A Pipa restaurant & bar — Restaurant in Machico

The best experience we had in Madeira for sure. We visited the restaurant early in the afternoon on a Saturday, so the place was as busy as it gets, still we were seated in under 10 minutes (make sure to look for the woman with the notepad, she has the waiting list, after that you will be called). We ordered the small picado as a starter (although it's a main) at it was extremely well made, the fries were fresh and properly crispy and salted, the beef was tender and the wine glaze was mouth-watering. We ordered the seafood rice which as advertised took over half an hour to be made but boy was it worth it. It was a really delicious seafood dish which was 100% made to order from fresh ingredients. We even got asked if we would like a spicy sauce (some kind of oil), it completed the dish to be honest quit perfectly. The service was just like anywhere on the island, there are no set waiters so feel free to ask any of them if you want more drinks or anything. Since we spent around 2 hours there most of the people left and it got pretty chilled in the afternoon and just a lovely...

I had high hopes for A Pipa Restaurante, but unfortunately, my experience was far from good. I ordered grilled squid, which was disappointing. It tasted like soap and had way too much garlic. The garlic was overwhelming, and they didn’t even ask if we wanted it on the dish. Not everyone enjoys garlic, so it would’ve been nice if they had checked before adding it. My husband ordered octopus stew, and it was so bad that it made him feel nauseous the entire evening. I’m not sure if the octopus was old, if it was the onion in the dish, or the tomato sauce, but he was extremely uncomfortable after eating it. The whole night he felt like he might throw up, and he even ended up with severe diarrhea. He ate the meal around 4/5 pm, so it’s safe to say it wasn’t something we’d expect from a restaurant.

On top of the poor food, the customer service from the waitress was also lacking. The service wasn’t attentive or friendly, which just added to the disappointment.

Given the quality of the food and the lackluster service, I cannot recommend...

The best place to eat in Madeira in my opinion. Dishes are all so well prepared, as well as Poncha is the strongest one I had on the island 🏝️🤣 dangerously tasty! The staff and the owner are so helpful and friendly. Thanks to my private local guide Nuno introduced me to this place and I visited here three times during my short stay.

They do not take reservations and you can either turn up as soon as they open or wait at the door once you leave your name with them. There is an outdoor seating area where you can dine as well if you don't mind the direct sun ☀️. We had a quick round of Poncha while waiting for the table.

Grilled muscles and lapas were so delicious with their home made chilli sauce. Gambas and grilled octopus were so delicious as well! We also had fish stew which was a very generous portion! Wine 🍷 was delicious and well priced! I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by saying this but everything was so cheap! 😅

A round of rum shots with all the staff ending my trip on this...