Our last trip before the Coronavirus ground all travel to a halt was Lisbon, Portugal, a vibrant, colorful and fun city with great sightseeing, beautiful buildings covered in colorful tile, fantastic wine and cuisine. While we realize your travel plans are likely on hold indefinitely (as are ours!) here is our Lisbon, Portugal Travel Guide for when borders do open and we can get back to exploring and connecting with people in person.
Day 1:
Eat Lisbon’s Famous Pastry: Lisbon is famous for a pastry filled with sweet custard called a pasteis, and the most famous place to get them is Pasteis de Belem. The lines at this cafe are legendary, so unless you want to kill a few hours in line, we have a pro tip for you. We arrived first thing in the morning on a Saturday around 8am while the rest of Lisbon was fast asleep and walked right in with no line for sit down service or the takeout window. We got a pack of six pasteis and some coffees to go while we walked on over to sightsee in the Belem neighborhood. The pasteis are delicious and the cafe itself is a marvel (which dates back to 1837), covered in blue-and-white Portuguese tile.
Jeronimos Monastery: Just a five-minute walk from Pasteis de Belem is Jeronimos Monastery, one of Lisbon’s most famous sightseeing spots. Get here early as well since this line is two hours on average. We made the decision to get here before it opened and stand in line which was 100% the right call since we got in as soon as it opened and before all of the tour buses arrived. The monastery itself, and its beautiful garden and terraces represent Lisbon’s great wealth as one of Europes most powerful port cities. They have a great exhibit tracking the history of Portfugal and Lisbon over the course of many centuries. We got the Lisboa Card, which gave us entry to lots of sights, allowed up to skip the line at many and gave us free public transit access. In the end, it cost us just as much if we paid a la carte, but if you plan on seeing a ton of sights, it might be more economical to buy this pass.
Belem Tower: Just a ten-minute walk from Jeronimos is another must-see sight, the Belem Tower (also included in Lisboa Card). This 16th-century tower has great views of Portugal and you can climb to the top while taking in the exhibits on each floor.
Discoveries Monument: One your walk back from the Belem Tower there is a massive monument worth getting some photos of. It shows Portugal’s most famous explorers, carved into the side of a ship. It’s an iconic monument.
Meander Bairro Alto: At night, the Bairro Alto district really comes alive. This stretch of streets is a bit gritty but very authentic. I loved strolling and seeing the tile-covered homes in different colors and patterns. There are a ton of bars and restaurants here to peruse. Our first night in Lisbon, instead of going to a sit-down dinner, we decided to pick three great bars and have drinks and apps at each of them.
Wine & Cheese at The Old Pharmacy: Our first stop was a delightful little wine bar housed inside an old apothecary that had the most beautiful aesthetic to it. I loved the detailed crown molding and the bones of what was once a pharmacy now being place where people come together to drink Portuguese wine and local cheeses.
Cocktails at Red Frog: Next, walk to a delightful little speakeasy called Red Frog for some creative drinks, the most incredible old-timey decor and Portuguese sandwiches, called tosta mistake. We loved this spot, which ranks as one of the best bars in Portugal, and found both the ingredients and the presentation of their cocktails to be super inventive. If you’re a bar snob, make this stop a must-visit.
Day 2:
Tile Museum: First thing’s first, Lisbon is a sensory experience in and of itself because of its tiles. Colorful, hand-painted tiles are everywhere in the city, and they create such a lively vibe. You can be walking in a run-down part of the city and find ancient tiles lining the walls of older homes as easily as you’ll spot them in the most affluent parts of town. For this reason (and because we’re in the middle of an apartment renovation!) I wanted to visit Lisbon’s famous Tile Museum (also known as Museu Nacional do Azulejo.)
Time Out Market: Lisbon’s biggest food hall is the Time Out Market, which has dozens of vendors of local fare, wine, coffee and more. Grab some plates to split at a communal table and you’re off to the races. We only had coffee here because we had a delicious lunch planned upstairs at the market. More on that, below!
Lunch at Pap Acorda: Lunch at this incredible restaurant was the culinary highlight of our time in Portugal. Pap Acorda is located in Lisbon’s bustling Time Out market, but is upstairs in its own space. It is much more fine dining than the stalls below, but has a welcoming and beautiful ambiance.
We started at their bar and chatted up the bartender on some of their best local wins, which did not disappoint. We had full glasses of red wine from the Duoro region while taking in in the lively atmosphere and palpable energy of the restaurant.
From here, we were taken to our table where we were fully spoiled with the restaurant’s most famous and delicious dishes. Luckily, we walked lots of miles in the morning, because we went on to eat the following: beef steak with cream sauce, fresh fries and creamed spinach (absolutely delicious!); bread panada (one of their specialties!); grilled codfish with olive oil and garlic (a MUST); mussels in a super flavorful broth; their famous tempura beans and a ton of sides. We were stuffed, yet absolutely delighted by the quality and flavor of each dish, not to mention the excellent service.
Before we left, the restaurant surprised us with a dessert unlike any other I’ve ever tasted. The waitress came out with a giant metal bowl filled with the most decadent chocolate mousse that she then spooned into a big plate for my husband and I to share. It was light and fluffy and chocolatey and I haven’t been able to stop thinking of it since! Please be sure not to leave before you have this as dessert!
Sunset At Santa Luzia: Walk up the windy hill to the historic Alfama neighborhood for one of the most beautiful views of sunset in Lisbon. This lookout deck shows the skies turn pink and purple over the red terracotta roofs of Lisbon. We also loved the steep walk up to the lookout because of the medieval feel of this part of town. There are great souvenir shops and other local wares, so I would head up here an hour or two before sunset in order to explore.
Drinks at Bistro 100 Manieras: For some extremely complex and inventive cocktails, head over to Bistro 100 Manieras. The restaurant and bar is located in a bustling part of Lisbon with great shops, that reminded me a lot of New York City’s Fifth Avenue, but with more character and smaller shops.
Bistro 100 Manieras has cocktails that take you on a bit of a journey that are each inspired by memories from the staff of the restaurant. We ordered cocktails that were meticulously made and had special effects, like the one on the photo above which had a gelatinous bubble that burst to create an aroma that went with the cocktail. We appreciated how hands on and helpful the bartenders were. We described what flavors we’re usually drawn to and what profiles we like, and they directed us to the correct cocktails and even crafted bespoke ones to fit our whims. This is a must-visit while in Lisbon.
Fado Music: Lisbon has a tradition of “fado” which is a type of music sung by widows to mourn the loss of their husbands. The women sing shrouded in black clothing and belt their hearts out. The Alfama district is famous for live Fado, and shows typically start around 9pm and are sometimes part of a dinner service. We suggest heading to this district at night to catch some live fado.
We loved listening to Podcasts on Portugal’s history and Lisbon’s history while we walked to some of the sights or waited in line. We highly recommend you do the same while in Portugal or before the visit. We learned a ton about how powerful Portugal was because of its fleet of ships in commerce and conquering other places, how an earthquake leveled Lisbon and other great information that was integral in making Lisbon what it is today.
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