Lapa Bay — Restaurant in Porto Moniz

Lapa Bay in Madeira, located within a 4-star hotel, offers a beautiful setting with stunning ocean views, making it an ideal spot for a leisurely lunch. The restaurant’s ambiance is undeniably one of its highlights, with a serene atmosphere and a lovely terrace overlooking the Atlantic, perfect for enjoying the island's coastal charm.

However, while the setting is impressive, the food didn’t quite live up to expectations. During our lunch, the dishes were fine, but they lacked the flavor and freshness we had hoped for, especially given the restaurant's reputation and prime location. The seafood, while fresh, felt a bit underwhelming in terms of seasoning and overall presentation. While nothing was outright bad, the meal didn’t quite reach the level you'd expect from a restaurant within a 4-star establishment.

On the positive side, the service was friendly and accommodating, and the staff did their best to ensure we were comfortable. Overall, Lapa Bay is worth a visit for its scenic views and relaxing atmosphere, but if you're seeking an outstanding culinary experience, you may leave feeling somewhat...

The setting was decent and service was fine but unfortunately the food was very disappointing. We ate here multiple times as this was our hotel's restaurant and honestly, there are really no excellent restaurants in Porto Moniz. So we tried multiple different dishes.

The menu sounds like a million bucks but none of the dishes are actually well thought out or well executed. Most dishes had a dozen elements that don't belong together, and many dishes had severe problems. For example, the pasta in the salmon "ravioli" tasted like it was cooked an hour ago and reheated. It was also way too thick. And the filling wasn't much better. The fennel in the fennel salad was inedible, so tough it was impossible to chew through. The "meringue" in the lemon tart was clearly prepared hours ago as it was completely chewy.

There was clear issues like this in almost every plate of food. Cannot recommend the restaurant as it is. To top it off, they add a 10% service fee by default, although you can ask it...

Overall, the experience was good, though nothing spectacular — especially considering the prices of the dishes. I wasn’t able to find a higher-rated restaurant in town, so I assume this is meant to be the fanciest option here, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to the hype, which was disappointing.

The food was decent, but nothing stood out, and in comparison to other places I visited on the island, particularly in Funchal, it just didn’t measure up. The best meals I had in Madeira were definitely in Funchal.

One thing that left a bad taste at the end was how the bill was handled. The waitresses pointed out the 10% discount for hotel guests, but quickly brushed over the fact that a mandatory 10% gratuity was already added — which felt a bit dishonest, especially given that the service was average at best. It came off as a...