William Restaurant — Restaurant in Funchal

Excellent food and excellent service. Exactly what you would expect from a restaurant in the michelin guide. Everything was cooked as it should be, and seasoning was spot on.

Initial amuse bouches were great, the fish tartare bite was my favourite (I'm sure I would love a course built from this), and I found the apple based palet cleanser very refreshing. The trout was very nice, and while I appreciate trying to reduce waste, I think the pickle water could be used in a better way. The lobster was fantastic. The only fish course that slightly missed me was the scorpionfish, as I found the toasted yeast component a bit overpowering, but my partner enjoyed it. I think I would have been happier if the root vegetable puree was a bit sweeter.

The main of pork shoulder was cooked perfectly and overall the dish was well balanced. I found the desert a fairly standard affair, but the caramel in the shape of madeira was a finish.

We had an extra little cake brought to the table for an anniversary, which was a nice touch. The petite fours were also presented beautifully with the small tree and paired very well with some whisky to finish. The only thing I'd say is if you're not getting an additional drink at the end, hold back on your final pairing so you have something to go with it (coffee drinkers will be fine, but it was quite a late sit for caffeine).

All the wine pairings worked well, and I enjoyed tasting slightly more unusual offerings like the sparkling cider.

The restaurant itself has great views over the sea, and as night descended, we could see funchal lit up from the other side.

We'll be back in Madeira, and I wouldn't hesitate to book again. These minor criticisms are a matter of taste, not a reflection on the skills of the chefs. Thank you for a...

This was a good but not amazing dining experience, and given the expensive price and Michelin star, it fell somewhat short of our expectations. The location had a gorgeous view, the ambiance was pleasant, and the visual presentation of the dishes was very impressive (I especially loved the choice of dishware and meticulous arrangement of the food). There were some thoughtful surprises like complimentary extra courses, and the amount of food was certainly generous (we left feeling stuffed). The staff were also very friendly and happy to help whenever we were able to get their attention. They were also accomodating, willing to swap out one course for me on request. However, the service was overall not very attentive, likely because they were understaffed. We went long stretches with empty water glasses and had to catch someone's attention each time to ask for a refill. We were also rarely asked how we found the food or if we needed anything. The food had some interesting flavours and combinations. It mostly tasted good (with the exception of one cocktail which was so bitter I found it undrinkable), but only one or two dishes were outstanding (the beef fillet was excellent). The meal was also stretched out over a very long time (3.5 hours) with long waits in between dishes, and the wine pairings came at very different times from the courses they were...

We had an overall good experience at William Restaurant. The service was top notch and what you would expect from a fine dining restaurant of this quality. The atmosphere was nice, with a beautiful view of the bank of the island. The restaurant was a little warm when we arrived, and it took until nearly the end of our meal for them to open up some extra windows for things to cool off. The sommelier was excellent. We are not typically wine drinkers, but he was able to find us wine that we both enjoyed that paired really well with our meal.

The presentation of the food was very pretty and as you've seen in images on Google. I left three stars because the flavor left something to be desired. For the price, I had expected more. I found the lobster a bit fishy and chewy for my taste. I think the catch from their coast was parrotfish for our night (but I could be misremembering), but my first bite was a tad fishy (the rest of the dish was fine).

Overall, a good experience. I probably would try somewhere else rather...