City Guide: Lisbon

Oh Lisbon

This city will always have an extra special place in my heart because we explored it with our best friends.

Get ready for the beautiful colours, green wine, delicious food, and many many hills.

THE BASICS 

Country: Portugal 
Language: Portuguese
Currency: Euro
Getting there: From Lisbon airport, you can jump in a taxi for roughly €20 to the city centre.
Aerobus is around €4 pp and departs every 20 minutes between 730am-9pm, with the last stop being Cais do Sodre. You can also book with Welcome Pickups - who we recommend for a reliable, pre-booking service.
Metro – fast and inexpensive straight from the airport to the city centre.
Taxi - FreeNow and Uber both work in Lisbon and throughout Portugal.
For all info on how to get into Lisbon from the airport, this is the best website here.
Power: Type C – Europe. 
Best time to visit: Honestly, I think anytime. Summer is seriously HOT, but if you have time to take some trips to the coast, then it’s easy to escape the heat. Spring or Autumn would be equally as beautiful, with less heat, sunshine, and nice temperatures. 

Notes: You have to try Pastéis de Natas (Portuguese tarts)

WHERE TO STAY 

Areas
Bairro Alto 
Known for its great nightlife, Bairro Alto is a beautiful neighbourhood full of life and is a wonderful place to stay and explore.

Alfama district 
Alfama is Lisbon’s oldest district which survived the 1755 earthquake and is considered the historical soul of the city.

Chiado 
The shopping and theatre district of Lisbon.

Principe Real 
A little bit quieter than Bairro Alto but close enough to enjoy the nightlife. It’s the most cosmopolitan part of Lisbon.

Cais do Sodre 
Surrounded by bars and clubs – and of course, it’s the district that’s home to pink street.

Hotels

Airbnb – we stayed on Rua Di Bica at this Airbnb.
It was amazing. Probably on the loudest party street in Lisbon, it was perfect.
It overlooks the Lisbon cable car that people flock to for photos.

We recommend using Airbnb in Lisbon. There are some beautiful hotels (below) but there are some incredible Airbnbs available for such great value.
If you’ve never used Airbnb before - check out our Airbnb Guide to work out how to use it.

Dona Graca Apartments
Classic and beautiful. Prices start from €150.

Memmo Alfama  
Memmo Principe Real
For the five stars and the views.

Dear Lisbon Houses
There is nothing quite like a small boutique hotel.

View from our Airbnb

View from our Airbnb

WHERE TO EAT 

Breakfast/Brunch 
The Mill 
Dear Breakfast  
Comoba
Heim Cafe 

Coffee
Hello Kristof 
Copenhagen coffee lab
Fabrica coffee roasters 
Dear Breakfast
The Mill

Hello Kristof

Dear Breakfast

Bars
Portuguese wine is extraordinary. You will most likely learn a lot about the Duoro river and exactly where their beloved wine comes from on your Lisbon adventure.

Try as many Portuguese wines as you can and don’t forget that Port wine comes from Porto - it’s a must-try and it’s fabulous.

ARTIS wine bar
We visited this amazing bar multiple times. It was the first place we went after arriving in Lisbon. They serve amazing wines, amazing tapas, and the vibe is high. All very well priced, it’s absolutely worth a visit.

Park Bar
A car park turned rooftop bar. It’s pretty freaking cool. It’s a long walk up to the top but the views and green wine make it all worth it. Green wine you ask? I know. Try it you’re in Lisbon!

Dinner

Taberna da Rua das Flores
Get there early. Exceptional and authentic food. Highly highly highly recommend!

Time Out Market
A huge selection of stalls - full of wine, meats, cheeses, Pastéis de Natas and it’s brilliant! You could eat here all meals of the day to be perfectly honest. Meat, cheese, and wine for breakfast is never a bad idea.

Artis Wine Bar
As mentioned above, the tapas and dinner here are so so good. Highly recommend.

Meson Andaluz 
Picture perfect location sitting outside in the summertime. Have a seat on the steps with a glass of wine whilst you wait for your table.

Other recommendations
Taberna do Calhau 
An authentic Alentejo cuisine restaurant with only 26 seats, all dishes are made to be shared.
Prado
Near the Alfama district. Serving farm to table. Well priced. Definitely make a reservation.
Alma
2 michelin star, chef Henrique Sa Pessoa 
Tapisco
Also chef Henrique Sa pessoa, a more casual affair. Make a booking!

essential eating

Pasteis de Belem
The OG Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese tart). Get a dozen and a dozen to go.

Ginja
Cherry liqueur in chocolate cups - you might find these being handed out around the city.

WHAT TO DO 

Visit Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo
Go in the day for a photo of you and the cable car or go at night for an amazing street party and cheap drinks.

Pink Street
Although a little dirtier than expected, it’s worth a visit.

Take a stroll through the main square and the centre of town.
One of the best things about old towns in Europe is the easy ability to just wander and get totally lost. It’s charming. Just explore!

Visit Belem tower (via Pasteis de Belem)
A little bit out of Lisbon you can jump on a bus or take a taxi to the tower. Stop by Pasteis de Belem for your Portuguese tarts.

Hire motorized scooters and cruise along the coast.
There are many different brands of motorized scooters everywhere along the waterfront. It’s so fun, and so cheap.

Day trip to Cascais
The train goes from Cais do Sodré train station and leaves every 10 to 20 minutes. The journey takes 30 minutes to the beautiful little seaside town of Cascais.

Enjoy the view from Miraadouros Lisbon
There are many viewpoints in Lisbon but this is a great place to start when exploring this side of the city. In the summer the viewing area will be full of beautiful pink flowers.

Buy some cork products
Rutz Cork is a great little shop to buy some uniquely handmade Portuguese cork products. Cork is amazing, and it’s so great to see how they’re using this beautiful and sustainable material for almost everything!

Stay out until 4 am 
It’s Europe.

Hiring a car
Drive to the beaches on the Atlantic coast. There are great surfing spots.

Spend a weekend in Porto. We’ll be making our Porto guide soon!

Drive towards the Mediterranean coastline, explore the national park and beaches.

If you’re looking for a great and reliable transfer in Lisbon - we recommend booking through our favourite partner HERE.

If you need an E-Sim whilst travelling (we recommend you get one!) then you can book through our partner HERE.

Portugal was magical, we’ve only got the most beautiful memories from our time there.

G-B x

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