Olives Restaurante

We had a great meal here. The owner lived in the UK for 18 years and the menu is delectable. I had the best vegan cheese ever!

This place is a vegans dream in Madeira, they have a few vegan options, and the food is delicious.
It is in a bit of a funny shopping centre type building, but once you are in it's fine. They have a lovely balcony with nice views.

This is a wonderful little restaurant hidden from street view in the 2nd floor of a non-descript building that looks like an office block. The restaurant has an outside patio area that looks out onto Funchal harbour and upward to the magnificent mountains.
They have 2 separate menus - one for meat eaters the other for vegetarians and vegans. It is obvious the chef and waiters understand vegetarianism and veganism and are able to discuss and advise on menu choices. The chef was able to offer all the vegetarian options as vegan which enhanced choice substantially. The chef and waiting staff are very attentive and interested in customer questions and comments. All wine choices are vegan and local which is fantastic.

I visited Olives again for lunch in December 2016 during another cruise. I ordered mushroom and cashew salad, as a vegan option, not realising it was served warm, with mini corn cakes and tomatoes. Luis's presentation is always topnotch and appealing to the eye and the dish was an excellent choice.

I then had a vegan version of the vegetarian filo parcel dish, its stunning presentation, topped with a paper thin wafer on top, filled with finely shredded sauteed vegetables was outstanding. Apparently the filo pastry contained egg, so Luis made this specially and how he created the shape I have no idea, its a trade secret, it was crisp, light and added texture to the dish. The main component was chickpea flour cooked like wet polenta, layered with roast vegetables and pesto, wow it was good and how inventive.

Luis is so enthusiastic about his vegan cooking, he said he found it challenging for him as a chef, instead of vegetarian and I take my hat off to him for his interest. Apparently there is a growing vegan community in Madeira, so how lucky are they, to have Olives to dine and be looked after by the ever conscientious Luis, who knows what vegan means.

I cannot recommend Olives highly enough and I will definitely be back, when next in Madeira.

Olives Restaurant is located on the third floor of an art deco building, right in the middle of Funchal and is accessible via a lift inside. I contacted chef/proprietor Luis Oliveira, who informed me they had a vegetarian and vegan menu, with choices for both starter and main courses. I have been to Funchal loads of times and never dined out, as I have been unable to find anywhere offering vegan options so Olives is a life saver.

I chose the avocado and tamarillo salad with a hot chilly sauce, it was delicious and beautifully presented. I really wanted to try the organic tofu and chickpea stew with seeded bread, but with allergies to soya and sunflower seeds, I went for the stuffed pepper, an excellent choice, it was so tasty.

I chose a Portuguese rose wine by Ribafrexio which has Vegan Society registration, so I really was in vegan heaven. I had lovely fruits with sorbet for dessert which was looked as fantastic on the plate as my other two dishes and was light and refreshing to finish.

Olive's Restaurant is a fantastic place and Luis and all the staff are so friendly and welcoming, so any vegans visiting Funchal, Olives has to be top of your priority list if you want to dine out.





Updated from previous review on 2017-01-03

This was the only restaurant that we found in Madeira which actually labeled vegan items on their menu. The food was really fantastic and laid out beautifully. They didn't have a vegan dessert on their menu, but offered an apple crumble which they made on the spot. The view was lovely and the food was really good. They even garnished the desserts with mint growing on the terrace next to us. It was certainly one of the more expensive meals we had, but worth it.

Tasty vegan food. The service was friendly and courteous. If you are in Madeira or especially in Funchal, you have to visits this place.

This really is a gem of a place to have on Madeira Island.
I went with my partner who is omni and we both had a fantastic three-course lunch which was beautifully presented. We were stuffed but what the heck - we were celebrating our 17-year anniversary! Really good vegan options for me - I normally have one or two choices so was spoilt! The vegan apple crumble with sorbet was the best I have ever had.
The staff were amazing - we had a greeter, a waiter and a chef all to ourselves who all came to check all was ok (the restaurant was empty apart from us, which is odd as it was around 1 pm so a normal time for lunch in southern Europe).

Excellent vegetarian (and vegan) food, creatively presented. Deserts specially recommended. Friendly and well-informed staff. Also covers for gluten allergy. Spacious balcony with a great view and a beautiful little herb garden.

Had superb vegetarin meals at Olives while on holiday a few weeks ago. Not your normal 'tourist' restaurant- was top class, and proprietor was happy to cater for specific needs (nut allergy/gf). It's not solely a vegetarian/vegan menu, but catered for us well and imaginatively - no veggie lasagne in sight! The owner shows a real passion for quality food, including growing his own produce around the outside veranda, from where there is a great view down to the see.

Great restaurant with lots of great vegan and vegetarian options!! The super friendly chef made me a great raw vegan dinner according my wishes which tasted delicious. Other staff is super nice too. It's not expensive and the quality is very good!

We struggled to find Olives Restaurant at first as we had no mobile network connection & access to navigation but after looking at the veggie items on offer at other restaurants, we were so glad when we finally DID find it.

It was pretty late for lunch by then and during the week, so the restaurant was very quiet. The layout is a bit unusual with the tables on the floor arranged around a staircase from below - the restaurant can be accessed via the lift.
The service was very good and the food beautifully presented and tasty. The chef came to check-in, which was nice. Vegan options were clearly marked. I just wish they would have been a little bit more exciting. Having said that, I opted for a dish served in a bread roll, which I've never had before. It was tasty.
There did not seem to be a vegan dessert option...although we were so full from starter and main that we didn't check with the staff if there was.
All in all, a very good option for veggies in Funchal - my rating is based compared to other restaurants I've been to outside of Funchal/Portugal.