Portugal 🐟

Lisbon, Portugal

🐟

Lisbon isn’t the cheap European destination it once was (thanks NY Times!) but the combination of great food, balmy weather and ample cobbled streets for wandering makes it a city not to be missed. The tiles, the hills, the pasteis de nata!

PRO TIPS!

✅ Eat a pasteis de nata Lisbon’s favorite pastry. A custardy, crunchy dream.

✅To get around, buy a “Zapping” Via Viagem travel card. You can load it up with as much money as you want, and it works on all forms of public transportation. Buy them at any of the stations.

✅**Wear comfortable shoes. ** Those hills are no joke! Everyone wears sneakers or low boots.

✅ Go get a drink at a “Quiosque.” Almost every Lisbon park features a little hut serving cheap drinks you can enjoy while admiring the view. Speaking of which…

✅**Visit as many “Miradouros” as possible. ** A benefit of all those hills is a city-wide collection of scenic overlooks.

EAT

◐ Gelateria Nannarella

São Bento Mind-blowing gelato. They have daily specials, as well as seasonal flavors. The fruit flavors are especially good.

Peixaria Centenária – Praça das Flores

São Bento Local fish market that offers weekend prix fixe fish dinners for 40 Euro including wine. You need to book ahead, but it’s well worth it – contact them via email or Instagram.

◐ Café de São Bento

São Bento Cozy, classic steak house. Get an entrecote steak or the filet mignon, or try a prego, the tasty Portuguese steak sandwich. Don’t forget the tarte tatin! (They also have a stall in the Time Out market.)

◐ Restaurante Ponto Final

Almada My favorite from the trip. Cozy, delicious seafood on the river overlooking the sweeping Ponte 25 de Abril (the Golden Gate look-alike.) Take the ferry from Cais do Sodré over to Almada, and walk along the river towards the bridge, you can’t miss it! Be sure to try the cod fritters – they come with a cauldron of tomato-y rice and beans that is insanely delicious.

◐ Manteigaria

Bairro Alto The best pastel de nata in Lisbon, served warm from the oven, with a dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar. There’s also the added bonus that you get to watch the bakery in action as you sip your cafe at the counter.

Tantura

Bairro Alto. Wonderful Mediterranean restaurant with great wine and many types of hummus. Delicious, easy meal.

A Brasileira Cafe

Chiado A 1905 coffee house, known for its lovely Art Nouveau interior, and to be a favorite haunt of Portuguese poet, Fernando Pessoa. You can visit his statue outside. Great location for a quick cafe.

◐ Bairro Do Avillez – Taberna

Chiado Jose Avillez is one of the great Portuguese chefs and has a number restaurants on this block, including the Michelin-starred Belcanto. This is his more casual taberna, and it’s phenomenal. I think it’s safe to recommend any one of his restaurants, but if you’re seeking a more easy, non-prix fixe option – go here!

Jesus é Goês

Avenida Food inspired by the former Portuguese colony of Goa, by Goan chef Jesus. Make sure to get one of his suggestions.

◐ Restaurante O Palacio

Alcântara. Local favorite fish restaurant. Get the clams, buttered toast, grilled fish and a Prego de Lombo, the traditional Portuguese steak sandwich. It’s not too much food if you share!

A Cevicheria

Principe Real The new trendy fish spot, with long lines to prove it.

Time Out Market / Mercado da Ribeira at Cais do Sodré

_Cais do Sodré. _The epicenter of foodie insanity in Lisbon. The market features a number of food stalls from local favorites, like Café de São Bento, Manteigaria and Sea Me. And an outpost of the best Portuguese giftshop, A Vida Portuguesa and tinned food emporium, Conserveira.

LxFactory

Alcântara A former industrial complex that now houses a series of cool shops, galleries and restaurants. There’s a wonderful bookstore, Livraria Ler Devagar, and an outdoor cafe/beer garden, Cafe na Fabrica, serving yummy toasted sandwiches and Lisbon’s first craft beer, from LX Brewery. And one of the best slices of chocolate cake at Landeau Chocolate. It reminded me of a more sincere/non-ironic Williamsburg.

DRINK

◐ KIOSKS!

They’re scattered throughout the city, in every park and plaza. Get a caipirinha, a Porto Tónico, Aperol Spritz or simply an Imperial, a pint of Sagres or Super Bock. Some favorite spots, all listed in the map at the bottom of the post:

**Quiosque Clara Clara – **near Alfama in the Botto Machado, overlooking the National Pantheon.
Quiosque do Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
Quiosque São Bento – very tranquil park.
Kiosk Adamastor Santa Catarina – a very popular miradouro, overlooking the river.

Cerveteca Lisboa

Principe Real A craft beer bar in Lisbon? Sure, why not!

Pavilhão Chinês

_Principe Real _Very cool cocktail bar filled with what can only be called “ephemera.” Like a curiosity shop – with booze!

Cervejaria Artesanal Duque

Chiado Craft beer brewpub, featuring local craft beer, “Duque.”

Pub Lisboeta

Chiado Local bar with excellent meat and cheese plates.

Graça do Vinho

Graça Lovely wine bar inside of an old pharmacy.

SHOP

◐ A Vida Portuguesa

Chiado This might be one of my most favorite stores ever. Every Portuguese product, from perfect stationary to canned fish gorgeously arranged in an old perfume store. Your one-stop shop for all presents.

◐ Ceramicas na Linha

Chiado Amazing, very inexpensive ceramics store. They have cabbage-ware!

◐ Fabrica Features

Chiado Amazing design shop and gallery on the top floor of the United Colors of Benetton. We wanted all of the things.

Loja de Bure

Bairro Alto Lisbon is famous for its wool – who knew?? Piles of beautiful scarves and blankets.

Conserveira de Lisboa

Madalena, Mouraria. Lisbon is famous for its canned fish, or conserveira, and this store is famous for its shelves upon shelves of canned fish. Take a peek at my sister’s Best Fish Forward to brush up on your sustainability knowledge before buying fish, as Lisbon’s signature sardine is woefully over-fished at the moment. Go for the mackerel.

◐ Cortico & Netos

Graça Amazing discontinued mid-century and modern tiles.

O! Galeria

Graça Art gallery with prints and original pieces for sale.

LUPA Design Shop

Graça Small boutique of locally designedthings.

Surrealejos

Graça Surrealism-inspired tiles in a tiny gallery.

Embaixada and Concept Store

Principe Real The main store is inside of an old mansion, and the “Concept Store” is next-door. This would be nicer if it were cheaper, but it’s still fun to peruse their diverse collection of clothes, shoes and bags by local Portuguese designers.

NEARBY

BELEM

Belém district is just West of central Lisbon along the river Tagus, and easily accessible via public transportation. It’s from here that explorer Vasco da Gama embarked on his historic expedition that led to the discovery of the passage to India, in 1497. The Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument now looms over that spot, celebrating the Golden Age of Discovery. The beautiful Jerónimos Monastery was commissioned by King Manuel I not long after in 1501 and still stands today in all its frosting sugar glory. Nearby is another monument to survive the 1755 earthquake, the Torre de Belém.

Hit up the Jerónimos Monastery in the morning before the tourist crowds arrive, then restore your blood sugar with an OG pastel de nata, from Fábrica dos Pastéis de Belém. They’ve been going strong since 1837, with a secret recipe allegedly handed down by the Jerónimos monks themselves. You can sit down for table service, or order pastéis at the front counter to-go. Don’t forget the packets of cinnamon and powdered sugar! You can then take your pastéis across the street to enjoy on the river, by the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. After, walk down to the Torre de Belém. Or, head back to town along the river. You’ll pass MAAT, the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, and if you keep going you’ll eventually hit LxFactory for a welcome beer, books and tosta mista sandwiches.

SINTRA

Take a quick 45 minute jaunt on the train heading northwest from Lisbon and you’ll be in the resort town of Sintra, longtime vacay spot of the Portuguese royal family. The crown jewel is the hilltop 19th-Century Pena Palace, a magic rainbow Disney castle in the clouds. Go early to beat the selfie-stick-wielding tourist hordes, and be sure to take a tuk-tuk up the hill to the palace gates. That hill is NO JOKE – the trail is more of a ladder than a path. A tuk-tuk will cost you only 5 Euro each, and takes you on a pleasant winding road through Sintra park. After exploring the castle, be sure to walk through the grounds, which are filled with gardens, forest trails, streams and overlooks. There’s a little snack bar by the main entrance to the grounds in case you need a break. If you’re feeling ambitious, take the hiking trail down the mountain back into town. You can also visit the Castelo dos Mouros, the ruins of an older Moorish Castle on the way. Even better than the Pena Palace is the nearby estate of Quinta da Regaleira. The villa and grounds were designed by an Italian architect more well-known for designing opera sets, and you can tell. You will get lost wandering through the man-made grottoes, tunnels and towers.

When you get hungry, we enjoyed Restaurante Dona Maria overlooking the National Palace. And don’t forget that Sintra has two special pastries – of course they do! – Queijadas de Sintra, the Sintra cheesecake, and travesseiros, literally “pillows” that are almost a cross between a doughnut and an almond croissant. These things are BEYOND, especially when you get them warm from the oven at Casa Piriquita.