Meet The Team

Decanter

Issam Bani Ahmad

"Sammy"

Issam Bani Ahmad (“Sammy”) is originally from Jordan.  He was educated in Hospitality in Malaysia and then came to the United States in 2011 to begin his career in the Hospitality Industry.  His success there was striking–working his way up from banquet waiter to Food and Beverage Director with luxury brands such as St. Regis and Ritz Carlton hotels. His dream was always to have his own wine bar and restaurant.  Now, that dream has come true in Madeira.  It is called “Decanter.” Sammy is a Sommelier with worldwide knowledge of wines.  He is also a self-taught, outstanding, creative chef.  He acts as our Sommelier, and when we are lucky, our chef at Decanter.   You will usually see him guiding our team and making sure that everyone in the room is happy.  He shares his deep knowledge of wine with our guests and puts a unique flavor on each dish.  Most importantly, he brings his sparkling personality to the evenings we share with you.

Phil Walker

Phil

Phil Walker hails from Miami, Florida.  He has been a trial lawyer for over 40 years helping clients such as United Airlines, US Steel, and the University of California.  He even continues that work today in Madeira, counseling his clients over Zoom.  Most of them are jealous when they see him working from his balcony over Funchal! Along with Sammy, he is a founder of Cloud9traveltours —www.cloud9traveltours.com.  He and Sammy lead tours to Portugal, Madeira, Jordan, Dubai, and India and introduce their travelers to their local friends—an Indian prince, a hotel owner with 26 hotels restored from Indian forts, and Sammy’s cousin, the tour guide who guided Prince Charles and Camilla on their visit to Jordan. Phil has 3 passions:  travel, friends, and sitting in a café and watching the world go by.  After 40 years spent in the courtroom, he now lives the life he dreamt of for all those years. You will usually find Phil welcoming our guests at the front door, bringing a smile to their faces, and lighting them up with his jokes and magnetic personality.  If Sammy is the “Heart of Decanter”, then Phil is its “Spirit.”  Together, they create the joy which makes Decanter unique. 

Menu

Our delicious menu in english and portguese

English
português

Wines

Delicious wines you'll want to never stop drinking

View Wine List

Our Dream

Decanter Funchal

Our dream is a story of the magic life can bring. We decided on a vacation to Madeira after watching YouTube videos of the island. One of those videos involved an American family who had moved to Madeira and created a wonderful and inspiring new life. Over their first dinner together as new friends, the family told Sammy and Phil all about their new life and how they had made it come true. Sammy and Phil looked at each other and thought, “What if?”

How We Made It Possible
Decanter Funchal

Our Expertise

We search all over the world for the wines we believe will make your night unforgettable. Sammy brings a unique twist to every dish he creates with his Middle Eastern heritage, years in Malaysia, and the hundreds of hours of “Master Chef” he has watched and studied! Phil brings his love for fun, his laughter, and his humor as a raconteur telling stories that charm and intrigue.

Our Commitment

Friends, Wine, & Fun

A warm welcome to you as our new friend, a smile, a delicious meal, outstanding and unique wines, and fun. We always work to make an “evening at Decanter” your favorite night in Madeira.

What Our Guests & Friends Say

Testimonials

★★★★★ 5/5
We were literally strolling the streets of Funchal talking about where to go for dinner when we came across Decanter. The warm lights showing through the windows, the laughter we could hear, and the sounds of fun and enjoyment drew us in. Thank goodness! My husband at first said, “It looks like they all know each other. It must be all locals.” Once we dined with you, we knew why. Thank you for giving us such a memorable evening—the incredible Portuguese wine, the grilled meats—but most of all, the warmth you shared with us. We will be back!
Roberta and John Arguello
Madison, Wisconsin
★★★★★ 5/5
As I planned my trip to Madeira, I found the website for “Decanter.” I am a barrister in London. My partner works at Claridge’s. When I saw there was a wine bar and restaurant being run by a trial lawyer and hotel manager, I said, “We have got to dine there while on our cruise.” The Universe works in strange ways. When we walked in and saw the smiles, happy faces, corks being popped, and amazing smells, I understood why Sammy and Phil said this was their dream come true! The two of you are an inspiration. To take a dream, hold it in your hands, and bring it to life is true magic. You have done it.
Martin Smithson and Ian Williams
London, England
★★★★★ 5/5
We decided to take a European cruise which included Madeira. Frankly, I knew nothing about Madeira. A woman sitting at the bar next to us on the ship was reading emails. She said, “My friend says there is this incredible place to dine in Madeira. It is called Decanter.” The friend had spent a magical evening with you when visiting Madeira last year. Thank goodness we had gin and tonics at the bar next to this lovely person. If it were not for her, we would never have experienced our FAVORITE evening in Madeira. The food, the wine, the laughter will stick with us. But most of all, your warm welcome which made us feel like we were at home dining with friends. I read the story of Decanter on your website. You have made your dream come true. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Maggie and Alex Berringer
Anchorage, Alaska
★★★★★ 5/5
I took my daughter on a college graduation trip to Madeira as a surprise. I did not tell her that two of my closest friends had moved there and had a wine bar. She knows both Sammy and Phil and thinks they are hilarious. We walked through the front door and everyone in the restaurant shouted, “Surprise!” There were signs which read “Happy Graduation” and “You are Fabulous!” (undoubtedly Phil’s choice). Then, they revealed a large table covered with champagne glasses. They brought champagne for everyone in the restaurant, Phil gave a speech honoring me and my daughter (which was quite good), and everyone, including the chefs and servers even sang when the cake came out! Can you imagine what this was like for a 21-year old? Or her mother? At the end she said to me, “That was the greatest graduation party you could ever have given me!” Thank you, Sammy and Phil. And Phil…I was always the smartest one of the 2 of us! Every teacher secretly told me so! Cathy,
Cathy and Grace Madigan
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
★★★★★ 5/5
Our new friends surprised us. We met some Americans while having lunch. They were sitting next to us at a café and had moved to Madeira for their retirement. (They looked about 40. Madeira must do something for people.) We began to talk and found we were from the same town and knew many of the same people. At the end of our chat, they invited us to dinner. They said, “We want to take you to our Funchal secret.” Of course, we agreed. It was Decanter. You made all 4 of us feel like we were at a State Dinner. Now I know why they call it their “secret.” We are sure Decanter won’t be a secret for long!
Margaret and Matt Callihan
Longboat Key, Florida
★★★★★ 5/5
Thank goodness we did not go back to the cruise ship early! We were tired from a long day of exploring Funchal. My travel partner said, “Let’s see if we can find a place to relax and just have a glass of wine.” We googled “Wine Bars Funchal.” There you were! What was supposed to be 1 hour turned into 3 with dinner and even cognac. Trust me, Decanter gives our luxury cruise ship a run for its money! Watch out Ritz Carlton Cruises!
Patricia Van Allan and Gina Reilly
Houston, Texas
★★★★★ 5/5
Foi perfeito!
Leslie, Alan, and Wolff
Your Madeira neighbors and friends

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Whether you’re looking for a great place to have a nice dinner or you want to celebrate an event, we are the perfect place.
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We’d love to hear from you!

Want to place a reservation? Have a question about our delicious food, and wines? Gives us a call or send us a message.

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