It is the best food we have tried in Madeira. They know how to make delicious food... simply amazing We have enjoyed it so much that we didn't realize it's closing time and just ordered dessert as well. They served us with no problems. If there would be possible, I would give 10 Stars so all the 1 and 2 star comments would disappear. 😁

Best food in Funchal, hands down! FINALLY a place that offers contemporary food with a unique twist, such a breath of fresh air compared to the other places in the area that all seem to offer the exact same dishes. Informal is also vegan/veggie friendly, we only had veggie & vegan dishes and all of them were delicious. The menu changes every week, which is also another big plus. In terms of service & atmosphere the place is also top notch, all waiters were extremely attentive & friendly and you could tell they know the menu/ingredients inside out, which is always a big plus. Would’ve given 6 stars if I could! Keep it up guys.

Delicious food, feels like a fine dining experience at a fraction of the cost. The lunch set menu includes a sweet potato bread starter, a choice of meat, fish, or vegetarian main, dessert and an espresso for only €12.50!! A really special find amongst the tourist traps !

This meal was the best we had in Madeira! Perfectly done veal chop paired with the flavorful Risotto makes me want to come back again soon! Definitely try out if you are visiting Funchal! They close relatively early, so don’t be too late to the restaurant (arrive before 20:00 would be better).

ABSOLUTELY DIVINE ! The food is delicious with bold and original flavours, the dishes are beautifully presented, the service is perfect, the atmosphere cosy. Vegetarians will also be happy: here, vegetarian dishes are as delicious as the other dishes on the menu! I highly recommend the plate of mixed dessert as you can try different outstanding creations (maybe a slight preference for the chocolate mouse with avocado, banana and nuts). The prices are not only affordable but also worth it!

Amazing meal. The best we've had, not only in Funchal, but Portugal (we have travelled for 2 1/2 weeks through Lisbon and the Azores too). The menu showed imagination and also consideration for vegetarian choices (not just the usual mushroom risotto). The food was a work of art on the plate - beautifully presented, and delicious. The service was efficient, friendly and helpful - making recommendations and suggestions. Reasonably priced too. A great ambience inside as well with the open kitchen so you could watch you meal being created. A definite must of you are in Funchal. Just wish I had one back at home like this!!

The best food I ever had! A must visit restaurant when on Madeira. The food is AMAZING! The waiters and cooks are so kind, the place is super cozy. I have eaten in a lot of restaurants, but never as good as with Informal! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!! BEST-DINER-EVER!

Excellent food and house wine. Shared four different tapas between two of us and they were all delicious and different to the usual restaurant meals in Madeira. The staff are clearly passionate about what they do and explain the ingredients in each dish when they bring them out. Highly recommended!

We went there spontaneously and got the last free table on the chiefs table. It was great, we talked with the chiefs and they explained us so much interesting things about the food and how it is made. The food is absolutely amazing, I think this was the best dinner I ever had. The dishes are made with so much love and details, they combine things with each other which fits just perfect. We reserved a table for the next day as well and tried something different from the menu and it was also amazing. If you are in Funchal, you have to eat there! I also think the prices are more than fair, we paid around 35€ per person for a starter, main, dessert and drinks (+tip). The service is also very good and the whole staff was so nice to us.

Took a while to get a reservation here but we are glad we tried again. All the food we tried (4 starters, 1 main and the sharing desert) was expertly prepared. Amazing tastes, good ingredients and good presentation for a very affordable price. We liked the vibe at the restaurant and the staff is very friendly and welcoming. Would recommend this place without hesitating.

We happen to stumble on this restaurant after a boat tour right when it was opening. We were lucky as they don’t take reservations, and open at 6pm, with a line of people. They take a second seating and I would say you need to put your name in the list no later than 6:50pm for the 7:30ish seating. The food was really good - we ordered the squid - highly recommend. We also ordered the veal and risotto and the fish of the day and risotto, which was parrot fish. Both meals were stellar and are good portions. We waited a bit long to get our bill, but it seems like they were busy with the turnover. I would recommend to others but get there a bit before opening! Wine list was very good and reasonable in prices.

Most excellent meal in Funchal! Me and my girlfriend were treated fantastically by the waiters who gave great recommendations for food and has a great personality! We ordered the salmon, calamares, black pork ribs, mussels, octopus and finished off with the bread pudding dessert! Great value for money at only 66 euros including 2 glasses of wine leaving us very full!

Absolutely fantastic. No a la carte but daily / weekly menus with superb choices. Friendly staff and the meals, ingredients are local, tasty and with a special twist from the kitchen. Best place in a long time! Loved it here.

To anticipate it, it was perfect. The location has a very pleasant vibe. The service was excellent, very accommodating and competent. And now to the most important thing, the food. It was excellent, both the wine, the main course and also the dessert were just great. An absolute must visit when you are in the city. 10 out of 10.

The best place in Portugal. Everything was excellent. My husband and I happened to sit in front of the kitchen. Luckily we could see how things happened in the back and it was incredible. Chefs are extremely busy but they seems happy with what they are doing. All staff were friendly. I would love to go back again. Highly recommend!!

We got here right at 6 and got the last table for 2- the chefs table which was fun to watch all the dishes being made. The only downsides of sitting at the chefs table is that you see all the dishes being made and start to regret what you order, and it gets a bit hit with all the cooking going on. We got the Mackreal and the mussels for a starter both were pretty good but I’ve had better mussels elsewhere. I think their star starter is probably the prawns. For mains we got the seafood rice (very good), and then the zucchini which was just okay- I would definitely get their fish over risotto, it looked real good. Wine was good, we skipped dessert for being jet lagged but all options including the sampler looked delicious. Service was a bit brief. Only men work here. They do not take reservations so show up around 5:45 or try again around 7:15!

We arrived early in the evening and the place was already crowded -> good sign! 👍🏻 We took a place at the bar with a great view to the open kitchen and we engaged into a great and joyful conversation with one of their Chef’s that told us also about some of the traditional Madeira dishes. We ordered a starter, a main dish and shared a dessert and the food has been delicious from start to finish! We will surely be back next time in Madeira - thanks to the INFORMAL team for such a nice dinner experience 🙏

Best food I’ve ever eaten in my life. Wow, we did get recommended this place for food, first time we tried to get there was 7pm in Saturday. Didn’t get a table then. We got in in Tuesday on lunch. It is small and cosy, you are live watching chefs to work on your food. The food was delicious, most delicate and the flavors was mixed so perfectly good. It was best experience really. Stuff is also nice and Menu cost just 15 euros. Starter + Main meal + dessert + coffee + water. Will get back for sure.

At this restaurant you can't book a table, you have to be there at (or better before) 18:00 when it opens, to get a table. If you are too late they put you on a waiting list. From our experience yesterday, the restaurant is filled at 18:20. We had each a starter/main/dessert and stayed around 1,5 hours, so we can assume if you miss the first service and are put on the waiting list, you can have dinner for the second service around 19:30. The service feels a bit rushed, waiters are running around and a bit pressing you to pick a dish and so on. This is because the restaurant is too big for the kitchen. The kitchen is the bottleneck and some customers were regularly asking if their dish were ready. We also waited around 30 minutes between the starter and the main. But I guess this is the price of success. Indeed the dishes were good, and we really enjoyed the food we had (vegetarian). We felt it was good value for money. Plus point for the playlist that night, with my girlfriend we really felt it was our playlist, a mix of jazz, blues and soul!

This restaurant came highly recommended by an old schoolmate, and it turned out to be the absolute best dining experience we had in Madeira. The cuisine was exceptionally fresh, expertly crafted, and the service was outstanding. The staff went above and beyond to accommodate my food allergies. We opted for the daily special, which included bread with tapenades, a delectable main course, a delightful dessert, coffee, and water, all for just 15€.

Informal Restaurante has a great location and it excels in making you feel cozy and welcome. They are very professional here and very helpful. They have an open concept kitchen so it was amazing to watch the food being prepared. Their sangria is also to die for, great for the the hot Funchal weather. The food is comforting and they use local products which you can taste in each bite. It is fresh and high quality, while also innovating. The flavors perfectly balanced which gives you a unique experience and you will want to return for sure. We enjoyed each minute spend here as it felt like home. Location -⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ Food - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Service - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ Overall vibe - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

I highly recommend this restaurant. Everything was very tasty, great prices, top class waiter service. We are very pleased and will be returning in the future. One of the best on the island.

We visited this lovely restaurant for our 6 year Anniversary on July 22nd 2023. We arrived around 5:45pm and waited in line for a table, we were seated inside (right at opening 6:00pm) where the kitchen was visible. The reviews we read mentioned there would be a line so we arrived early, and good thing we did because the waiting line grew to 22 people as we were leaving. My husband and I don't usually go out for dinner--but this place completely blew my socks off. We were sold to try it during our last few nights in Funchal. Wow wow! food was amazing, service was excellent, and the atmosphere of the restaurant, and staff was a true 5 star. We loved the way the staff interacted with each other-- felt like they were family. Never have we witnessed such a bond between those working in the kitchen and the waiting staff. It was a true delight and a memorable Anniversary for us!

Best restaurant we've eaten at in Funchal. General tip for Funchal is to eat only in the side roads, never on the main tourist strip. It is likely you'll have to queue outside, but it's totally worth it. The octopus was divine, please order this! Service was great, staff are friendly, funny, helpful and speak very good English, should you have any questions

I would recommend to come for a lunch (set menu 15€ each) and a dinner. Great food and service! Very attentive staff. We sat at the bar one night and watched them prepare everything. Definitely our favourite restaurant that we tried during our week in Funchal :)

We sat at the bar facing the kitchen and got to watch the chefs cook the food in person. It was a lovely atmosphere and the staff were incredibly friendly. My partner got the steak which was bursting with flavour. I had the octopus and it was lovely, amazingly soft and fresh. I also saw the veal being served and you get a very large portion of veal if you choose that. It’s better to get there around 6pm just as it opens. We left the restaurant around 7.30pm and a long queue started to form!

Some of the best food I have ever eaten! The service is impeccable and the food just the same. We got there around 6:45 and had to wait half an hour for a table but it's totally worth the wait. We had the octopus and the veal and both were out of this world, big portions too. We also had the tuna to start. Would 1000% recommend, one of the best restaurants.

Just pass by and I wasn’t disappointed. Just try it. They have an open kitchen and if you are at the bar you can talk with the Chef. Went there for dinner and lunch and I really enjoy the food. For dinner I had tuna tartar then the duck and the 3 chocolate desert with a glass of wine (43€). For lunch they have a set menu. You can choose the main course between meet, fish and vegetarian for 15€ (included water and expresso).

One of the best restaurants we've had the chance to try in Madeira! Truly a hidden (not so hidden) gem for foodies 🍽️✨ As a traveler who appreciates the laid-back atmosphere, I was delighted to stumble upon Restaurante Informal (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐). Tucked away in a charming corner, this unpretentious eatery offers an exquisite fusion of local and international flavors that cater to all palates. The ambiance is casual and inviting, with a lively, warm staff eager to make your dining experience memorable. I highly recommend the mouth-watering tapas platter and the daily specials, which showcase the chef's creativity and passion for fresh ingredients. A must-visit for food-loving travelers, Restaurante Informal provides an unforgettable gastronomic experience without breaking the bank. Don't miss out on this hidden gem!

Lovely little place in Funchal, recommended by a couple with whom we did a wine tour. So glad we went. They don't take reservations, and we showed up around 7 pm (they open at 6 pm), and waited just under an hour to be seated. They stopped seating guests shortly after 8 pm (so as not to rush the meal), and so the servers turned people away who were farther back in line (although did so in a timely manner, so they didn't waste too much time). So, plan to arrive early enough that if there's a line you can still make it in! We ordered one plate to share, and an entree for my husband and I had another starter as my meal. We also shared a dessert--I felt like I had no room, but then some was found! Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. Best was the duck, then the ravioli, then tempura (which was great, but a tad under salted and I wish there was more aioli). We had the honey cake for dessert, which was a big quenelle of cream with honey cake folded in, drizzled with honey and what I think was pulverized dried orange peel. Really tasty!! Wine list was incredibly reasonably priced (esp. by US standards), and we shared a great bottle of rose. Overall absolutely worth the wait. Loved watching the kitchen while sitting inside. I wish there was a restaurant this delicious and well priced where we lived!!

Fantastic food and unbelievable value. €15 set lunch with weekly changing menu which they post on their Instagram, offering a meat, fish and veggie option. The menu includes a starter, main, dessert and coffee. We arrived at 12.30pm on a Wed in November without a reservation, got seated immediately. The rest of the seats filled up before 1pm and had a few people waiting outside by the time we left. Starter of toasted bread with black olive tapenade and beetroot hummus was an okay start, although nothing to write home about. The grilled fish with lentils and veg was delicious. The favourite was the coffee sauce and the chestnut puree that came with the pork loin. Brownie with salted caramel mousse was a nice finish. The only negative was that I tried on two separate evenings beforehand to call and book but they didn’t pick up.

First night here and what a great meal to start the holiday. Me and my boyfriend really enjoyed the food here. We hade the freshly made ravioli and fresh fish tartar to begin with. For mains we ended up eat half of each others, because they where both so delicious, we had veal chop with mushroom risotto and fresh fish with beetroot risotto. Was so full but couldn't say no to a dessert so we shared a honey cake cassata with was creamy and sweet. Would definitely recommend this place, everything tasted so good and had good textures. Forgot to take photos of the starters because we were too quick in finishing them as they were too good 👍 Edit: we went again later in the week, worth booking in advance if you do want to go as easily gets busy for it's popularity!

We loved it! The open kitchen is fantastic, the staff were all very friendly and the food was delicious. Enjoyed the recommendation to eat the ribs with our hands :)

Damn, super nice restaurant! We had the ravioli as a starter and the veal chop and the parrot fish as mains. Topped of with some Poncha and beer. Everything was super tasty, service was top notch, we’ll come back!

A fresh and juicy veal steak that melted in my mouth. Also very tasty creamy risotto. Friendly service and nice food with high quality ingredients. Definitely visit again.

Amazing food, especially if you like fresh fish or seafood. I had a redbream, drilled octopus and salmon tartar - all were delicious, top quality. I recommend booking in advance as it’s always busy