At Santa Maria Fish is King, but the restaurant also features the largest selection of Gin in Madeira.
A modern fishmonger! It rather sounds like a play upon words or a concept like so many others which complete the vast offer of restaurants in the cities. However, in an attempt to further understand the concept of Santa Maria, one quickly realizes what the managers had in mind when they thought of a modern day fishmonger.
It’s a restaurant as well as a gin bar and a hostel. It bears the same name as its location on the oldest street in downtown Funchal, Santa Maria. “The Fish is King” explains Márcio Nóbrega, owner of the space and the mind behind the concept. “We do not have a fish menu. Every day we go to the market” and therefore, options on the menu vary. At the start of summer, for instance, a shellfish stew with bolo-do-caco can be served with a piece of tuna seasoned with salt and lightly seared.
But it may be a black-scabbard fish or the dish may involve another variety available at the market in Funchal. The result is a combination of talent, creativity and the arrangement of Chefs Fábio Vieira and Mariana Correia. It’s their responsibility to create a menu for each season, which features fish and seafood as the main ingredient but also includes other options, in response to the demand such as soups, a range of appetizers, vegetarian dishes, risottos and meat dishes and of course, deserts.
Santa Maria is a casual restaurant, without trying or aiming to be gourmet. Márcio Nóbrega makes a point of telling the difference: “it’s creative, not gourmet!” This means it’s trendy without being ostensible or elitist. The flavour is the basis of the food and the starting point for the Chefs to experiment with a range of recipes and ingredients.
Since its inauguration a popular option has been sushi, which highly promoted the restaurant. Initially it was just a lunch option from Monday to Friday but is currently a dinner option on Wednesdays. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays dinner is served to the sound of contemporary fado. But Santa Maria is also a club-style bar where wine, beer and a range of 60 types of gin are served by the glass.
The client can purchase a bottle for half the selling price and keep it in a locker using their very own key. Clients can arrive and drink from their bottle whenever they so please, without paying extra. The gin menu at Santa Maria is the largest of its kind in Madeira. The serving ritual varies in manner and composition according to different brands and was a relatively new concept on the island a year ago. These days, it’s a firmly rooted culture.
Open on a daily basis, the restaurant has a contemporary décor with features of the old traditional fishmongers. The kitchen is an open space in the room and the fish bank is available for all to see. Besides the room there is an esplanade in place of the former patio of old school which used to operate in that building. It is a picturesque and cozy place, a good choice for an open-air dinner on a summer’s evening.
