Madeiran seafood in funky Zona Velha

Madeiran specialities in Funchal’s Old Town

By Charlotte Malakoff

There are many things I would like to come back for in Madeira, in particular the experience of eating out. There’s something to suit everyone, from the 2 starred Michelin restaurant Il Gallo d’Oro at the Cliff Bay Hotel, where a two course meal costs Euros 65, to the Penha Franca Mar restaurant close to the sea, where you can have grilled sardines, chips and salad for Euros 9.

 One of our most exciting evenings out was to O Tasco, a restaurant in Funchal’s Zona Velha (Old Town), once the home of dilapidated 19^th C fishermen’s cottages and merchants’ houses, but now the place to hang out, with funky bars, countless restaurants and art shops. O Tasco is just off the beaten tourist track, at the convergence of three narrow alley ways, a few metres above the Fort of Sao Tiago, built in the 15^th C to defend Funchal from pirates.

 O Tasco specialises in Madeiran seafood, and is popular with both tourists and local residents. We sat inside, and inserted a red pin and a 2 bond note onto the large wall map, to show that we had come from Harare. We were happy to see four or five more pins encircling Harare.

 The wait staff were young, efficient and formal, looking as though they could have had second jobs playing the violin or the double bass in an orchestra. They brought us a selection of tapas-style starters – limpets (lapas), salted skipjack and octopus, to be eaten with a spicy chilli dip and bolo de caco, a popular Madeiran bread, often served with buttered garlic. In contrast to the flavours of fish, garlic, salt and olive oil, we sipped Planalto, a dry white from the Douro region.

 Trigger fish – known here as Peixe Porco because it grunts when caught – was a comparatively expensive fish, having a firm white flesh, almost sweet in flavour but with decidedly umami tones. This was the star of my main course which included fresh tuna, crisp-fried roe from the scabbard fish, a fierce-looking, needle-toothed fish living in the depths of the Atlantic ocean. Side dishes were beetroot vinaigrette with onion, milho frito (squares of fried cornmeal) and roasted mbambaira, all Madeiran favourites!

 While smiling chefs cooked up a storm in the small galley kitchen behind the counter, quietly attentive owner Marco Silva continued to replenish our wine glasses. The setting sun cast a pink glow over the narrow streets and the sea below the fort, as we finished our feast. At Euros 90 for four people, it was not the cheapest or the most expensive meal, but it was authentically Madeiran, and presented with style. A place to revisit and make your own!

 Walking back towards the harbour, descending the cobbled streets can be tricky, so leave your stiletto heels at home when visiting the Old Town. Night had fallen, lights shone everywhere, and the narrow streets were crowded with diners and revellers seated at the tables and chairs of numerous restaurants and bars. The alley way led to a small square, where two musicians, a young man and a woman, both wearing large hats decked with flowers, were singing and dancing to a version of Ben E King’s Stand By Me. Two days later, a gospel choir would sing the same song in Windsor Castle, at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding.

 We reached the waterfront and promenade, where we found yet more restaurants and bars. Madeirans know how to enjoy themselves, and while there is a welcoming cafe or restaurant at every street corner, there are many hidden gems to discover off the beaten track.

 O Tasco

Rua Bela de Sao Tiago 137

Funchal

Madeira

Tel: 291 623 374

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