For many years now,each time my wife and I have visited Madeira, we have enjoyed cocktails on the terrace (I should make it clear that we have never stayed at Reid's and this is not of a review of an hotel stay). The last time we were here was September 2021 and it was as good as ever. This time however, (September 2026), things had changed. It was not possible to have drinks on the terrace as it is now used for afternoon tea and in any event has apparently to be pre-booked. We were able though to find a small isolated outdoor area with one table. The next disappointment was the choice of cocktails. No longer are the regulars on the menu - there were 6 or 7 concoctions which presumably are the hotel's own, none of which we had ever heard of. We both chose a cocktail which sounded interesting; it was not large but did have a very large piece of ice in it, which presumably was an attempt to make it look more than it was. We frankly felt ripped off and sadly, will not be returning.
