A review of Uva Restaurant has of course to start with the fact that the opening and the concept date back to the three-Michelin-star Chef Antoine Westerman and the year 2008. The focus remains on French cooking techniques and local produce, whenever possible. This kind of fusion cuisine is convincing.
After 2012 and 2015, this was my third visit to Uva Restaurant, situated on the rooftop of the stylish design hotel The Vine. The French Chef Thomas Faudry (*1980) and his Madeiran team, who would have deserved a Michelin-star in 2012, has simplified the menu over the years. He told me a few days ago that, in corona-times, he is focusing on a daily menu, offering the best from Funchal markets and the rest of Madeira island available on any given day.
The terrace leading to Uva restaurant & Wine Bar at hotel The Vine in Funchal, Madeira. All photos in this restaurant review: copyright The Vine.
A vegetarian dinner at Uva Restaurant & Wine Bar
My vegetarian dinner at Uva Restaurant & Wine Bar started with a glass of Pommery Brut Royal, a basic but recommendable Champagne. As an amuse bouche, the chef sent me a refined, hot and creamy shitake and champignons de Paris mushroom soup.
My frist dish was a Madeiran traditional couscous-taboulé, refined in Faudry-style fusion with avocado foam, guacamole and a crispy sweet potato chip on top, brillantly served in a Martini glass. A delight! The chef told me that the grains of the Madeiran couscous are larger than the one from Morocco. As a pairing wine, the sommelier offered me a white wine from the Rocim winery in the Alentejo region, made of Antão Vaz, Arinto and Viosinho grapes, exclusively created for The Vine and Uva for the 10th anniversary of the hotel and restaurant in 2017. The wine with 12.5% alcohol had almost no acidity and was slightly fruity, with a taste of dried peach; it became fuller bodied as the glass got a bit warmer. A good combination.
My great ravioli dish with asparagus. Photo copyright: Hotel The Vine & Uva Restaurant.
My main course consisted of an asparagus ravioli with a biological egg “parfait” (creamy egg yolk + softly cooked egg-white) with rocket salad and Parmesan slices, garnished with white and violet sweet alison (lobularia maritima) blossoms. The only weakness of the dish was that the green asparagus lacked a bite. The waiter admitted that the chef had them slightly overcooked. The green asparagus came from farmers from the Madeiran village of São Jorge. The ricotta cheese came from Italy, the rocket salad from the Madeiran municipality of Câmara de Lobos, where Winston Churchill used to spend time to paint.
As a ravioli pairing, the sommelier proposed me another white wine with exactly the same grapes as before: Antão Vaz, Arinto and Viosinho. However, this 2018 wine from the Esporão winery, also from the Alentejo region, was very different: the acidity level was high, the wine as a whole was better balanced, with more alcohol (13.5%) and stronger in taste, so it could stand up to the dish with asparagus ravioli. Again a great pairing.
As a dessert, the chef had prepared a Sablé Breton with pineapple, sauté in Madeira Rhum 970. In addition, he offered me a daring combination: a coconut sorbé icecream with caramel and passion fruit.
After my Madeira stays in 2012 and 2015, another great evening at Uva Restaurant!
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My couscous-taboulé with avocado-foam and a crispy potato chip on top, served in a glass. Photo copyright: Hotel The Vine & Uva Restaurant.
One of my desserts: Photo copyright: Hotel The Vine & Uva Restaurant.
Biography of Uva Chef Thomas Faudry
Thomas Faudry was born on February 12, 1980 in Angouleme Charente (France). He finished his kitchen BEP/CAP in 1998 and his Baccalaureate Professional Kitchen in 2000; we skip additional qualifications.
He immediately started to work with great chefs. In 1999, he began as commis chef at the three-Michelin-star cuisine of Marc Meneau with his traditional French gourmet cuisine at the Relais & Chateaux L’Espérance in Saint-Père-sous Vézelay, in the middle of the vineyards.
In the winter season of 2001, Thomas Faudry became commis chef under Executive Chef Emmanuel Horclois in the fish section of the Relais & Chateaux Chalet du Mont Arbois in Megève, a Rothschild house in France’s Haute-Savoie mountain region. The restaurant offered gourmet as well as typical “cuisine bourgeoise”.
From 2000 to 2002, Thomas Faudry worked one year as commis chef and one year as chef de partie under one-Michelin-star Executive Chef Christophe Bacquié. The gourmet cuisine at the Relais & Chateaux La Villa Calvi on the island of Corsica offered Mediterranean cuisine in a refined, classical style.
In 2002, Thomas Faudry became chef de partie (garde manger) at the Relaix & Chateaux Eden Rock St Barth in Saint Barthélemy in the French Caribbean. The hotel featured three restaurants: a gourmet, a beach bar and a Tapas Caribbean cuisine.
In 2003, Thomas Faudry moved to the Relais & Chateaux La Bastide Saint Antoine in Grasse, where he worked as chef de partie poissonnier and chef de partie entremetier under two-Michelin-star Executive Chef Jacques Chibois, who emphasized a kitchen full of fragrances with the use of edible flowers and aromatic herbs; he used olive oil, working in the middle of an olive grove.
From 2003 to 2005, Thomas Faudry worked as chef de partie in the meat and entremetier section at Sketch The Lecture Room in London by Pierre aka Peter Gagnaire. The restaurant had one Michelin star in 2005. Head chef was Pascal Sanchez, Executive Chef was Gregory Sein. They put the accent on taste and the structure of produce, assisted by the three-Michelin-star chef Pierre Gagnaire.
From 2005 to 2007, Thomas Faudry returned to the Relais & Chateaux La Villa Calvi on the island of Corsica, this time as sous-chef. Executive Chef Christophe Bacquié received the distinction of MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in 2004, one Michelin star in 2002, a second one in 2007. He continued his kitchen philosophy of flavors of the Mediterranean in a classical style and added a refined bistro cuisine to the hotel.
Thomas Faudry also worked shortly at Hôtel Beau Rivage Restaurant Lac de Gerardmer in the French Vosges region, where they offered generous family cuisine.
In 2007 and 2008, Thomas Faudry worked with three-Michelin-star chef Antoine Westermann in his various outlets: Drouant, Mon Vieil Ami, Le Beurehiesel, participated in the Luxembourg opening of the Sofitel Hotel, worked for Secrets de Table in Strasbourg and for the Relais & Chateaux Fortalza do Guincho in Portugal’s Cascais, always with Antoine Westermann.
In June of 2008, Thomas Faudry moved to Funchal on the island of Madeira for the opening of the design hotel The Vine in December 2008. He became the executive chef of its gourmet restaurant Uva, which was created with the help of three-Michelin-star chef Antoine Westermann as consultant chef. In addition, Thomas Faudry is also in charge of the hotel’s brasserie Terra as well as the banqueting. In total, he supervises some 25 chefs at The Vine.
Uva restaurant & Wine Bar at Hotel The Vine in Funchal, Madeira. Photo copyright: The Vine.
Restaurant review with photos added on October 12, 2020 at 16:11 Madeira time. Updated on October 13, 2020 at 13:24 Madeira time.
