AUDAX - Progressive Madeiran Cuisine — Restaurant in Funchal

My boyfriend and I decided to go here for dinner on our second night at Madeira and so happy we did! It was a minute away from Savoy Palace, which is where we are staying. We decided to do the 8 moment tasting menu and was impressed with the flavor profile and presentation of each dish. I also got the wine pairing which was a total of 8 glass of wine - 1 glass per dish.

Here’s a few of our favorites:

Red Snapper Passionfruit: The passionfruit frozen balls were a nice surprised especially as it melts in your mouth giving it a nice fruity finish.

Poncha Prawn from the Coast: I love the lightness of the shrimp – very refreshing with some tanginess and hint of spice from the chili pepper. The peanuts add the extra crunch and texture as well.

Trout, Watermelon Ajonlanco and Cucumber: We really enjoyed how the flavors in this dish compliment one another. Definitely have to take a bite of the trout with the fish skin, sauce, and watermelon ajonlanco altogether and let the flavors dance in your mouth.

Fish from the Coast: This was by far our favorite! Maybe because there was some nostalgic flavors from our childhood here. The fish stock that they made with the fish, champagne, and Madeira wine was amazing. And the cured fish roe that Chef César shaved over gave the extra umami. He told us that it was cured for a whole month!

Overall, the experience from service, presentation, ambience, and food was spectacular! Chef César is very passionate and he was also very personable with us during our time there as we sat in the Chef’s Counter and told us a couple of places we can check out during our time here. Did I mention that he is also very humble person? He worked 10 years at Michelin star restaurants before coming back to Madeira to open his own restaurant. They have only been open for a year and he said though it’ll be nice if they happen to get a Michelin star, but that is not his goal as he doesn’t want to have that pressure in the restaurant. He just wants to be able to enjoy what he’s doing and that’s what’s more important.

After our dessert, he presented another dessert to us that was inspired by his dad which was a caramelized banana mousse w/ passion fruit and crumbled pork skin! Just the thought that he wanted to share this dish with us was so touching. He even had us try the banana concoction sauce he made from charred banana skin, which tasted like a yummy concentrated banana caramel. It seems like they rotate their menu seasonally, so if we’re ever back in Madeira, we’ll definitely...

As a regular island visitor I could not be more supportive of this concept; traditional cuisine elevated to the fine dining level usually only seen in the past from international cuisine restaurants (with the exception of Il Gallo d’Oro which is too pricey for many). The food is full of love, stories and is exceptionally executed and well balanced - an amazing showcase of skill, island produce and tradition. The wine pairing was thoughtful and almost without fault - I especially loved the pairing of sweet Madeiran wine with a savoury course. I would recommend that anyone who enjoys fine dining on the island makes sure they try Audax - and the chef’s 7 course tasting menu. My only suggestion is that the staff should relax a bit more! They have an amazing thing going on and should maybe relax into it rather than pandering to the stiff style of fine dining of yesteryear. Madeira, quite rightly, is appealing more and more to a younger affluent demographic than previously and should embrace the more relaxed fine dining experience that demographic (of which I am part) look for. It was also a little pacey - I’d rather have more time between courses. I even went to the bathroom unnecessarily at one point just to slow it down. If this could be tweaked it would 100% be 5*. My only other suggestion would be to make more of the island’s incredible plant produce (where it was used, it was to great effect, but was never the main part of a dish). A particular highlight were the peas accompanying the main fish course - the best part of the dish; highlighting more amazing vegetable produce as a core part of the menu would be welcome. I don’t think Madeirans always realise how jealous a lot of tourists (especially from the UK) are of how the climate here produces such amazing vegetation, edible or otherwise! We spend countless hours in the UK trying to get even close to what you achieve here with our veg and plants, often failing. Houseplants I tend to like they are children wither in the UK but grow like weeds in cracks in the pavement here! We would give a lot to be able to reliably produce, for example, peas, tomatoes and asparagus the way you do here. This would also play into the growing demand for plant based cuisine. Special mention for the excellent music playlist. Will definitely return, and...

We were staying at the Savoy Palace hotel and discovered Audax while wandering around the nearby streets. What a fantastic find! The chef/owner has a very clear and unique vision for the restaurant... to take traditional Portuguese dishes and ingredients and elevate them to appeal to more modern and refined tastes. The menu is quite small, but there is plenty to choose from. We ordered one of everything on the menu other than the 2 items that had meat and it was just enough. The portions are good for sharing and the chef recommends ordering 3-4 items per person. We had never heard of some of the ingredients, like "flying squid" and limpids. Each dish is so unique in its flavors and texture, as well as visually. We were first served a black and white bread which is made with charcoal and a small amount of sourdough, served with smoked butter and black sea salt. It was crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside. Delicious and different. We then ordered: garlic soup with crispy bread filled with a poached egg, tuna tartar with mango and parsley, flying squid which was crispy and very tender, limpid rice served with Goliath grouper, and a pumpkin soufflé with soft local cheese and bonito flakes. For dessert we had the most amazing "apple" which was made with white chocolate and filled with white chocolate mousse and apple jam. It's hard to pick but our favorites were probably the tuna tartar, limpid rice, flying squid, and the apple dessert. The dish ware used for each item was beautiful and locally made, adding to the enjoyment. The dining room is modern and elegant with gold chandeliers and comfortable seating. Every single person working there was top notch at their job and made us feel welcome. The chef explained each dish and how he was inspired to create it based on its historical roots. Dining at Audax is more than just having dinner, it's a complete experience. I would say that it rivals some Michelin Star restaurants in its quality, uniqueness and flavors but at a fraction of the price. I highly recommend Audax! TIP: Sit at the chef's counter if you have the chance and watch the food...