A Nova Celha — Restaurant in Funchal

PLEASE READ THIS !!!

This place does not deserve a 4.9 rating. It might sound harsh but someone had to say it. As simple as that.

Dont get me wrong, the owners are really lovely (reason why i was so hesitant to post this) but the food is absolutely mediocre, especially the meat. The espatada swekers were very chewy and so it was the meat for the regional picada.

We had the cod croquettes and those where actually bussing, full of flavour and deliciously fried. The bolo do caco was okay but its just garlic bread so yeah, can it really be bad?

This place is clearly a tourist trap and we should have known when it was empty compared to the place next to it. Always trust your instincts.

The squid and the chips were surely from the frozen section of a supermarket and there is nothing wrong with that.. but 4.9 is the rating you give to a restaurant that nails taste and presentation perfectly.. whereas this place is mid at best. Food was tasty but texture and quality was unfortunalte just bad.

Perching here for a quick bite? Sure. Bringing her your date to impress them? LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE. Don't fall...

Other reviews are correct this place is not 4.8 or not even a 4.0. We know it is hard to find a good spot to taste local food when you come first time to new place. Therefore, we looked google maps and ofc points but points doesn’t reflect the reality at all. First of all, Food is okay, literally okay. Not great not bad okay ( I had lampas, it was good but not special, my gf had cheese toast and tomato soup, they were okay). Hygiene is not okay, basic table cleaning and inside the restaurant cleaning not good. More importantly this restaurant looks like a tourist trap (it is not but the vibe is)

Overall, if you want have a full meal don’t come here. But for small side dishes maybe. Also; we ordered Lampas 18 € (05/11/2025) Tomato soup 5 €, cheese toast 4.5 €, big still...

You'll find this is on a nice quiet road though with a lovely atmosphere due to the outdoor seating for all the accompanying restaurants on the street.

The food here was generally really good. I would personally avoid the croquettes as they were a bit tasteless. However, the star of the show is the espetada! This was so delicious we ordered more after we finished our mains. Great meat, cooked to a brilliant medium rare temperature. Will go back just for this!

The service was lovely as well. Really friendly and attentive which made for a nice experience. The Madeira wine they had as well was fantastic.

Overall, with the service, the reasonable prices for food and drink, and the tasty dishes, this is one to visit...