Issue1 TasteBound compressed - Flipbook - Page 108
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Madeira, Portugal
Traditionally seen as a sleepy escape for seasoned travellers,
Madeira has long appealed to those in search of rest over
revelry. While Funchal (the island's capital) still charms with
its jacaranda-lined promenades, mellow climate and bay leafscented dishes, it’s quietly undergoing a transformation. A flurry
of hotel launches, improved transport links and no fewer than
five restaurants that earned their first Michelin star this year
(Ákua, Audax, Avista Ásia, Gazebo, Oxalis) are nudging the city
towards that elusive status of gastronomic destination.
The newly launched Three House Hotel (doubles from £120)
is a great base for exploration – its 13 serviced apartments in the
centre of town living up to their claim of being a ‘home away
from home’, albeit one with a saltwater rooftop pool and fresh
pastries dropped off on the doorstep each morning. Classics
continue to offer great value. Quinta da Bela Vista (doubles
from £150) encapsulates the attentiveness and elegance of
old-world hospitality. If the lush gardens of this colonial-era
house perched above Funchal don’t win you over, the crème
brûlée with Madeira wine in its Manor House dining room will.
Just don’t mistake ‘classic’ for ‘stuffy’. Though set adrift
some 600 miles from mainland Portugal (making it closer to
Africa than Europe), Madeira’s sun-ripened produce attracts
ambitious young chefs to the island. Take Filipe Janeiro of
Gazebo. There’s no foam, no fuss and no heavy linen drapery in
his high-flying restaurant; just a showcase of island ingredients
and cutting-edge cuisine served up in a traditional, timeless
setting. Tables are nestled in corners of his family home and
a highlight for the young team is the monthly tasting menu
hosted around a communal table (five courses, £70pp). In
Funchal, time-honoured elegance and new-school ambition now
share the stage. The result? Something well worth travelling for.
How to get there? Several airlines offer direct flights from the
UK to Funchal, with multiple flights (approx. 4 hours) a day
scheduled until the end of the summer season.
Opposite: Quinta da Bela Vista. Clockwise from top left: Dreams Madeira Resort Spa & Marina in Caniçal; a Three House Hotel apartment; arroz cremoso de
carabineiro; Gazebo, one of five Madeira restaurants to have won a Michelin star this year; the island’s sun-ripened produce; a tamarillo; Casa Velha do Palheiro
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