{"id":1272,"date":"2026-06-18T14:49:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T14:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/?p=1272"},"modified":"2026-06-18T14:53:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T14:53:01","slug":"featured-nit-funchals-plant-based-brunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/featured-nit-funchals-plant-based-brunch\/","title":{"rendered":"Nua Restaurant Featured in NiT Magazine: Funchal’s Plant-Based Brunch Making National Headlines"},"content":{"rendered":"
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June 2026 – Funchal, Madeira<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something exciting is happening in Funchal’s food scene \u2014 and Portugal’s leading lifestyle magazine has taken notice.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nua, our plant-based brunch restaurant that opened its doors on April 1st, 2026, in the heart of Funchal, has been featured in the restaurant section of NiT Magazine,<\/a> one of Portugal’s most widely read lifestyle and food publications. For a restaurant barely two months old, this kind of national recognition is a remarkable milestone and a testament to what Nua represents: a fresh, rooted, and deeply intentional approach to food in Madeira.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read the full NiT article here<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A Brunch in Funchal Unlike Any Other<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When people think of eating out in Madeira, the image that typically comes to mind is fresh fish, espada, or a classic bolo do caco with garlic butter. Madeira’s gastronomy has long been shaped by the sea and by hearty, traditional recipes. Nua decided to tell a different story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than leaning into those well-covered culinary paths, Nua pays tribute to the island’s agricultural heritage \u2014 the farmers, the land, and the extraordinary variety of produce that Madeira’s fertile volcanic soil makes possible. The result is one of the most exciting spots for brunch in Funchal: a seasonal, ingredient-led menu that changes every day depending on what’s growing and what’s ready to harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The restaurant is the project of Lu\u00edsa Mendon\u00e7a, whose family also owns Aspa Studios<\/a>, a well-known boutique hotel in Funchal. The idea, as she explained to NiT, grew out of years of watching hotel guests fall in love with the breakfasts served at the property. When a ground-floor space with street access became available, the opportunity was too good to miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rooted in Madeira’s Agricultural Identity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What sets Nua apart from other brunch spots in Funchal, and indeed from most restaurants in Madeira, is its direct relationship with local producers. Rather than working from a fixed menu, the kitchen team contacts farmers each week to understand what’s in season and available. The menu is then built around those ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This philosophy is reflected in the name itself. Nua means “naked\u201d, \u201cbare” or “stripped back” in Portuguese \u2014 a kitchen with nothing to hide, open to its guests, working only with what the land provides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The approach leads to genuinely surprising combinations. Among the most talked-about dishes is a ceviche de anona (soursop ceviche), a beautifully unexpected preparation of one of Madeira’s most beloved tropical fruits. Another signature is an aveludado de inhame com casca de banana (yam velout\u00e9 with banana skin), a dish that showcases both the creativity of the kitchen and its commitment to using ingredients in their entirety, minimising waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During strawberry season, the menu features muffins made with organic Madeiran strawberries. There’s also almond ricotta, butter infused with tangerine or lemon, and a genuine rarity, coffee grown on the island of Madeira itself, one of the very few places in Europe where coffee cultivation is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Best Vegetarian Brunch in Madeira?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For visitors and locals searching for vegetarian food in Madeira or a vegan brunch in Funchal, Nua is fast becoming the go-to destination. The menu is entirely plant-forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not a restaurant where vegetables play second fiddle. At Nua, the produce is the star. It is celebrated, treated with care, and transformed into dishes that feel both inventive and deeply connected to the island’s identity. As NiT noted in its feature, this is a brunch that works exclusively with what the land gives, a concept as simple as it is radical for Madeira’s dining scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s on the Menu<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Well, there is no menu per se. Nua’s offering is structured around three main experiences, making it suitable for a relaxed solo breakfast, a slow weekend brunch, or a special occasion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breakfast Experience \u2014 19\u20ac<\/strong>
This is the heart of the Nua experience: a free-flowing buffet featuring a rotating selection of seasonal dishes, freshly baked pastries, organic fruit, speciality coffee, kombucha, and herbal teas. This is the ideal introduction to what Nua does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sparkling Morning \u2014 29\u20ac<\/strong>
Everything included in the Breakfast Experience, with the addition of unlimited sparkling wine throughout the meal. Perfect for a celebratory day or a long, lazy Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signature Brunch (Sundays and pre-booking only) \u2014 39\u20ac
<\/strong>The most immersive option: dishes are served directly at the table, prepared with some of the kitchen’s most special creations of the week. Each Sunday is different, and the menu is never repeated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Families are also warmly welcomed \u2014 children between 4 and 10 years old can enjoy the Breakfast Experience for 14\u20ac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art, Culture, and Community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nua is as much a cultural space as it is a restaurant. The walls of the dining room are home to works by Madeiran artists, including pieces by B\u00e1rbara Gil<\/a> (represented by Galeria S\u00e3o Mamede) and Barro Cru<\/a>. Several decorative elements were created by Lu\u00edsa Mendon\u00e7a herself. The intention is clear: to create a space that extends beyond the plate and celebrates emerging art from both local and European talents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later this summer, Nua plans to open an outdoor garden and a dedicated gallery for emerging European artists, reinforcing the restaurant’s vision as a gathering point for the island’s creative and culinary communities – watch this space!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why This Feature Matters to Us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Being picked up by NiT is no small thing to us. The publication, twice named Portugal’s best lifestyle magazine by the Escolha do Consumidor awards, reaches hundreds of thousands of readers across Portugal and the Portuguese diaspora. For a new restaurant in Funchal, this kind of visibility puts us on the map not just locally, but nationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also signals a broader shift in how Madeira’s food scene is being perceived. Travellers searching for healthy brunch in Madeira, plant-based restaurants in Funchal, or vegetarian dining on the island are increasingly finding that the options have expanded well beyond what was available just a few years ago, and we are proud to be part of that shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit Nua<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nua is open daily from 8am to 4pm, making it the perfect start to a day exploring Funchal \u2014 whether you’re a visitor discovering the island for the first time or a local looking for a meaningful, delicious way to begin the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Address: Rua da Carreira 232, 9000-042 Funchal<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Reserve j\u00e1<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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June 2026 – Funchal, Madeira Something exciting is happening in Funchal’s food scene \u2014 and Portugal’s leading lifestyle magazine has taken notice. Nua, our plant-based brunch restaurant that opened its doors on April 1st, 2026, in the heart of Funchal, has been featured in the restaurant section of NiT Magazine, one of Portugal’s most widely […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1273,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1272"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1272\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1284,"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1272\/revisions\/1284"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nuarestaurant.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}