10 Best Cafés In Funchal: Specialty Coffee, Great Views & Laptop-Friendly Picks

Can life get any better? I’m writing this blog post from one of the best cafés in Funchal, sipping on a latte made from specialty coffee while gazing out over the boats in the marina.

I’ve already written about the best cafés in Madeira (scattered all across the island), but after one week of almost non-stop café-hopping, I want to write about Funchal’s coffee shops in particular.

You can get some of the best specialty coffee in Funchal. And some of the cafés are surprisingly scenic too!

I have personally tried and tested all of the Funchal coffee shops in this blog post. Here’s what I make of them, and who I recommend them to!

Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. If you decide to click through and make a qualifying purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you – thanks for your support.

Can you work from cafés in Funchal, Madeira?

If you’re a digital nomad in Madeira, you may be wondering whether you can work on your laptop from Funchal cafés.

Here’s the thing. Many cafés in Madeira have a strict no-laptop policy (and, even if they don’t, the owners may politely ask you to not use your laptop in their shop).

Use this link to skip down the page to my favourite laptop-friendly cafés in Funchal.

Cafés are often lively social spaces, so permission to use a laptop doesn’t necessarily make somewhere suitable for focused work.

1. Beanup Specialty Coffee

• Location: Beanup, Funchal Marina
• Best overall: Marina views, people-watching and specialty coffee
• Laptop-friendly? Yes

Ask me “what’s the best café in Funchal?” and most likely my answer will be Beanup. It ticks a lot of boxes for me. First, it’s located right on the marina, overlooking the boats. There’s a high footfall, so it’s people-watching paradise.

Secondly, despite its location, it doesn’t feel too busy. That’s probably because there are a handful of tables outdoors and many more inside (where it’s vibey, with the lit-up bar topped by fake green plants)!

And third, importantly, it has specialty coffee ground right there in the shop. My flat white was made from Brazilian beans and it was so delicious, with fruity, sweet notes.

If you don’t like coffee, they serve teas made in Madeira, as well as food and alcoholic drinks. (At night, it turns into a bar, sometimes with live music.)

I found the baristas to be super friendly. When my friend and I asked if we could use our laptops, they were more than happy and even directed us to seats with padded backs and plugs to charge the laptops.

2. Maia Coffee Shop

• Location: Maia Coffee Shop, central Funchal
• Best for: Takeaway coffee or brief stops
• Laptop-friendly? No (limited space)

When I stayed in Funchal for one month last April, I lived just up the road from Maia Coffee and became a regular. It’s one of the best specialty coffee shops in Funchal.

Though it’s small, there’s always a steady trickle of people in and out of the coffee shop.

Space is limited, and the few tables out on the street are popular and often occupied, so I prefer Maia for a takeaway coffee or a short stop with friends before hiking or coworking from one of the coworking spaces in Madeira (Cowork Funchal is a short walk away).

Taste-wise, I consider Maia to be the crème de la crème! It’s a shame there isn’t more space and comfortable seating inside; otherwise I’d definitely find myself there more often.

I do like to spend at least an hour or two getting coffee, often with my laptop, so it’s not ideal for that.

3. Loja do Chá

• Location: Loja do Chá, Old Town
• Best Old Town café: Outdoor courtyard and afternoon teas
• Laptop friendly? Yes

I only recently discovered Loja do Chá, which is funny because every time I’ve walked past it with a friend, they’ve pointed it out and said it’s a must-visit Funchal café.

Well, technically, it is a tea house. A bright yellow one that’s three stories high, with an adorable ground floor packed with knick-knacks for the home and a second floor with balcony seating.

But best of all, it has a large seating area out in the cobbled courtyard. It has umbrellas for shade and light rain, too, so you can really get cosy there and watch the world pass you by.

As a tea house, Loja do Chá specialises in afternoon teas. There’s a wide range of cakes and sandwiches on the menu.

I was delighted to find that they even do a gluten-free afternoon tea and will swap out the wheat bread for gluten-free bread for any of their sandwiches at no additional cost.

They also allow laptops, although when I brought mine along, I abandoned all admin plans because I just wanted to enjoy the moment in the courtyard and take in the views.

4. Mallassada Boutique

• Location: Mallassada Boutique, Santa Maria
• Best for: Traditional café
• Laptop friendly? Yes

Now for a traditional Madeiran café! Before I stayed in Funchal properly, I lived in Machico and travelled around Madeira by car, stopping predominantly at local cafés where they sell local coffee (bica, chinesa, etc.) and the surrounding community gather daily for coffee on their work breaks.

So, as much as I do love a modern specialty coffee joint, I have a real soft spot for smaller local cafés. Mallassada Boutique is one of those, just slightly uphill from the painted doors of Santa Maria.

The coffee shop is tucked into a narrow building on the corner of a street that looks up towards the forested mountains above Funchal.

Inside, it’s dome-shaped with windows out onto the street. There are wicker chairs, tall tables, a chandelier and a bar lined with spirit bottles.

I went here with my friend, Clara, and they were totally fine with us using our laptops. There is no WiFi, so we used a hotspot, but I would say that this coffee shop is best for a social coffee.

The reason being that it’s a busy spot where locals hang out, and the tables are also very high so not very ergonomic for laptop work.

5. Arbor Food & Coffee

• Location: Arbor Food & Coffee
• Best for: Outdoor seating and green views
• Laptop friendly? Yes

If you’re looking for a laptop-friendly café, Arbor Food & Coffee is it. What I like is that they’re clear about when laptops are banned (12pm to 3pm; I personally checked in person in November 2026, but do let me know in the comments if this ever changes when you visit!)

The café is located right across the street from Parque de Santa Catarina. It’s in a green space with lush tropical green plants and a footpath. The outdoor courtyard looks right out over the greenery, and I felt so relaxed there!

I also moved inside for a change of scenery, where there are proper tables. You can watch them make the specialty coffee, and it was a really nice vibe! I also thought the latte was delicious.

6. Jacafé

• Location: Jacafé, central Funchal
• Best for: Digital nomads and laptop work
• Laptop friendly? Yes

Jacafé is my favourite café for digital nomads. It’s part of Jaca Hostel in Funchal, one of the best hostels in Madeira, and so has a steady flow of backpackers, digital nomads and other people using it.

At the front end is the coffee bar, indoor seating, and a few shelves of T-shirts and other souvenir items for sale. Out the back is a sheltered courtyard with more seating and tropical plants.

When the sun is shining through the leaves, the patterns on the wall are so pretty. I felt comfortable staying a couple of hours here on my laptop, connected to their WiFi. It occasionally gets loud with other customers, so I would recommend bringing your headphones just in case.

7. Barreirinha Bar Café

• Location: Barreirinha Bar Café
• Best for: Swimming and sea views
• Laptop friendly? More likely in quiet hours

Barreirinha Bar Café is a little different to the other Funchal coffee shops I’ve mentioned. The main bar-café is located on the side of the street, overlooking the sea, and is a really popular spot for people to meet friends for drinks, food and coffee.

It’s also a part of Barreirinha, a bathing complex where you can pay an entry fee to access its ladders into the water. Down there, there’s a second bar and café with more of a beach bar vibe, as well as sunloungers for rent.

There’s a lack of beaches in Funchal, so for a quick sea swim near the Old Town, Barreirinha is my go-to.

The café is a handy addition; I wouldn’t think twice about bringing my laptop for some coworking and swimming during the quieter weekday daytime hours.

8. NATA 7

• Location: Multiple locations, including Ferreiros and João Tavira (takeaway)
• Best for: pastel de nata
• Laptop friendly? No

It would be criminal to visit Funchal and never try a pastel de nata. One of the best places in Funchal for pastel de nata is Nata 7, which was born in Madeira and grew so popular it expanded to Porto and Braga.

The unfortunate part for me is that I am gluten-intolerant. Thankfully, my friend Mitchell was more than willing to try their warm custard tarts. They were flaky and crispy, with a velvety cream, and immediately got her stamp of approval.

There are several Nata 7 branches in Funchal. For just a takeaway coffee and pastel de nata, go to the João Tavira branch and take it to the promenade. If you’d rather dine in, there’s Ferreiros.

9. The Studio

• Location: The Studio, Old Town
• Best for: Lively vibes
• Laptop friendly? Yes

Next up we have The Studio, where you can get specialty coffee roasted in Portugal. It’s a small and trendy coffee shop in Old Town Funchal.

I did like the coffee, but the place itself is very small and always tends to lean on the busier side due to the high footfall through the street.

There’s another coffee shop on the same road, Brunchology, which is also packed with people every time I walk by. I haven’t been there personally, but people do rave about the food, especially the shakshuka!

10. Art Food Corner Funchal

• Location: Art Food Corner, Santa Maria
• Best for: Art lovers
• Laptop friendly? Yes

Last but not least, Art Food Corner had to make my list of the best coffee shops in Funchal. Located in Santa Maria, where you’ll find Funchal’s famous painted doors, it’s a café that’s based underneath an art centre.

So, the vibe is very artsy, with doodles on chalkboards and the walls, and plenty of visual stimulation for your eyes.

Art Food Corner has both indoor and outdoor seating. I sat inside, as it was a little cold when I visited, and opened up my laptop for half an hour or so of work.

They are laptop-friendly, although I will say that the indoor seating isn’t very ergonomic (it’s bar stools). I ordered their yoghurt bowl, which was alright, and decided to move on to Jaca for a more focused work session.

The Best Laptop-Friendly Cafés in Funchal

As a digital nomad, I have found quite a few laptop-friendly cafés in Funchal. However, I prefer some for focused work.

The best work-friendly café in Funchal, in my opinion, is Beanup. It has free WiFi, comfortable indoor seating with power sockets, and they confirmed to me in person that they are work/laptop-friendly.

Another go-to is Jacafé, which is explicitly laptop-friendly and spacious. The seating isn’t as comfortable, but it’s usually quiet and easy to focus.

Arbor Coffee & Food is also good (quiet and spacious, with WiFi), but laptops are banned between 12pm and 3pm.

Loja do Chá permits laptops, but is popular and better suited to socialising. Mallassada Boutique allows laptops, but it’s a busy and social traditional café without WiFi. The Studio is also laptop-friendly, but it’s very small and so I felt pressured to leave quickly to clear table space.

3 More Cafés Near Funchal

If you’re willing to travel a bit further afield for your coffee, I have included a few cafés below that you can reach within 20-30 minutes by bus or car from Funchal.

For other options across the whole island, visit my guide to the best cafés in Madeira!

1. Jasmin Tea House

• Location: Jasmin Tea House
• Accessible without a car? Yes (bus no. 47)

Jasmin Tea House is 25 minutes from Funchal by bus. It’s an adorable tea house with views over the Palheiro golf course, with a chunky, friendly cat called Molly and delicious coffee, cakes and tea. They even had gluten-free lemon cake one time I visited!

The best part about Jasmin Tea House is that it is located right below the Levada dos Tornos hike. So, you can take the bus there, have coffee and cake, and begin the scenic hike to Monte – before catching the bus or cable car back down into the Old Town.

I’ve done this about three times now, and I’ll never get tired of the hike’s viewpoint over Funchal! It’s so, so beautiful. There are more cafés waiting for you in Monte, also with epic views of the city.

2. Sabores Maria

• Location: Sabores Maria
• Best reached by car

Sabores Maria is a local café just a 15-minute drive away from Funchal, located near Cabo Girão.

It does local coffees and a whole range of pastéis de nata, ranging from passion fruit to chocolate.

3. Forest Food & Coffee

• Location: Forest Food & Coffee
• Best reached by car

If you ever find yourself on a rainy day in Funchal, I’d like to recommend Forest Food & Coffee. It’s a wooden cabin about a 25-minute drive above Funchal, tucked into the forest in the Funchal Ecological Park.

In misty, rainy conditions, it’s an absolute vibe with a roaring wood fire and steaming cups of coffee. They also do food, including prego, soups, bolo do caco and burgers. If you’re in the mood for an alcoholic drink, try their poncha too.