Dinner at the Gallo D'Oro

Il Galllo d'Oro restaurant is the fine dining restaurant at the Cliff Bay Hotel at Funchal, Madeira. The chef is Benoit Sinthon and the restaurant is the only one on the island with a Michelin star.

Overall I thought the meal was very good. Bravo to Benoit and his team.

I was a bit surprised how close together some of the tables are and facing one another. However on this occasion the company was good (you know who you are !)

We were offered a selection of good breads accompanied by butter and tapenade. This was followed by the chef's delightful and tasty appetiser shown below. Beautiful enough to wear to a wedding, perched on the head at a jaunty angle, the lacy creation shelters a cone of foie gras mousse with a cherry in the middle and some tiny figs. At the side there was 'cherry caviar' which I guessed was made by the process of spherification. The lacy piece was described as cuttlefish crunchy. Both fish courses were cooked superbly.

Red mullet fillets with tomato caviar and tapenade

Clementine sorbet....... this had a beautiful intense mandarin flavour

Sea bream with polenta and a mini ragout of mussels and langoustines

Lemon and lime tart with suzette sauce.