Built up from my own trip to Lisbon in February, plus a few extra places I didn’t get to but have saved for next time!
This little guide includes:
🤓Just a little history I found helpful
🍤a few dishes to try
🛎️1 hotel
🍽️5 spots to dine
☕️5 spots to grab a coffee & sweet
🥂2 spots for just a drink
🚡 7 spots to explore!
Plus since we braved the city with a stroller, I left some details in the locations 😉
What’s not included: anything to do with Fado… sorry 😅
Leaving this guide free for now, but if you find it helpful and would like to say thanks, tips are always appreciated 🥰
(you can help fund research for my next guide 🤓)
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Europe, once home to Celtic tribes it was conquered by the Phoenicians by sea, and eventually the Greeks and Carthaginians. Rome gained control in the Second Punic war but it then fell again to Germanic tribes.
During the late millennia AD, Lisbon was property of the Islamic Moors, who transformed the city entirely. This reign only lasted about 300 years before it fell to Christian hands again under Alfonso II of Asturia.
Through expansion, Lisbon became its own merchant republic thanks to its well connected port.
Lisbon was a major trading port and somewhat an entry to Europe. They controlled direct trade with Capo Verde. In fact it became the most important port for Slave Trade.
In 1755 there was a devastating earthquake that caused the city to be entirely rebuilt. This earthquake happened on All Saints’ Day, many churches collapsed on parishioners, those that didn’t collapse were set ablaze by their candles. The citizens who escaped tried to run to the ocean, however they were unaware a Tsunami was waiting for them. Between all these factors the city was destroyed.
From the 1920s to 1978 Portugal was under a dictatorship and was very closed from the rest of the world.
Today it functions as a Republic, and is a leading tourist destination, popular for its colourful architecture and unique fado music.
🍷What to drink:
Lisbon is it’s own wine region of Portugal, it mainly produces simple wine, a sort of every man’s wine.
There are 9 appellations within this region.
-Bucelas produces distinct white wines from the Arinto grapes. They are citrus driven with beeswax notes, great when aged.
-Colares produces great reds from the Ramisco vine. Ramisco produces wines with notes of violets and dark fruits. There is a bit of a saline quality.
-Alenquer produces rich tannic red wines
-Arruda for another rich red wine good with meals
What to eat:
-Grilled Sardines (but only in season! Between June and October)
-Ameijòas à Bulhão Pato, a garlic and clam sauce perfect for dipping.
-Polvo à Lagareiro, octopus in oil often served with potatoes
-Cozido, a heavy stew with a base of meat, another soup is Caldo Verde
-Alheira a chicken sausage that was used to deceive the inquisition!
-Bacalhau a Bras- a shredded cod and potato dish that is super delicious even for those of you who aren’t huge fish fans.
-pastéis de nata, a delicious custard tart with flaky cake to hold it in, best when topped with cinnamon.
Beautiful hotel that runs about 100-120€/night. Basic rooms are just the right size, they are a little intimate (glass showers visible by rest of room 😅) so better for couples.
Spa access is given to every guest, with massages and treatments discounted 10%.
Breakfast includes a lot of local specialties made fresh (especially loved the pineapple jam)
Staff was very kind!
Little find by chance! Was an amazing sea food restaurant, it actually acts as a fish market, you pick the fresh catch you’d like and the weight you’d like then they prepare it for you how you’d like.
For example we bought a whole imperador and had half prepared as sushi, half grilled.
All market fish comes from Portugal (but on the menu they do have a few extra salmon and Tuna based dishes which they mention are imported. )
They make sure to cook every bit of the fish- even frying the bones to be edible!
It can be expensive, however was well worth the experience and the service was excellent.
(Head here for lunch when it’s empty, dinner needs reservations!)
A very unassuming little restaurant that seems to be very popular with locals. It’s the perfect place to try the essential local dishes of Lisbon at a very fair price.
Wine is what it is, tinto or Bianco, no special labels here.
I really loved their Alheiro sausage!
Menu: 💶
For: everyone!
Manteigaria actually meant “butter” shop back in the day, but this particular shop refined their baking skills and began serving only the famous Pasteis de Nata.
You can watch them pull trays in and out of the oven and choose your pasteis fresh and warm with as much crispy burnt as you like.
Top it off with some cinnamon for a real treat.
(Now they are a chain you can find them a few places throughout the city!)
A delicious pastry shop with unique bites. Of course you will find the classic Pasteis but also a ton of their own sweet creations.
They’ve won many awards for these sweets. I personally loved the “Manjar do Deuses” it was a small pumpkin and almond cake.
Slow Food recommended dining in Lisbon, a comfortable restaurant open only in the evening.
Grab a few bites of local cuisine, primarily seafood but with some vegg and meat options.
While there is food, the real pull here is their craft cocktails! All beverages are made with 100% Portuguese alcohols. Be sure to try one of these great drinks!
All ingredients are fresh and locally sourced, they also adopt a Zero Waste Policy, reusing extra ingredients in sauces or broth.
Menu: 💶💶
A Slow Food approved dining option in Lisbon, located in an 18th century residence. They have an excellent courtyard to dine in when the weather permits.
The menu is not 100%traditional Lisbon cuisine, instead it mixes a bit of tradition with some revisited creative dishes.
Primarily seafood with a few meat and veggie options as well.
Menu: 💶💶💶
(19€ a main dish, cover 2,5€)
A great place for a drink and a bite to eat on your way to visit Belem! This is located not too far from the tower, and by the bus stop.
You can try Portuguese wines (and more!) and grab a little charcuterie board
(Note: Google says temporarily closed, yet we passed by Feb 2023 and was open 🤷🏻♀️)
Menu: 💶💶 /💶💶💶 (drink not bad but food gets pricey!)
A cute eatery with something for everyone: meat and veggie dishes available. As well as Vegan and Paleo!
They are a great brunch/ lunch spot.
Menu: 💶/💶💶
(Lunch deal for 12€)
An adorable cafe that miraculously opened nd kept going right at the height of the Pandemic. They make all their own pastries and sell many other Portuguese produced goods and products.
A gorgeous cafe and pastry shop, they make all their sweets fresh.
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*note: if you saw this guide from IG know that I didn’t put everywhere I went on here. That is because I went on a tour from Devour Tours, and I want to respect the guide's knowledge. I highly recommend you grab a spot on their food tours and enjoy learning about Lisbon with them
Tasting room in the city managed by the national wine tourism board.
You can book a led tasting in advance, but you need a minimum of 2 people. If you are solo, call ahead and they can fit you into a reservation with a group!
If you just want to taste and not follow a guided one, head their anytime!
You can charge a card and then with a glass choose which wines you want to taste. Each tasting glass is about 2€ with some of the more prized wines being offered for 4€
While many will tell you to go to the Time Out market, the River market next door is also very interesting.
Originally the whole structure was a large farmers and fisherman’s market, but it began to fall behind as locals went to supermarkets.
However then Time Out purchased a section for restaurants and the actual market saw a revival as well, with many restaurants of Time Out choosing to buy ingredients from the market.
Also known as the Tower of St. Vincent, it is an impressive 16th century fortification, and a sort of symbolic entryway to Lisbon.
🎟️€6 or free entrance with the Lisboa Card.
Ticket sales can be suspended if there are too many people, so make sure to get there early or book in advance.
An early 1500s monastery in the Portuguese Gothic Style, it was funded by taxes from explorers.
It’s a impressive monument, however visiting the structure itself there is little information and mainly just the center courtyard.
You might want to book a tour before hand, and make sure not to miss the church as well!
🎟️10€ and are good for 48hours!
👶they will ask you to park your stroller if you can and walk around with the kiddo.
An old church and convent that was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. Instead of being rebuilt it was designated as a Archaeology museum.
🎟️ 5€ the inside lets you explore the old ruins but also an archaeological collection from all over the world, the most interesting being two Peruvian mummies.
👶there are a few steps at the beginning but then it is stroller friendly!
Originally built in 1147, this impressive Cathedral has survived many an earthquake, what was destroyed was always rebuilt.
Inside you will need to buy a ticket, but it is worth it for a quick visit. You can catch a view from the balcony and see the beautiful stain-glass windows.
🎟️5€
(If you bring a stroller you can enter they just have you park it by the ticket shop!)
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