Engenho Velho Hotel Restaurante

We came as vegetarians on our last evening in Madeira and left before finishing our food. I can’t understand all the good reviews. Maybe the fish and meat are better, but our meal tasted like cheap hotel buffet food, with hardly any herbs, spices, or care. The dinner started with a dirty glass. Inside, it felt like a big hotel breakfast room, with dirty windows and a lot of noise. The polenta, bread, and olives were okay, but the mains were a letdown. The lentils and rice, listed as stewed, seemed like dry rice with canned, possibly precooked lentils. It had no flavor and cost 15 Euros. The vegetable lasagne was also very bad for 15 Euros, with frozen vegetables, loads of cheese, and what seemed like cheap ready-made sauce, but no seasoning or heart. After we shared our feedback, the server offered us a beer as an apology.

The restaurant has been great too, with tasty food and nice service from the waiters. Their cheese and ham board was good, and I’ve never had a better tuna steak. We’re enjoying our stay so far. The rooms are clean, spacious, and have amazing views. It’s a calm, quiet area with hardly anyone around, and a handy base for driving to most island attractions.

Getting around worked best with a rental car, or by taxi to Funchal, about a 30 minute drive. We stayed in Calheta in May, at the start of the season, and there wasn’t much to do nearby. The service was poor for such a high price. The hotel seemed understaffed, breakfast was poor, and reception was almost never staffed. Calls went unanswered, and nobody took the initiative to explain the area or help guests find their way. We wouldn’t recommend it.

We hadn’t booked, but they had no trouble fitting us in. The food was delicious and the portions were so big we couldn’t finish dinner. We took the leftover fish to feed the local stray cats, and they gave it five stars too.