Very enjoyable night out. Good transport and food, fascinating entertainment, and very pleasant company.
Review by: linda, April 2015
Tour involved picking up other people ! So I think that should be removed from the itinerary_br/_
Food and drink, dancing and singing very good._br/_
We didnt want the meat on skewers and they arranged for us to have fish instead.
Review by: Denise C, July 2011
It was ok, but meal was only average, and meat was tough. Mass meals are never a success generally. Wouldn't particularly recommend it.
Review by: Leontina, May 2011
We arrived at the pick up stop at 6:30pm. My confirmation said that the bus would pick up at 7:00pm. Unfortunately, it didn't pick us up until 8:00pm. We were just about to leave when it arrived. The tour itself was nice, but not worth the cost.
Review by: Leontina, April 2011
We arrived at the pick up stop at 6:30pm. My confirmation said that the bus would pick up at 7:00pm. Unfortunately, it didn't pick us up until 8:00pm. We were just about to leave when it arrived. The tour itself was nice, but not worth the cost.
Review by: Hilary B, January 2011
The Two stars are for the extremely pleasant woman driving the mini bus. However, the rest of the experience left "a little to be desired" (I am being kind): The meal was not great (aside from the Espatada Meat) and included reheated 'frozen veg' and limp looking salads. The wine was below average (and I drink cheap wine normally so certainly wasnt expecting 'great') and unless you are in the centre of the (large) room, you can't see the singing and dancing so have to shuffle about to stand and watch whilst trying not to block the view of the folks who *are* seated centrally. At least half the dancers looked bored (borderline miserable) and I felt sorry for them. It certainly wasnt a great experience of 'authentic' madeiran culture/cuisine - we got that from Madeira itself & restaurants in Funchal Old town the following nights. As for the 'view from a belvedere'...suffice to say you can easily get this view by walking westwards out of town at night or get on the open top bus after dark - does the same thing. I wouldnt recommend this to a friend and would not go again. Indeed it felt like a somewhat 'wasted' evening. Just head instead to one of the many good Old Town Restaurants that do Fado and you will be much better served - in all respects.
(However, if you want a cheap way to get drunk - the 'drink all the wine you want' part of the deal might appeal - as it apparently did for many of my fellow diners that night...which again detracted from any remote possibility of 'traditional medeiran' ambience!)
I feel slightly embarrassed by this review because true as it is, the mini bus driver was a real delight - so she gets 5 stars.
Review by: Hilary B, October 2010
The Two stars are for the extremely pleasant woman driving the mini bus. However, the rest of the experience left "a little to be desired" (I am being kind): The meal was not great (aside from the Espatada Meat) and included reheated 'frozen veg' and limp looking salads. The wine was below average (and I drink cheap wine normally so certainly wasnt expecting 'great') and unless you are in the centre of the (large) room, you can't see the singing and dancing so have to shuffle about to stand and watch whilst trying not to block the view of the folks who *are* seated centrally. At least half the dancers looked bored (borderline miserable) and I felt sorry for them. It certainly wasnt a great experience of 'authentic' madeiran culture/cuisine - we got that from Madeira itself & restaurants in Funchal Old town the following nights. As for the 'view from a belvedere'...suffice to say you can easily get this view by walking westwards out of town at night or get on the open top bus after dark - does the same thing. I wouldnt recommend this to a friend and would not go again. Indeed it felt like a somewhat 'wasted' evening. Just head instead to one of the many good Old Town Restaurants that do Fado and you will be much better served - in all respects.
(However, if you want a cheap way to get drunk - the 'drink all the wine you want' part of the deal might appeal - as it apparently did for many of my fellow diners that night...which again detracted from any remote possibility of 'traditional medeiran' ambience!)
I feel slightly embarrassed by this review because true as it is, the mini bus driver was a real delight - so she gets 5 stars.
Review by: Amitra C, October 2010
This is not a tour, even though it is billed as such. It is a dinner show that is basically a advertised as a tour to scam tourists into coming to a particular restaurant way up in the hills in a suburban neighbourhood. Basically, you are picked up in a van from your hotel, driven around the city to pick up other tourists at their hotels, then taken to the restaurant. There is no commentary ot sightseeing. At the restaurant you are fed a mediocre "traditional" Portugese meal of salad, soup, steak and ice cream for dessert. It is similar to a Brazilian steakhouse where it is all you can eat, but only 1 type of steak roasted on a spit. While you eat lcoals perform a traditional Portugese dance with live music. When you have finished with the meal, the driver takes you back to the hotel and makes a quick stop on the way down the mountainside so you can take pics of the city and shore from above. I guess this would be the tour. This was clearly a well oiled operation to just fill this mediocre restaurant with tourists every night. If you want to go eat, take this "tour" but don't expect to see the island.
Review by: Amitra C, September 2010
This is not a tour, even though it is billed as such. It is a dinner show that is basically a advertised as a tour to scam tourists into coming to a particular restaurant way up in the hills in a suburban neighbourhood. Basically, you are picked up in a van from your hotel, driven around the city to pick up other tourists at their hotels, then taken to the restaurant. There is no commentary ot sightseeing. At the restaurant you are fed a mediocre "traditional" Portugese meal of salad, soup, steak and ice cream for dessert. It is similar to a Brazilian steakhouse where it is all you can eat, but only 1 type of steak roasted on a spit. While you eat lcoals perform a traditional Portugese dance with live music. When you have finished with the meal, the driver takes you back to the hotel and makes a quick stop on the way down the mountainside so you can take pics of the city and shore from above. I guess this would be the tour. This was clearly a well oiled operation to just fill this mediocre restaurant with tourists every night. If you want to go eat, take this "tour" but don't expect to see the island.
Review by: Elvis P, August 2008
We enjoyed every minute of it. The show was great, especially the dancers. Well done!!!
Review by: Denis B, August 2008
Very enjoyable, good traditional meal and unique entertainment. Good value.
Review by: Elvis P, United Kingdom, March 2008
We enjoyed every minute of it. The show was great, especially the dancers. Well done!!!
Review by: Denis B, United Kingdom, January 2007
Very enjoyable, good traditional meal and unique entertainment. Good value.
Review by: Mark P, January 2007
The tour was beyond our expectations. The views of Funchal at night are simply breathtaking! The traditional Portuguese dinner and show were both wonderful. We enjoyed them very much. We even made a friendship with a couple from Lisbon over dinner and now are keeping in contact with them.
Review by: Mark P, United States of America, September 2006
The tour was beyond our expectations. The views of Funchal at night are simply breathtaking! The traditional Portuguese dinner and show were both wonderful. We enjoyed them very much. We even made a friendship with a couple from Lisbon over dinner and now are keeping in contact with them.
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