Apolo — Restaurant in Funchal

Despite some of the average reviews we read beforehand, we decided to give Apolo in Funchal a try — and we were more than pleasantly surprised!

From the very start, the lady standing outside the restaurant was welcoming but not pushy at all, which already gave us a good feeling. Once inside, the service was absolutely wonderful — very friendly, attentive, and professional.

And then came the food… WOW. We’ve honestly never had anything better, especially considering the price! Coming from Germany, we were amazed by the value for money. Every single one of us was completely impressed. The food wasn’t just incredibly delicious — it was also beautifully presented. You can really tell that care and love go into the preparation.

This restaurant is a true highlight, and we would come back here in a heartbeat. We genuinely recommend it to anyone visiting Funchal. If you’re looking for a place with amazing food, great service, and a lovely atmosphere — Apolo is the...

The restaurant looked very nice which is why we chose to eat here. The staff was very friendly.

However, when they handed us our appetizer plates they were dirty. For appetizers we had ordered something you were meant to cook at the table (they light alcohol on fire to create a small fire so you can cook the chorizo). The chef had put too much alcohol in the tray and the fire had gotten too much. Because of this the staff could not get it to turn off and with some struggle they got it to the kitchen and handled it there.

Once our main course came we were greatly disappointed. The spaghetti Bolognese was very dry and had no sauce. The T-bone steak lacked taste. We had asked for it to be medium well, yet the steak arrived rare and was dripping blood (not to our taste). The chicken espetada was simply just bones. There was 80% bones and barely any meat to eat.

We left very disappointing and none of us having finished our meals. I do...

If I could give this restaurant a negative 5, I would. We are world travelers and just had the worst dining experience we have had on any continent.

Our first night in Madeira, we were excited about eating fresh seafood - especially fresh mussels - which were not on many menus in the area. They arrived late, overcooked and there were only 8 mussels on the plate for 10.5 euros. When we complained to Arthur, the manager, he threatened us. He cares so little about customer satisfaction that he told us he would call the police if we did not pay our bill in full. Who does this? The guy was rude and out of line.

The rest of the meal was mediocre at best and the tuna tataki was strangely discolored and has us concerned. When you are served such a horrendously bad appetizer, get up and leave the restaurant.

The management of Apolo only wants your money and they do not care about you or your dining experience. Steer clear of...