Akua

Last minute reservation and sat at the Chef’s table and had a fun dinner. Amazing watching the chef work and orchestrate his masterpieces. Loved it all! Had shrimp curry in a decadent curry sauce, fresh bread to eat the sauce! Shared a 2 pp grouper over seafood rice. The grouper was plentiful and so yummy. Such a great vibe! A must try!

This is the second restaurant in Madeira that I highly recommend. I skipped their main and tried most of their appetizers/starters. They were so good that I kept ordering different ones and filled myself up with just those. All the starters has a balanced flavor profile except the dessert. The dessert had a lot going on. It was good but too complex and very rich. Overall this meal was a solid bang for the buck. The group seated next to me was revisiting the restaurant after trying it the day before- that is how much they loved it and I get it. I highly recommend.

We came to Akua after our dolphin tour in the afternoon, around 2 pm. We didn’t have a reservation, but they were very welcoming and offered us a table for two indoors. The place is cute, clean, and inviting. We tried their set menu. It did not disappoint! We started with homemade bread, olives, and white butter, followed by two tuna tartares. Next came sardines with aubergine and passion fruit (my favourite!), then two fried codfish tacos. For the main course, we had creamy carabinero and seafood rice, so tasty. And the cherry on top was the dessert 🤯white chocolate, black olive, and passion fruit 🔥 The service was good, although at times our server explained each dish a little too much. Other than that, everything was perfect, even the wine was great. We had a dry white, which paired beautifully with the meal. Overall, the experience was perfect, and I will definitely be back next time I visit Madeira. Highly recommend!

We had dinner here yesterday and chose the tasting menu, which was absolutely delicious and truly satisfying. The food was so good that we only managed to take two pictures we devoured everything else! The service was polite, attentive, and very well curated, while the atmosphere was charming and intimate. A lovely touch was that I had asked for a small surprise for my girlfriend’s birthday, and they kindly made it happen. Truly a top experience, one of the best restaurants we’ve tried abroad!

We had such a great time at Akua! It was a really unique experience, and the food was something special. We decided to go with the set menu for two so we could try more dishes — and honestly, everything was delicious. • The homemade bread with olive and white butter was a perfect start. So simple but really tasty — we loved it. • The tuna tartar was super fresh and a little different, in a good way. • The sardine with eggplant and passion fruit surprised us — such a great combo. We’d definitely order that again. • The fried codfish tacos were unique and full of flavor. • The grouper with seafood rice was amazing — kind of like paella, but with its own twist and so many layers of flavor. • And to finish, the white chocolate, black olive and passion fruit dessert was just the right sweet ending — unusual but it totally worked. The service really stood out too. Everyone was friendly and explained each dish to us, which made the whole experience even better. Shoutout to Wiktor, who was super kind and could speak several languages — that really impressed us. Would totally recommend Akua if you’re up for trying something creative and delicious in a welcoming place.

We visited this restaurant to celebrate my husband’s birthday, and it was an absolutely perfect choice. From the bread at the beginning to the dessert at the end, every single dish was fresh and full of flavor. 🍽️ Sitting at the bar was a real treat — watching the open kitchen and the chefs at work made the evening even more special. A truly memorable dining experience!

Fantastic restaurant for a special occasion in Funchal. The meals are very refined in terms of quality and presentation. Did not take pics of the mains but we went for tuna and beef and both were exquisite. It was a lovely experience to sit at the chef’s counter too.

Food and service was so good that I went twice on my trip to Madeira! The first time, we got there quite late and they were closing soon, but they still accommodated us for mains only. Even just the mains were enough to make me book a second night where we got several starters and mains. The portion sizes are a bit on the small side, but it was nice to share family style. For starters, the tuna tartare was supposed to be the special. There was a lot of the breaded bit. I wish there was a bit more tuna since it was marinated well. We also had the mackerel, which for us was perfectly salty. For mains, we had the fish over rice from the pic below that I can't remember the name. If I were to go back, I think I'd get more starters or get the tuna below. Service was great. The waitress was very knowledgeable and recognised me from the first night. We sat in the indoor upstairs area. The outdoor area looked nice for good weather, but it was a bit chilly.

Amazing value for refined spin on classic Madeiran flavors. We sat at the chef's table, which was amazing! We were totally enthralled watching the entire kitchen in action. Hard to pick a best dish as they were all so well executed. The homemade bread had a seaweed butter that added a nice umami flavor. The trout salmonada was briney with a base of pickled cabbage and passion fruit sauce that cut through the flavor perfectly. The tuna was fresh and cooked just right and came with a rich seafood rice. Highly recommend and we are hoping to be back later in the week!

food: best meal I've had in Portugal as a whole, love how the chef seems to have found a good balance between authentic & fine dining. Standout dishes: tuna tartare, seafood pasta I recommend getting the set menu for first time trying Service: all the staff was super nice, which is a breath of fresh air in Portugal, not everyone here is welcoming to foreigners Ambiance: pretty small interior so be ready for a packed room, it's nice seeing everyone's reactions to the dishes, I also enjoyed watching the staff work in the kitchen

If you're looking for a fine dining experience in Madeira or even just a tasty dinner, this is not it. I recommend going elsewhere. We ordered the set menu and were sorely disappointed in basically all of the dishes. Started off with the bread, which may have been the best thing we had. There was really nothing too special about it though, just a large loaf of sourdough bread with some butter and extremely lemony olives. The tuna tartare wasn't also just okay. A mix of small tuna chunks with soy sauce and some seaweed in a fried cone. Basically just tasted like a lot of soy sauce. The sardines came with eggplant, pepper, passion fruit sauce, and tomato sauce and it was a very odd and not very tasty combo. Basically just tasted each thing separately without the flavors blending together at all. Also just a very mushy dish without any crunch or difference in texture. The tacos were my least favorite thing though. Maybe I'm not a huge fan of bacalhau but also, the sauce was just too cloyingly sweet for my taste and I honestly couldn't even finish it. The seafood rice was extremely salty and very fishy, but at least they gave you a decent number of shrimp and clams. The grouper was just okay, minus the couple of bones still in the filet. Dessert was decent, although again kind of a weird mix-up of flavors and textures. Overall, this just felt like a dining experience that was trying too hard to be something it's not. The redeeming quality was at least all the wait staff and chefs were very nice and pleasant!

I had been excited to try Akua by Chef Júlio Perreira. The restaurant was small and had a pleasant ambience, I loved sitting at the pass to watch all the food prep and plating/styling. I am lactose intolerant and felt disappointed that there was no alternative for the crunchy cone for the tuna tartare nor the tacos, but the servers were helpful when I asked them for advice on what I should avoid on the menu. I felt that the staff could have been a little more attentive, but overall a great experience even for solo dining. A lot of Chef Perreira's restaurants are meant for 2 person dining, so the "half" pricing and portions can be a little uneven. I'd highly recommend to go in a group so that you can try the larger plates. The sardine starter is iconic, and it's fun to watch the chefs torch and plate this dish. I enjoyed the tuna tartare, and the ceviche was unique and textural. I'd come back to try the rice and beef plates, and enjoyed watching the couples next to me try the tasting menu. Lovely experience!

Amazing tapas . Fun atmosphere bar seating where you can watch chef prepare meal. Nice wine list

This will go down as one of the best meals I've had period. All of the dishes were so delicately crafted and clearly a lot of thought and passion went into creating them. The muscles with a Thai style curry sauce were delightful. You could drink the sauce! Recommend having it with some bread! The bread and butter with seaweed flakes was delicious. I could eat it all night. The staff really cares about you having a great experience and they take their time to explain the menu items to you and help you make good decisions on what to order. Hospitality is some of the best I've seen.

Exceptional experience! Everything we tried was incredible and one of the best servers I've ever had. Absolutely must go! Would give 6 stars.

Michelin quality in every respect. Menu primarily of fish is absolutely outstanding. We had the tasting menu which was superb in quality and quantity. Restaurant property was simply elegant. Service provided by Victor was flawless.

Absolutely delicious food, pleasant staff and wonderful overall experience. Highly recommend trying while visiting the island.