Madeira is quite the gastronomic island, and you will not have any issues eating gluten free in Funchal. I will not bore you with tons of facts about the city, but rather dive straight into it.

I spent quite a few months on the island, and below you will find some recommendations when eating out in the island capital. There are plenty of more places that cater to gluten free diets, but I prefer to mention those I have actually been to myself. Before you browse the list, here are some tips:

• • You will notice I mention the Fork a bit. This is a table reservation website/app and I get nothing for sharing this. It’s just a useful tip, as you can find a lot of discounted offers. Many of the restaurants in Funchal are expensive, but with the discount they may be more affordable.
  • Plate of the day is normal around the island, and is a pre-set dish with beverage and coffee included (for the most part).  Check out the restaurant’s Facebook page as many list the dishes for the full week there or ask. Most of the time these are not gluten free, but you could be in luck.
  • Many local dishes are naturally gluten free, and you will for the most part be able to order grilled seafood or meat at almost any restaurant.
  • French fries are not always gluten free, so be careful. The same goes for ground beef, so check that a resto does not use grocery bought ground beef if you order hamburger patties.
  • The traditional tomato and onion soup is not gluten free, and neither is (of course) the wheat soup called sopa de trigo. Also, bolo do caco may be a sweet potato bread but it contains flour. Stay far away from the local drink Nikita too, as beer is a main ingredient.
  • Rice sidings often contain chicken stock, which may not be gluten free if it is not home made.
  • Some restaurant staff confuse gluten with lactose, so make sure to also mention examples of ingredients you cannot have.
  • Often your experience will be based on the knowledge of the staff that is working at the time of your visit. Thus my experiences may not always be the same as yours. I recommend to always double check allergens, have the kitchen confirm and to ensure that staff understand what is meant by gluten.

Caniço is a coastal town on Madeira, not too far from the island capital Funchal. It is known for cliffs, amazing ocean views, Garajau Cable Car and beach, the Cristo Rei viewpoint, a botanical garden hotel, and, well, wind. While you may think that wind is something you would want to avoid, it is actually quite welcome on an island where air con is not as widespread as you would think. What many do not talk too much about, though, is the food. At first sight, it may not seem like there is  a lot to choose from, but where you look, you shall find.

The Caniço area in this guide refers to various locations. Click the sections below to go instantly to the restaurants nearest you:

• • Canico de Baixo is down by the cliffs, where most restaurants are tied to a hotel.
  • Canico (downtown) is actually uptown, the more residential area where you find a lot of local gems.
  • Hillside refers to, well, the hills where you should probably use a car/taxi/Bolt to get to.

Some gluten free tips:

• • French fries are not always gluten free, so be careful. The same goes for ground beef, so check that a resto does not use grocery bought ground beef if you order hamburger patties.
  • The traditional tomato and onion soup is not gluten free, and neither is (of course) the wheat soup called sopa de trigo. Also, bolo do caco may be a sweet potato bread but it contains flour. Stay far away from the local drink Nikita too, as beer is a main ingredient.
  • Rice sidings often contain chicken stock, which may not be gluten free if it is not home made.
  • Some restaurant staff confuse gluten with lactose, so make sure to also mention examples of ingredients you cannot have.