NUA Restaurant

NUA is a breakfast and brunch restaurant on Rua da Carreira, in the São Pedro district of central Funchal. Its name means naked in Portuguese, a nod to a style of cooking that is natural and stripped of artifice. The menu is fully vegetarian, with a wide range of vegan and gluten-free options, and an open kitchen lets guests watch the team at work.

The restaurant puts local produce first: it works directly with farmers on Madeira and uses organically grown produce whenever possible, looking to the closest responsible source for anything the island cannot supply. Because the kitchen follows the seasons there is no fixed menu, and the team aims to keep waste to a minimum.

Food is served buffet-style, in small portions that are replenished through the day, so that guests can taste and combine many dishes; egg and tofu dishes can be ordered in addition, and Sundays bring a signature brunch with courses served at the table. Vegetables, fruit, herbs and roots take the place of meat and fish.

NUA serves from the morning until mid-afternoon and recommends booking, especially at weekends. It is easy to reach on foot or by city bus, a few minutes' walk from the Plaza Madeira shopping centre and about ten minutes from Funchal Cathedral, with paid parking in the surrounding streets.