Prego is a traditional Madeiran steak sandwich, served in bolo do caco (a flat sweet potato bread) or a papa seco roll. You’ll find it on the menu of almost every café in Funchal. The basic version is just steak with lettuce and tomato; prego especial adds cheese, ham and a fried egg. Madeiran beef is produced locally and is often excellent – but the end result depends on the place and the cut of meat.
The first time I came to Madeira, I assumed I’d be eating fish, fruit and fresh vegetables. I didn’t know much about Madeiran food. I discovered prego late – too late, I now think. Because this simple steak sandwich, which you might shrug off at first, became one of my regular lunchtime rituals during my last stay in Funchal. Today it’s my Madeiran comfort food.
We found it on a guide’s recommendation – Bar Number Two in the Zona Velha (Old Town), with a view of the ocean and the cable car up to Monte. Outside the bar, people were drinking poncha in the sun and laughing loudly; the relaxed atmosphere hit you the moment you walked in. I ordered a Prego Especial (or rather a Prego No2, which has tomato instead of a fried egg). And that’s how it all started.
Want to taste it on the spot? Compare Madeira wine tastings and food tours in Funchal on GetYourGuide.
What is prego?
Prego is a thin beef steak served in Madeiran bread – that’s all, and that’s plenty. You’ll find it on almost every café and restaurant menu in Funchal. Madeiran beef can be superb, and when you hit on a good place and fresh meat, this sandwich blows most of the touristy dishes on those multi-page menus out of the water.
The basic version is just the steak, maybe with lettuce and tomato. Prego especial comes with cheese, ham and egg – richer and more filling. Prego no prato, on the other hand, is the bread-free version: steak with a fried egg, chips and salad. I haven’t tried that one – for me, the sandwich is definitely the right format.
Prego is almost always served in bolo do caco – Madeira’s sweet potato bread, baked on a flat stone. I’ve heard the view that the thick bread overwhelms the thin steak and that prego works better in light papa seco rolls.
All I can say is that prego in bolo do caco tastes perfect to me – and the bread itself, warm and lightly garlicky, is a pleasure in its own right.
How to choose a good place
I’ve never had a bad prego – but that’s down to strategy, not luck. I look for places where the menu fits on one board and the people at the bar are clearly there for the fun of it: laughing, chatting, looking local or at least less touristy. That’s a sign people come back by choice, not because their hotel happens to be round the corner.
Two tried-and-tested places in Funchal
Bar Number Two — Zona Velha
This is my big discovery. A terrace overlooking the ocean and the Monte cable car, a bar where people mix poncha with conversation – and the prego No2 I kept coming back to for my whole stay. The bar is known for its own take on the sandwich, with bacon, cheese, tomato and lettuce, and for its long poncha list. I went back several times, and every time I felt I’d made a good choice.
Esplanada Jardim Municipal
A small round kiosk with outdoor tables, right next to the amphitheatre in the Municipal Garden. A typically touristy spot – I’ve eaten a few things there with mixed feelings, but I had no complaints about the prego. Good for a calmer lunch when the Zona Velha is packed or you simply want somewhere quieter.
The perfect Madeiran lunch
My idea of the perfect lunch? A prego especial and a poncha pescador. Pescador is the so-called fisherman’s poncha from Câmara de Lobos. It’s drier than classic poncha (regional) – and that’s exactly why I think it goes better with food: it doesn’t drown out the steak, it complements it. Maybe a nikita to finish – wine, beer and ice cream in one glass. It sounds crazy, but done well it tastes surprisingly good.
It’s not a perfectly balanced meal, but it’s exactly the one you need after a busy day of sightseeing.
Prego Especial recipe
Prego Especial — Madeira’s steak sandwich
The classic Funchal prego especial: a thin steak marinated in garlic and wine, cheese, ham and egg – all in bolo do caco with garlic butter.
Ingredients
- Beef fillet (filete) or sirloin (lombo), pounded thin 300 g
- Garlic, finely chopped 4 cloves
- Dry white wine 60 ml
- Olive oil 2 tbsp
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Bolo do caco (or papa seco rolls) 2
- Garlic butter 2 tbsp
- Sliced hard cheese (ideally queijo da ilha) 4 slices
- Sliced ham (presunto or ordinary ham) 4 slices
- Eggs 2
- Lettuce leaves 4
- Tomato, sliced 1
Method
Combine the wine, garlic and olive oil in a bowl. Add the steak and coat it well in the marinade. Leave for at least 30 minutes – the longer (up to 2 hours in the fridge), the better.
Slice the bolo do caco open and toast briefly in a dry frying pan or on a grill until lightly golden. Spread the warm halves with garlic butter. Keep somewhere warm.
Get a frying pan very hot. Take the steak out of the marinade (keep the marinade). Fry for 1.5–2 minutes on each side – it should be juicy inside with a light crust. Season with salt and pepper. At the end, pour in the remaining marinade and let it bubble away for 30 seconds.
Lay the ham and cheese on the hot steak. Cover the pan with a lid for 30–60 seconds so the cheese melts slightly.
In a separate pan, fry the eggs in olive oil – the yolk should stay runny. It’s an important part of a prego especial, so don’t skip it.
Put the lettuce and tomato on the bottom half of the bolo do caco. Top with the steak, cheese and ham, and finally the fried egg. Cover with the top half of the bread and serve straight away.
Meat: Filete (fillet) is the most tender; lombo (sirloin) has more flavour. Pound the slices as thin as you can – prego isn’t a chop, the steak should be tender. Avoid cheaper cuts – they’ll be tough.
Wine: Use one you’d drink. Dry white gives a milder flavour, red a deeper one. Both are fine.
Cheese: If you can get queijo da ilha (Madeiran island cheese), use it – it has a distinct, slightly sharp flavour. Otherwise, use a good mature hard cheese.
Bread: You’ll find a bolo do caco recipe in a separate guide on madeira-planner.com. You can swap it for a light white roll (papa seco) – the sandwich will be less sweet, but the steak will taste more pronounced.
Looking for a plan for the day? Dolphin-watching cruises, jeep tours and sunrise on Pico do Arieiro, many with hotel pickup. Compare offers and reviews on GetYourGuide.
