La Terraça — Restaurant in Santa Cruz

I was desperetly looking for some classic Madeiran cuisine on my last day because I didn't have Estapada yet.

I think I was very lucky to get to this place!

First impressions are quite good, interior is quite 80's as many other places in Madeira. Service was very good and helpful altough they seem quite distanced at first, later they opened up and we even cracked some jokes.

Most importantly food - We had shrimps, estapada and Octopus with a range of sides. Everything was super delicious. Meat was very tender, cooked perfectly and flavored to my liking. Same for octopus, might have been best I ever tried! Shrimps I wasn't a fan of - maybe a little overdone for my liking?

Sides were delicious as well, especially Milho Frito - best ones I had during vacations. Super crunchy on outside and soft in the middle. Fries were good as well.

For salad I cannot say much, anyone who's been to Madeira knows the idea of side salad here is specific ;)

We also tasted homemade wine, which went very well with the beef.

Dinner was finished with complementary shot of delicious Madeiran wine.

I will definitely visit this place again when I come...

So... Background first. We are a family of 4 adults travelling from England and visited Madera to see my son's GF's family The food here is fantastic and a step away from the tourist driven menus in Funchal. The views are spectacular. Jose Manuel - owner will do whatever you want! Top tip - Jose will organise transport for small groups, send an email, ideally in Portuguese (copy and paste into Google translate) and include the English text also, underneath for reference.

Jose will also organise a whole island tour - ideal for a group of 7 or 8 people. He will tailor a road trip to wherever, whenever and however long you like.

We did the East side of the Island in a 9 hour day and he even sorted (reserved) a place for lunch, so we could jump the queue up on arrival.

Awesome Customer...

What I had to eat: Bolo do caco. Espeto Madeira. Fries. Home made Ice cream.

Atmosphere: Lovely atmosphere. Dark red, perhaps a sort of romantic more atmosphere.

The Staff: My waiter was awesome. Unware of his name. I would describe him as the big guy, always making jokes. He understood wine quite perfectly. He was able to explain the dishes and give recommendations. He also checked to ensure everything was okay every so often.

The Food: The meat was seasoned perfectly. Garlic, salt and louro. The perfect combination for the meat. It was tender and felt like butter in my mouth. The home made Ice cream was delicious, it was not sweet like a usual ice cream would be. It has a subtle taste. It contains nuts. Lovely taste.

The price: You get quality for the price. Recommend...