Pau de Lume restaurant — Restaurant in Funchal

The place is pleasant, beautiful, and central. However, for parking, you’ll have to look around or leave your car at the “Casino da Madeira” parking lot.

The appetizer and main course were good, but the dessert didn’t match the same quality, in our opinion.

We gave 3 stars because the service started excellently but collapsed shortly after serving the main course. They didn’t pay attention to us, nor did they serve wine or water. We even reached the point of not asking for coffee or digestif because they didn’t attend to us in the room with only two tables (including ours, three).

The lady who was constantly on the phone and moving around could have been more careful and not disturb our lunch by dragging tables and sofas behind us, disrupting our meal and space.

To conclude, the tip was included in the bill, and we were not asked if we wanted to give it or informed beforehand by the staff. We questioned why it was included in the total amount.

It is noteworthy that in Portugal, tipping means giving a voluntary monetary gratuity to a staff member for their service. It is customary to tip professionals in the restaurant, tourism, hospitality, or transportation industries. However, unlike in other countries like the United States, where the tip amount is usually stated on the bill as a percentage of the total service or product value, in Portugal, this gratuity is generally at the customer’s discretion.

In the United States, it is expected that the customer will tip, usually around 20% of the meal’s value. In Japan, it is considered offensive as it should not influence the quality of service provided. In France, for example, it can represent between 10% to 20% of the final bill, and although not mandatory, its absence can be seen as dissatisfaction with the service provided.

For a place like this, compared to other locations on the island, in Europe, or outside of Europe, they need to take better care of how the customer is served from the beginning to the end of the meal and treat everyone equally. They should not judge customers by appearance or nationality.

We will definitely not return to this place nor recommend...

We chose this restaurant to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary because I had celebrated my birthday here a few months earlier and had such a lovely experience. Naturally, I expected the same level of service — but unfortunately, this time it didn’t quite meet our expectations.

What didn’t quite work for us: On my birthday, the staff surprised us with champagne, a dessert with a candle, and warm wishes — such a thoughtful gesture that made the evening feel special. But during our anniversary dinner (which we mentioned clearly when booking), there was absolutely no acknowledgment — not even a simple “congratulations.” I don’t want to sound entitled, but in every country and restaurant where we’ve celebrated special occasions, there’s always been some kind of gesture. It felt disappointing in contrast to my previous visit. We didn’t order much food because we weren’t very hungry — just the octopus, calamari, and fries. The waiter seemed visibly surprised and kept insisting we order more, which felt a bit uncomfortable and out of place. It’s nearly impossible to get a table without a reservation — though that’s understandable, since the restaurant is part of a five-star hotel.

What we loved: The setting is absolutely beautiful — calm, quiet, and with a stunning view of the hotel garden. Very romantic and relaxing. The octopus was exceptional — incredibly tender, flavorful, and beautifully plated. One of the best I’ve had! The only thing I’d change is the spicy sauce — it was a bit too hot for me, so I’d prefer it served on the side next time. Based on my previous visit, I know this place can offer excellent service and attention to detail. I believe what happened this time was just a matter of human error or bad luck. I’d still return — but probably not for a special...

Discrimination, incompetence or mere laziness?

At 7:30pm I decided to experience this restaurant. A randomly decision among multiple dining options offered in Funchal in that area at that time, perhaps because of its attractive entrance or rather because I let destiny decide.

Bad choice...

As soon as I entered noticed a generous space, trendy furniture and bright lighting. We were attended by a waitress who asked us if we had a reservation. I answered no although thought the question was unnecessary as the restaurant was quite empty (with perhaps only 30% of the tables occupied), the employee told me that he would call her supervisor, a young woman who, taking a quick look at a list, told us that if we wanted to be attended we should wait at least one hour until 8:30. Perplexed, thoughtful I asked myself: not only is Wednesday, the restaurant is practically empty... Why should we wait one hour? Was that 70% of tables that were now empty fully booked? Giving the benefit of the doubt, we left and got another excellent gastronomic option that the area offers.

After just maybe one hour and forty five minutes later we had to pass again in front of this restaurant, our surprise was surreal when we realized that not only Pau de Lume was not full, was almost absolutely empty.

My question to the managers of this establishment in particular and to Savoy Palace in general:

Is this type of action a company policy? Do you have a preference for some customers and not others? Did they discriminate or - even worst - is simple ineptitude or laziness of your employees?

Never again...

Update of the review:

Pau de Lume reply FOUR MONTHS after my complaint. This tell a lot about your commitment and your service policy. And no, you are misleading with your reply. That day the restaurant was...