One of the many joys of traveling is trying the local cuisine. I’m a big fan of making a list of must-try foods, and Madeira was no exception. From coffee to sweets, breads, and fresh seafood, we were always on our toes in terms of flavors. Each meal felt like a small window into the island’s culture, simple ingredients elevated by tradition, geography, and a deep appreciation for fresh, local fare. Whether we were sitting down for a leisurely meal or grabbing something quick between adventures, food became a central part of how we experienced Madeira. Below is the list we eagerly set out to complete, dish by dish, as we explored the island’s culinary offerings.

Drinks:

Coral: Is the local beer of choice and it was comparable to any other lager I’ve had, light and refreshing after a long day of walking around.

Brisa: This was one thing I was very curious to try. It’s the first soda made with pure passion fruit. It was sweet without being overwhelming and honestly I could see it being a new flavor of Fanta without the electric color added to it.

Poncha: Is a traditional alcoholic drink from the island, made with aguardente de cana (distilled alcohol made from sugar cane juice), honey, sugar, and either orange juice or lemon juice. I had mine with orange juice and unfortunately I’m not a juice person in general so I wasn’t a fan of this particular drink. I can see this being really refreshing, it just wasn’t for me.

Nikita: Was a lovely surprise treat considering its beer with coconut or pineapple. An odd combination but I was determined to really lean into this list. I opted for the pineapple flavor and let me tell you these are better that pina coladas. Me and Gav had to both get our own since I really didn’t want to share mine.

Galão: Is a coffee drink Similar to “café au lait” or “caffè latte”, meaning a weak coffee with a lot of frothed milk, served in a tall glass. Usually had in the mornings. Basically the closest thing I could get to a latte. Your girl cannot do black coffee or straight espresso.

Sweets:

Mandarin Chocolate: I made a whole trip to get these bad boys! I kept hearing how good the chocolate is and how I had to get some while on the island, but let me tell you, you’re gonna work for it! We literally went on a small hike to get them. I opted for a very large box of the artisanal chocolates and they lasted us our whole two week trip! We sparingly would have one a day as a special little treat and it was so silly and fun to really savor these little delights. The flavors were all over the place! From your typical mint, peanut butter, and fudge. Then the more daring flavors like rum, poncha, and pink pepper. We decided we had to try them all! The place I picked up these beauties is called UauCacau.

Pastel De Nata: Is a traditional Portuguese egg custard tart with a flaky, crispy puff pastry crust and a caramelized custard filling, often dusted with cinnamon or powdered sugar. You can also find these everywhere on the mainland. I recommend having these with a coffee.

Hearty Foods:

Espetada: Is the Portuguese term used for the technique of cooking food on skewers, and for the dishes prepared that way. We had a steak version when we tried it but chicken, pork, and seafood variations are also available. This was a hearty and filling dish I would have again.

Bolo do caco: Is the Madeiran version of garlic bread and I was in heaven! These little devils are slathered in butter and I loved every minute of them!

Calamari: Not traditionally a Madeiran food but the way we had it prepared here was unique. We had a more spicy, peppered, grilled version, instead of breaded and we still talk about it!

Side note! Everything is served with french fries, yes the american version of french fries. This was so funny to me that we traveled halfway across the world and every meal had the option of french fries. I still havent found a real answer as to why this was but various answers included to appease tourists and also that they are a good sharing dish.

What we didn’t get a chance to try, but wish we did:

• Lampas: Grilled limpets served in a skillet with garlic butter and lemon
• Queijadas: Are cheese tarts
• The exotic fruit pitanga
• Espada: Is scabbard fish with passion fruit. Every time I had the opportunity to order this I chickened out.
• Bolo do miel: Is a traditional honey cake