Category: Bars

Esquina da Rochinha

https://g.co/kgs/p2LeYyk

We are learning. Not all businesses in Funchal have signs. Case in point, this place. No way to know other than to look in the window. The definition of no frills. For those curious, “Esquina” means corner. This place is at the bottom corner of a street named Rochinha, which also happens to be the name of the area we live in. It is the street up to Rochinha.

This is a local restaurant/bar. We stopped in for a poncha, of course. It was late one night on our way to hike up the hill back to our place. No English, good sign. We are brushing up on our ordering skills. The guy behind the bar is a maestro. Excellent poncha. They always make a little more than they need, he got a kick of me going back and asking for “el resto”.

We live up a very steep hill. I have a feeling this might become our regular stop to power up for our constitutional.

Didn’t try the food but it looks very good. Will update again once we have.

We are loving the Madeirans. So welcoming. Lots of love.

Sé Boutique Hotel Terrace Bar

We always like a rooftop bar and Funchal is an excellent place for them because the views are so stunning generally everywhere. The Terrace Bar at the Sé Boutique Hotel is a kitschy cozy one with good drinks (excellent cocktail menu) and a very chill vibe. It’s very centrally located too. They also do food, so we’ll have to go back again. Our first visit was a bit of a cloudy day, but I still enjoyed it. Considering it was in winter, I have no complaints at all.

https://g.co/kgs/jx1tziM

Restaurante Novidade

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Hj6CgkduU3isytqC9

If you are looking for a very traditional dive bar/sandwich shop, look no further. No one in the joint speaks a bit of English, the poncha is excellent, and the sandwiches are heavenly.

I had a tuna sandwich as a dentinho (finger food that comes with your drink). I honestly thought it was roast pork for the first 2 or 3 bites. Simply delicious.

The lady behind the bar is Kim’s “poncha queen” and boy does she make them strong. No fancy poncha stick for her, no everything goes in a honey jar that she shakes until perfect. Not the way it is supposed to be done, but nothing fancy here. Honestly, might be my favourite poncha.

Kimberly’s Edit: It’s definitely a local’s spot and apparently the place where a lot of the market vendors go, as it is right across the street. I appreciate her no-nonsense approach.

Rei da Poncha

Probably the most famous place for poncha in all of Funchal is Rei da Poncha, not far from the Zona Velha. They also have a shop located just down the block where you can buy branded stuff to make your own poncha at home (something I have been doing a lot of lately).

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qjFwrKeDzHy5ymS86

It is, indeed, excellent poncha, though I admit that I also have a weakness for the hole in the wall places. They’ve got a wide selection and a lot of turnover, so it’s always busy as far as I can tell. And, as you can see from this video of Tony, you definitey get “poncha” face when drinking there.

360º Bar at the Vine Hotel

https://maps.app.goo.gl/iEukyYFP9sEYQrGM7

We stopped by this bar on a house hunting trip. We were there late afternoon on a grey day so no one was there. The view is amazing, a little bit back form the coast but still very nice. Our bartender was super helpful and gave us some restaurant recommendations for local food.

We had the usual ponchas. They were at the high end of the price scale, but that’s what you get at a nice hotel bar. Would definitely go back when the weather is nice.