In for a surprise? Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Porto Santo

If you were worried about finding vegan restaurants in Madeira, you may be even more concerned about finding vegetarian restaurants in Porto Santo. After all, and I won’t lie to you, Porto Santo feels remote. There are two supermarkets, a couple of smaller mini-markets, three bakeries, and one pharmacy. Basically, it looks like one giant beach with some amenities. But don’t be fooled! Like an onion, Porto Santo has layers. 

Some of those layers will be a pleasant surprise. While there aren’t any fully vegan restaurants in Porto Santo, some places offer lovely vegetarian options. So here are my favourite vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants in Porto Santo.

The only photo of Mesa Cultural’s magnificent (yet unassuming) pineapple coconut pana cotta.

Mesa Cultural

If you had asked me ten years ago, finding Madeira’s best Chana Masala in Porto Santo was not on my bingo card. Cue in: Mesa Cultural. There are absolutely no misses on this classically trained chef’s menu, but Indian dishes shine the most. Freshly made, crunchy papadums? Check. Vegetable samosas with precise amounts of cardamom and spices? Also check. Chana Masala? Excellent. Lentil dahl? Perfectly cosy.

And since we’re talking about Porto Santo, there are no cheats. Everything is made from scratch on site by the chef and his diverse team of cooks, including the samosa’s dough, the naan, and even (gasp!) the paneer. All is homemade and extremely comforting. Apart from the Indian dishes, you can also try vegetable nepalese momos (not on the menu, but ask), their generous bowl of noodles with veggies, or hummus and falafel.

Finally, to end the meal on a high note, try the coconut panna cotta served with caramelised pineapple, red fruit coulis, coconut shreds, mint leaves and matcha. It may sound like a lot, but everything sings and harmonises together. The red fruits cut through the fatiness of the coconut, the pineapple brings depth of flavour, the mint gives the right hint of freshness, and the coconut lends it texture. Everything is there for a reason, like a perfect gastronomic bouquet. Well worth taking the boat ride! 

Update October 2025: on my last visit, Mesa Cultural was about to change their menu in preparation of the winter months. The owners told me the samosas and the momos would disappear from the menu from the time being, but they’ll continue to offer chana masala, dahl, and the pana cotta. Let’s hope those momos come back sooner rather than later!

Hélio’s Burger 

Burgers? You’re on holiday, so you deserve a cheat meal! And there’s no better place in town than Hélio’s Bar. This burger joint has a homemade vegetarian lentil burger (which can be made vegan without the cheese) and a vegan soy burger, although you need to ask them to swap the garlic sauce for honey mustard. Both come with complimentary fries and you can choose to have it with regular buns or bolo do caco, in case you want more of that Madeiran goodness. (Who wouldn’t?) And of course, there’s usually vegetable soup available too. 

At La Siesta, you can eat a vegan hamburgers while still on your flip flops. Or barefoot.

La Siesta Restaurante

La Siesta is what Spaniards call a ‘chiringuito de playa’ (roughly, “beach bar”) because it’s an unassuming beach bar. In fact, during the high tide, the water almost reaches the snack bar’s deck. They’re mostly known for their fish and chips, but they also make “loaded hummus” with crispy chickpeas and a black bean-quinoa vegetarian burger that turns out to be vegan. The burger is fulfilling and homey, with an excellent depth of flavour, and possibly one of Porto Santo’s best-kept vegan secrets. Just ask for the burger without the barbecue sauce, because it does no favours to the beans.

Casinha do Bolo do Caco

To say I’m a big bolo do caco fan is an understatement. As far as I’m concerned, there are very few things in life that surpass a freshly made, hot out of the grill, well-cooked bolo do caco with garlic butter. And my favourite place in the world to have it is Casinha do Bolo do Caco, right behind the beach, where a lovely lady who has probably been doing this for the best part of sixty years still uses real sweet potatoes and insists on feeding you copious amounts of butter even when you ask for just ‘a little bit’. 

Rafaela Casa de Chá

If Mesa Cultural was a surprise, you’ll be positively taken aback by the fine French pastries chef Rafaela crafts and offers on her quaint, relaxing teahouse. There’s no fixed menu for the snacks, the sandwiches or the pastries, so it’s hard to know what you’re going to find. There are always vegetarian options though, including beetroot salad, lentil salad, bruschettas, and a pistachio dessert everyone on the island gushes about. If you don’t believe me, just check Google Maps for some ravishing reviews. 

However, vegan options are more limited. Although there was a dark chocolate and tangerine “mousse” when I visited, it wasn’t well accomplished. Instead of a mousse, which literally means a smooth, light, airy mass, what I got was a hard, unthawed ball of dark chocolate I couldn’t cut through, filled with a bland cocoa (ice) cream and a very, very tangy bottom. But then again, that’s just my experience. Everybody can have a bad day and, if you’re vegetarian and not vegan, you’re almost guaranteed to have a worthwhile experience. 

Vegetarian options, but call ahead

Panorama Restaurante

Panorama (literally mean, ‘landscape’) is a viewpoint: from their tables, you can almost see the whole island. That breathtaking view makes it the most well-known restaurant in the whole island, loved by locals and tourists alike. Despite the meat and fish-heavy menu, they have been expanding their options – there’s mushroom risotto (vegetarian) and couscous with vegetables and tofu (vegan). Just make sure to call ahead and ask if it’s available.

Porto do Santo Golfe

Porto Santo has a famous golf course designed by Severiano Ballesteros, and it has its own restaurant with a view. The menu only has a couple of vegetarian dishes, including vegetarian lasagna and couscous with vegetables (vegan), so it could be an option if you’re looking for something fancier around Porto Santo. 

Torres Restaurante

Torres is a special kind of restaurant because it’s reviving recipes from times of scarcity and extreme poverty, such as escarpiada, a corn flatbread even most Madeirans had forgotten about. They serve it with red peppers, so it’s vegan, and you’ll be in for a very unique experience. Vegetarians can also enjoy other snacks with cheese, and for the main dish there’s wild rice with mushroom, vegetables, almonds and raisins.

Porto Santo doesn’t have a lot of vegetarian restaurants, but the ones it has can satisfy even the most demanding critics. I hope you embrace Porto Santo and settle into the island’s own pace, because that’s Madeira!