Madeiran Traditional Dinner in Funchal: Live Folk Show & Espetada

Dine on skewered beef and Bolo do Caco while a Madeiran folk band plays live

A traditional Madeiran dinner in Funchal pairs a three-course meal with live folk or fado performance, hotel pickup and drop-off included. You start with Madeira wine and the island's signature bread, move to the main course of espetada (skewered beef), choose between coffee mousse or fruit salad for dessert, and finish with coffee and a digestive Madeira liqueur. A guide travels with your group and translates in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Step-by-step itinerary

Traditional Madeiran dinner experience

• Arrive at local restaurant
• Enjoy Madeira wine starter
• Eat Bolo do Caco with garlic butter
• Choose and eat tomato or Caldo Verde soup
• Eat Espetada with sides
• Choose dessert: coffee mousse or fruit salad
• Drink coffee and Madeira liqueur
• Watch live Folk or Fado performance

The experience

What makes this dinner different is the espetada itself: the famous skewered beef cooked on a stick, a dish you'll find across Madeira but rarely served with this much ceremony. It arrives with french fries, vegetables, salad and fried maize, all typical of the island. Before it comes the Bolo do Caco, the traditional Madeiran bread with garlic butter, paired with either tomato or Caldo Verde soup. The wine list runs to red, white, beer and soft drinks. You can ask for refills, though the operator asks for moderation. Dessert is your choice between coffee mousse or fruit salad, then coffee and a digestive Madeira liqueur to close.

A live folk group performs while you eat (sometimes fado joins in as well), so the meal is never just food and drink. Your hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and a driver-guide travels with the group and handles translation. The restaurant itself is a local partner, so the operator arranges the transfer and the experience but does not run the kitchen. The whole evening runs between two and three hours from pickup to return.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from your accommodation.
• three-course meal with Madeira wine, traditional bread, soup, espetada with sides, and dessert.
• coffee and digestive Madeira liqueur.
• beer, wine and soft drinks throughout the meal.
• live folk or fado performance.
• driver-guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
• free WiFi onboard the vehicle.

Options for this experience

4 options

Pickup for North/South EastGuide in English, Spanish or Portuguese · 19:30 and 20:00Lasts 3 hours. Pickup from the Machico, Santa Cruz, Santana, Faial, Porto da Cruz and Caniçal area; pickup is included.

Pickup for Funchal and CaniçoGuide in English, Spanish or Portuguese · 19:30, 20:00 and 20:30Lasts 3 hours. Pickup from Funchal, Caniço and Câmara de Lobos, not from the Funchal port; pickup is included.

Pickup for South West MadeiraGuide in English, Spanish or Portuguese · 19:30Lasts 3 hours. Pickup from the Calheta, Ponta do Sol and Ribeira Brava area; includes pickup.

Pickup for North West MadeiraGuide in English, Spanish or Portuguese · 19:30Lasts 3 hours. Pickup from the Porto Moniz, Seixal and São Vicente area; pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesMonday, Friday and SaturdayDepartures at 19:30, 20:00 and 20:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Pearl of the Atlantic

Is this one for you?Choose a pickup zone that matches where you're staying on the island, since the transfer collects you from your hotel and returns you there. The evening runs two to three hours, so it fits easily into a night out without eating into the next day's plans.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What is espetada and why is it the main dish here?

Espetada is the island's most famous skewered beef, cooked on a stick and served as the centerpiece of Madeiran dining. It arrives with french fries, vegetables, salad and fried maize, all traditional sides, and is what most travelers come to this dinner to taste.

Do I get to choose what I eat, or is the menu fixed?

The menu is set for the main course and most of the meal, but you choose your soup (tomato or Caldo Verde), your dessert (coffee mousse or fruit salad), and your drink (red wine, white wine, beer, water or soda). You can ask for seconds of food and drinks within reason.

Is the live performance folk music or fado, or both?

The live group performs folk music from Madeira. Sometimes fado is added to the show as well. Both are traditional to the island and play throughout the meal.

How does the pickup work if I'm staying outside Funchal?

You choose your pickup zone at checkout: North/South East, Funchal or Caniço, North West Madeira, or South West Madeira. The driver collects you from your hotel and returns you there after dinner, so the transfer is included no matter where you're staying on the island.

What should I wear?

The dress code is smart casual, so comfortable clothes that are neat and put-together work well. It is a restaurant dinner with a performance, not a formal event.