AUDAX - Progressive Madeiran Cuisine

August 5, 2025

I’ve known and loved this restaurant since the day it opened. The photos I’m sharing were taken over several years, as they regularly change the menu. Dining here has always been a true chef’s experience — with creative, unexpected flavor combinations. They also offer an excellent wine selection and a team that’s passionate, knowledgeable, and genuinely good at what they do. The space is small and intimate, so it’s best to book a table in advance. Recently, the restaurant received a Michelin recommendation, and while that’s well-deserved, it has brought some changes: prices have doubled or even tripled, while portion sizes have shrunk significantly. I can no longer say it offers the same great value it once did. Earlier menus were better balanced — with dishes like risottos and hearty sides that made for a more satisfying meal. Still, it remains a unique spot for a special evening and a chance to explore bold, carefully crafted cuisine.

November 14, 2025

What a wonderful experience. From the friendly greeting at the door to the knowledgable chefs and the stunning food presentation. Thanks a lot to the whole team of Audax, we will surely remember this evening.

October 18, 2025

I went to a restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide; not yet starred, but clearly aspiring. The food was good, even thoughtful: each plate balanced and precise without feeling fussy. But what I’ll remember most wasn’t the food. It was the Michelin Man. A small statue of him sat right in front of us throughout dinner; a squat, beaming sentinel of white rubber rings. Up close, he looks less like a mascot and more like a relic from some ancient civilization that worshipped tires and torque. His form is hypnotic: dozens of concentric ridges stacked into a soft geometry of confidence. His smile is the calm grin of someone who’s seen a thousand steering wheels and lived to tell the tale. The longer he sat there, the more alive he seemed. Light rippled over his curved belly, giving the illusion of breath. He looked on approvingly as we lifted forks and glasses, as if silently evaluating both our meal and our manners. There’s something humbling about eating under the gaze of a creature who has become a global arbiter of taste; not through culinary mastery, but through tires. The food, yes, was quite good. But it’s the Michelin Man who lingered in my mind: serene, spherical, and strangely divine; the patron saint of dinner and the open road.

September 27, 2025

I enjoyed my evening! The food was delicious! So many fresh intense flavours. The service was great. They explained every dish. Highly recommended!

May 27, 2025

In between the many great individual hikes, we spent a day in Funchal and treated ourselves to lunch at AUDAX. The outstanding professionalism of the service paired with the incredibly delicious, progressive Madeiran food was simply indescribable. For €23, we got three courses including a bottle of water and a coffee per person. After a few conversations with the waiters, we found out that the 9-course menu in the evening was even more exceptional - they say that in passing! :-O Unfortunately, it was our last evening and the restaurant was fully booked. For me, the restaurant is a culinary highlight and 100% recommendable!