Located on the elegant Rua Imperatriz D. Amélia in Funchal, Audax has just unveiled a new stage in its gastronomic project, bringing the Audax Experience concept to lunchtime as well. True to its philosophy, which intertwines the land and sea of Madeira, the restaurant now guides guests, between 12:30 and 3 p.m., through lighter experiences that remain marked by the boldness and sophistication that define chef César Vieira’s cuisine.
The restaurant’s director, Diogo Freitas, explains that this step emerged from the need “to do more”, giving rise to the Audax Experience for lunch, designed to show that fine dining “is not inaccessible”. To achieve this, two menus were created — one with three moments, with an optional fourth, and another with four moments — at more accessible prices of €35 and €55. These menus are composed of a selection of dishes featured at dinner, maintaining the same identity of a cuisine that evolves in harmony with the seasons. The use of fresh produce dictates that the menus change at least twice a year, always with the aim of interpreting Madeira in a progressive and contemporary way. Wine pairing also remains available, ensuring that the lunchtime experience is just as complete as the evening one.
In the three-course menu, diners may begin with a reimagined açorda made with Pão de Santana, and then choose either a coastal fish dish served with broccoli, nage of erva caninha and Oscietra caviar, or an oxtail dish with smoked beef heart, mushrooms and sweet potato. Dessert brings a banana pudding accompanied by seasonal fruit sorbet. The four-course menu opens with cured snapper, smoked chestnut and passion fruit, followed by coastal fish with broccoli, nage of erva caninha and Oscietra caviar. The meat course features pork with barley and seaweed, ending with a dessert of pumpkin, cottage cheese and pecan. For both menus, there is also the option of adding an extra dish of scarlet prawn with seaweed couscous and pumpkin.
In the evening, between 6:30 and 10 p.m., the longer experiences remain available, offering five- and seven-course menus where seasonal creations reinforce Audax’s commitment to innovation rooted in tradition. Diogo Freitas emphasises that the restaurant aims to preserve a cuisine with its own identity, “which characterises chef César Vieira and Audax”, describing it as an authentic expression of Madeira, but presented “in an evolved way”. He also notes that the restaurant is currently the only independent fine dining establishment on the island, a position embraced with pride during what he describes as a “frenetic” journey.
With this new lunchtime proposal, Audax once again reinforces its desire to bring Madeiran haute cuisine closer to the public, while remaining faithful to its mission of offering an experience that provokes, moves and transforms, always guided by seasonality and a deep respect for the island’s gastronomic heritage. César Vieira blends the island’s traditional flavours with a bold and innovative approach, crafting dishes that deliver an explosion of flavour, lingering on the palate and harmonising beautifully with the wines.
