of Calheta.

Poncha

Oh, Poncha. The most beautiful and, dare we say, dangerous creation on Madeira.

Poncha is a creation of aguardiente (distilled sugar cane juice, what we’d argue is white rum), sugar (often honey), and a fruit of your choice, with lemon and passionfruit being among the most popular. These are put into a giant vessel, mashed with a mexelote to combine the ingredients together into what we’d call a rustic, but spirit-forward, daquiri, and served in a small coupe glass for thirsty patrons at bars all over the island.

But be warned, poncha packs a punch (pun slightly intended)- so be careful when consuming this beverage as the alcohol will sneak up on you.

Where to Try Poncha: There are many poncha bars found all over the island, including in most major towns; however, our favorite poncha bar was Poncha Tavern (Taberna Poncha) along VE4 running north to south in the middle of the island. Great poncha and views!

• Alternatively, Try a Glass of Nikita: If you’re looking for something a bit different when at a poncha bar, order a glass of Nikita. This beverage typically features beer, wine, ice cream, and a fruit flavor of your choice and is prepared in a similar fashion (albeit a much creamier final product). Some love it, some hate it, but for us, we stuck to the poncha after trying it once.

Madeira Wine

Finally, we come to Madeira wine- one of the most famous exports from the island.

Now, to be clear, when we say Madeira wine, we mean a very specific style of fortified wine (but the island does make still wine as well). Here, wines are typically fortified with a neutral spirit and aged in heated tanks or barrels in warm storerooms for years or even decades to create oxidized flavors in addition to fruit notes. The styles can run from dry to sweet, and offer a range of something for everyone.

We, personally, like an excellent 10 to 20 year Verdelho for drier wines and similar aged Boal for something on the sweeter side. In either case, you’ll do well to go wine tasting at numerous wineries on the island to try them all yourself.

Where to Try Madeira Wine: There are several Madeira wineries worth checking out (which you can read about more at the previous link over on our wine blog); however, our favorites are Barbeito (tour required- splurge for the premium tour), Cossart Gordon at Blandy’s Wine Lodge (by the glass tastings for Cossart Gordon), and HM Borges (tour and tasting).

Do you have a favorite food in Madeira? Comment below to share!