Restaurante Montanha em Funchal

10/09/2024: We visit every year and while Phillipe has slowed down from his eccentric behaviour of years ago he remains a character. He is passionate about cooking and always strives to delight his customers. The food is always excellent. The restaurant is small and cosy. As Phillipe would agree it is not the place to bring children nor is there any outdoor dining but it is the ideal location for couples. Highly recommended.

20/07/2024: This place was very quaint. The entire staff seemed to be two people - a man and a lady. No idea if they were a couple and/or the owners but they certainly interacted like they had known each other and worked there a long time. The man was the chef, and came out to introduce himself to us and give thoughts from the menu. We loved that. The menu is variations on crepes, battered fish, and grilled meat. The lady did all the serving. The service was attentive and the food was good. The atmosphere was quaint - bit of faded glamour. The whole experience was charming. The downside was it’s a fair bit more expensive than other places nearby - €35 for a not very large fillet of fish, a little less for some pork. The red wine was quite pricey too. For two people for just mains and the middle bottle of wine we spent €120, which is rather a lot more than other places on the tourist strip of Estrada Monumental. All in all we were very happy with our visit but we can see why it’s rated expensive.