Where to eat at and around Hotel Quinta do Furão
The quinta's own restaurant, open since 1993, is the main table: a rustic dining room with two big fireplaces, a sheltered veranda over the sea, and Madeiran and international cooking built on organic and local produce, from beef espetada on a bay-laurel skewer (€27) and black scabbardfish stew (€22) to octopus à lagareiro and meat and fish from a charcoal grill. Il Furetto, opened in 2023, bakes naturally fermented pizzas from €15.50, and both take bookings online. There is also a pub with a fire and a billiard table, the Four Seasons Bar for cocktails, and a wine cellar for tasting and buying Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey. Nothing else is within an easy walk, so you will want a car or a taxi: the places below are 7 to 11 minutes away by car.
On our shortlists
Close by, on foot or by car
Serra e Mar
7 min by carSmall family restaurant in Santana · €€
A small family restaurant on a side street in Santana that does the island's classics well and without fuss. Order the beef espetada on its skewer, the grilled octopus or the tuna steak, look at the day's specials for a beef stew, and leave room for the passion-fruit cheesecake or mousse. It opens from 8am to 8.30pm Monday to Thursday, closes for the afternoon on Friday, and is shut on Saturdays and Sundays. The dining room is small, so book.
Reserve aheadRua Cónego Fernando Vaz Historiador 12, Santana
- 7 min by car
Madeiran dining room, open every day · €€
The restaurant of Hotel O Colmo on Santana's main avenue, with a wood oven in the middle of a rustic room and a menu of Madeiran and Portuguese meat and fish. The chef's suggestions are the regional espetada, tuna belly and a pudding called Alegria das Crianças; the traditional soups and the octopus are good too, and the local dishes beat the pasta. It opens every day from 7.30am to 10pm, which makes it the answer on a Saturday or Sunday evening. Tables can be booked online.
Reserve aheadAvenida Manuel Marques da Trindade 42, Santana
Sabores Santiago
8 min by carWine and snacks bar for lunch · €
A cosy wine and snacks bar on the main avenue for a cheap, good lunch between walks. Order the garlic limpets, the fried alheira sausage, mussels in cream or the pot of chicken, prawns and octopus, with a glass of lemon poncha, the island's sugar-cane rum, honey and lemon drink. It opens for lunch only, from noon to 3pm, Monday to Saturday, and is closed on Sundays. Some dishes are not on every day, and the choice for vegetarians is small. Walk in.
Walk inAvenida Manuel Marques da Trindade 28, Santana
- 8 min by car
Family bakery and café for breakfast · €
A family pastry shop on the main avenue, started more than 20 years ago when its founder began selling homemade bread, and the place for coffee and something sweet on the way to the trailheads. Bolas de Berlim are made every day, filled with custard, Nutella or Kinder Bueno, and there are pastéis de nata, Madeira's bolo de mel and fresh orange juice; the artisan bread is baked from Wednesday to Sunday. It opens every day from 7am to 8pm, with tables outside. Walk in.
Walk inAvenida Manuel Marques da Trindade 28, Santana
Cantinho da Serra
10 min by carRustic Madeiran cooking from a wood-fired oven · €€
A rustic country restaurant in the hills above Santana, on the road up towards the Queimadas trailhead, cooking Madeiran and mainland dishes in a wood-fired oven. Order the rabbit, the beef stew or the rump steak, or ask for the meat of the day, with the house wine. Portions are large, so arrive hungry. It opens every day from noon to 10pm and fills up at busy times, so book for dinner, especially at weekends. It suits a late lunch on the way back from the Caldeirão Verde.
Reserve aheadEstrada do Pico das Pedras 57, Santana
Calhau de São Jorge
10 min by carSeafood and grill by a stony cove · €€
A modern restaurant down at sea level by the stony cove at Calhau de São Jorge, below the quinta's own cliff, with a patio facing the waves. Order grilled limpets and bolo do caco with garlic butter to start, then the fish of the day with seafood risotto or the slow-smoked beef brisket, and the passion-fruit crème brûlée. It keeps daytime and early-evening hours and closes early in the week, so check before you drive down; the fit can walk it in 38 minutes on the old Caminho Real. Indoors can be cool: blankets are offered.
Reserve aheadCaminho Real 23, Calhau de São Jorge, Santana
Casa de Palha
11 min by carFamily restaurant in a thatched cottage · €€
A family restaurant in São Jorge in a thatched cottage of the kind Santana is known for, with a dining room and tables outside. The menu leans to the island: watercress soup, soup served in a bread bowl, octopus and bacalhau, with sweet potato as the side, then tropical-fruit ice cream or passion-fruit pudding. It is closed on Mondays, and its other hours change with the season, so check before you go. Go at lunch, when it is quieter.
Reserve aheadRua Padre Francisco Marques de Mendonça 5, São Jorge
Breakfast
Breakfast is included in every rate the hotel sells, served as a buffet in the hotel each morning, with regional fruit on the table. The hotel does not publish its breakfast hours, so ask at check-in. For a change, or a coffee and a pastry on the way to the trailheads, Delícias da Bia in Santana, 8 minutes by car, opens at 7am every day for bolas de Berlim, cakes and coffee.
The best places to stay in Madeira
Ten hotels, each here for a different reason.
The escapeHotel Quinta do Furão
Santana · From about €245
The iconReid's Palace, A Belmond Hotel
Funchal · From about €825
The viewThe Cliff Bay
Funchal · From about €385
The grand oneSavoy Palace
Funchal · From about €495
The insider oneBarceló Funchal Oldtown
Funchal · From about €225
The smart moneyHotel Madeira
Funchal · From about €150
The hideawayCasa Velha do Palheiro
São Gonçalo · From about €320
The family oneVidaMar Resort Hotel Madeira
Lido · From about €355
The adults-only oneSentido Galomar
Caniço de Baixo · From about €220
The design oneEstalagem da Ponta do Sol
Ponta do Sol · From about €225
Things to do from Hotel Quinta do Furão
The nearest of the experiences we would book, by car from the hotel.
The forest levadaCaldeirão Verde levada walk, with a return transfer
From €424.8(1,300)15 min by car
The west, by jeepWest Madeira by 4x4: Fanal forest, Seixal and the Porto Moniz pools
From €695(650)44 min by car
The food and wineA food and Madeira wine walking tour of Funchal
From €954.8(550)45 min by car
Whales, on a big catamaranWhale and dolphin watching from Funchal on a catamaran
From €354.6(7,900)46 min by car
Car hire in Madeira
On the cliff above Santana, a 51-minute walk from the town along the road, with the Caldeirão Verde trailhead 15 minutes and Funchal about 50 by car; the hotel has parking on the estate.
Read the car hire guideOpens Expedia’s car search at that airport for your trip dates, or for a week starting a fortnight from today. You book and pay with Expedia.
Questions people ask
Good questions about Hotel Quinta do Furão
Where can I eat near Hotel Quinta do Furão?
The quinta's own restaurant, open since 1993, is the main table: a rustic dining room with two big fireplaces, a sheltered veranda over the sea, and Madeiran and international cooking built on organic and local produce, from beef espetada on a bay-laurel skewer (€27) and black scabbardfish stew (€22) to octopus à lagareiro and meat and fish from a charcoal grill. Il Furetto, opened in 2023, bakes naturally fermented pizzas from €15.50, and both take bookings online. There is also a pub with a fire and a billiard table, the Four Seasons Bar for cocktails, and a wine cellar for tasting and buying Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey. Nothing else is within an easy walk, so you will want a car or a taxi: the places below are 7 to 11 minutes away by car. Serra e Mar, 7 min by car. O Colmo, 7 min by car. Sabores Santiago, 8 min by car.
Our verdict
The quinta to book when the walks are the point: a vineyard on the cliff, the levadas and Pico Ruivo within half an hour, and a fire and a pool to come back to. Check availability for a Premium Room.