O Portao: "The best Restaurant in the Old Town" Funchal Restaurant Tip by berghaus

The O Portao is situated near the large Porto Santa Maria Hotel near the Old Fort, in the Old Town area in Funchal.
This restaurant was an absolute gem, the understated exterior gave no clue as to the quality of the food, staff and atmosphere.
The interior was not too big or bright, ideal for that romantic meal. For a warm evening, there is also outside dining.
Alberto Camara and his staff were all excellent, very knowledgable about the food and wine. They were also genuinely friendly, often giving good advice about the meals that were available. There was none of the constant harrassment by staff that can normally be the case.
The kitchen and chef are on view at their work which was good to see. I thought that for the quality of the food, the prices were very reasonable.
The menu, gladly, was not huge, but had more than enough to challenge.
Every meal that we had there was superb, I am only sorry that we didn’t discover it sooner. Ah well, next time !
Well done O Portao.

Comparison: about average
Directions: in the Old Town area of Funchal
Price: US$11-20
Rating: 5
Theme: Local