Madeira is a volcanic island located in the Atlantic Ocean, it is tropical with wonderful landscape and you don’t want to miss the UNESCO protected Laurisilva forest ! Madeira is a portugese charming island well known for the delicious still wines but above all, for its fortified wines which are just marvelous with plenty of different pairings.
While I was there last February for the Wine Travel Week, I discovered Chalet Vicente Restaurante in Funchal. It is a traditional restaurant which offers a wide variety of local grandma’s dishes you can share such as grilled meat on fire (they have a very nice fireplace), piri-piri chicken, octopus, liver in Madeira sauce… and the unique Bolo do Caco (the garlic bread) ! For the sweet tooth, some simple but fresh pineapple with lime zest and bolo de Mel (honey cake) can be enjoyed.
Obviously these dishes have to be paired with wines and the list is quite nice with hundreds of references from all over Portugal. A little bird even told me that Cristiano Ronaldo is coming to this restaurant with his family to enjoy the food (and the wine maybe too) ! Indeed, the soccer player is born in Madeira… So you won’t be surprise to arrive at the CR7 airport !