Le Bistrot Jacarandá — Restaurant in Funchal

I was left genuinely confused by this place. Firstly, let me say the food did taste ok. Nothing special, but nothing that you'd feel the need to send back and the prices were pretty cheap.

The inside was small and cramped, it was far too hot, probably due to the cooking happening within the same space as the dining tables. The restaurant being no larger than a newsagents. The decor was dated. An ocean mural on the wall, stained wood, red and gold tablecloths that would be better suited to a Chinese buffet.

The menu itself was baffling. It was fusion cuisine gone wrong. The combinations didn't make much sense to me and I struggled to find something to order. Eventually I settled on one of their pasta dishes. All 8 were tagliatelle based.

As friendly and helpful as the waiters tried to be, I found them very try hard and annoying. It was reminiscent of going to a friend's dinner party, only for them to have their teenage sons acting as waiters. Showing off at every available opportunity.

In summary, 3 stars is pretty generous. I...

I came here after a disappointing dinner at another spot down the street where I paid a lot and left hungry. I noticed this restaurant was full and decided to order a prego de espada (scabbardfish sandwich) to go as my second dinner. The server was so kind and immediately said it was no problem. They packed it up quickly, and I could barely wait to eat it. Honestly, it might be the best sandwich I’ve ever had — the bread was warm, buttery, and garlicky, and the fish was perfectly cooked and flaky. The side salad was the perfect complement. Just wow! I didn't think I would finish the sandwhich given I had technically already eaten dinner but I demolished it. Would love to come back and try more...

Me and my husband each had one of the 3 course specials (me espetata and him fish with banana). We had our 4 year old with us and they gave him a plate to share our food. Both dishes were very nice (especially the starter soup!) and they gave our 4 year old a portion of the dessert which you could see them make it with fresh strawberries. In hindsight after going to other restaurants during our holiday my husband says that was quite a small fish portion compared to the others he had but it might have been a fluke and didn't let down our review. Lovely staff. The drink that came with the meal was also very...