Espaço Funchal — Restaurant in Funchal

*it was getting dark so don’t let me naff pics put you off!!

Booked via an app called ‘The Fork’ which gave us a 40% discount on the food, which was handy as the prices here are a little higher than other places in the area. The sardines for example are 16 euros and every other place seems to have them around 9 or 10 (but apply the discount and it works out about the same).

The four of us shared the bread, olives and pate stater (the pate was like tuna mayo, not what as I expecting but pretty nice).

For mains we had sardines, beef skewers, and mixed skewer and a plate of duck breast in orange sauce. Each plate came with its own mini basket of fries (like granny did back in the day) and some with salad and veg and every dish was lovely, in fact the skewers got reviewed by the in laws as the best they had ever eaten.

A few wines and beers plus garlic breads came in at 90 euros (inc discount) so still a little higher than we have been paying but absolutely worth it.

The real difference for me is the level of service. My focus is usually on food quality, but you really notice the service when it’s that good. From the younger guy on front of house, to the girl sorting out the skewers for the customers to the main boss man sorting out our slightly wobbly table with a range of shaved down corks; they each brought smiles and sense of humour that I realise been a bit missing at other places.

The fond handshakes at the end of the meal left me feeling like I could come back to Espaco Funchal over and over and if we were here any longer I’m certain...

Avoid This Place in Funchal, good reviews are fake!

We had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant, and I strongly advise others to avoid it. The food was stale and clearly not fresh. When we politely complained, the staff showed no concern whatsoever — which unfortunately reflects the kind of business they are running. Likely, they rely on tourists passing through and don’t expect repeat customers.

The Lapas (limpets) were inedible and cost €19 – the worst we’ve ever had. The Picanha, for €24, was not only not fresh, but I seriously doubt it was even the correct cut of meat. The octopus and shrimp were passable, but overall the meal was far below the standard one would expect anywhere — let alone in Madeira, which usually offers fantastic cuisine.

We spent €96 on a meal that left us frustrated and disappointed. On our way out, I even warned an English couple who were about to sit down — no one else should have to waste money on such a poor experience.

Madeira is wonderful, and there are plenty of restaurants where you can eat much better for the same or lower price. Don’t let this place ruin your culinary impression...

The service really was all over the place and seemed to lack organisation. We saw three, possibly four, different members of staff and the lack of coordination was evident. Shortly after ordering, another table's order was brought to us. When a waiter brought our food (both of us had ordered risotto), he asked who the ham and cheese omelette was for. It's a little worrying when the waiter doesn't know what he's brought you - he did have the correct order but didn't seem to know what it was. Upon trying to add salt to my food we realised there was pepper in the salt shaker and vice versa. They seemed keen to get us drunk, swooping in to pour out more of our wine even as we made it clear we didn't want more at that time. Further to this, the loud piped music did nothing for the ambience.

In light of the above you might wonder why this merited a 2-star review. The answer is that the food and house wine were very good (albeit not cheap), free and excellent Madeira was provided at the end of the meal, and they were fairly quick to sort a wobbly table. Overall though the food was badly let down by the service and we wouldn't...