Júlio Pereira is now in charge of the restaurant bearing the name of the Madeiran interior designer Nini Andrade Silva as well as one of the best panoramic views of the town.
The Design Centre restaurant has a new menu and a new Chef. It is now up to Júlio Pereira to ensure customers get a flavourful experience, be it at lunch or dinner, in the space that is a part of the Nini Andrade Silva Design Centre created the well-known Madeiran interior designer.
The menu has Portuguese roots and uses local products from Madeira in a concept that Júlio Pereira describes as ‘new Portuguese cuisine’, with its sights set on the Atlantic while drawing great inspiration from the Mediterranean.
The Portuguese touch is easily identifiable in the sardines, marinated in seawater and served with tomato jam and ham aioli. There is also a very special way of serving the typical bacalhau à brás using half cured confit cod.
Other dishes include piglet tureen with black pepper sauce, mashed sweet potatoes and orange. Mediterranean influences can be observed in the oxtail ravioli with foie gras and truffle oil.
Local products can be found in options such as the reversed passion fruit cake, a creative name for a dessert.
These can be your choices for a tasting menu, one of the options at dinner. Pair them with some of the Portuguese wines available in the menu expressing the country’s diversity. Service is diligent and makes all the difference. There are a la carte options which include several entrees, fish, meat and risottos reflecting the trends of each season.
This marks a return for Júlio Pereira. Over a decade ago, he was the chef of a restaurant that existed in the very same place the Fortress of Nossa Senhora da Conceição. At the time, it was known by the name of Molhe, alluding the waters surrounding this historic building.
While the place has not changed, it is not the same. Nini Andrade Silva has crafted an intimate atmosphere where the light is welcoming and the view of Funchal superb. The artist’s touch can be seen in every room, were it not the Design entre bearing her name.
One of its hallmarks is the rolled pebble stones, very common in the beaches of Madeira. These pebbles served as inspiration not only for a furniture collection but also for the restaurant. And Júlio Pereira has fashioned a rye bread that has the exact same shape as the pebble.
