Best Fado Spots in Lisbon

What is Fado music? 🪕🇵🇹 Fado was born in Lisbon in the 19th century during the urban revival where many people would meet in taverns, cafes, and even brothels (mostly in Bairro Alto or Mouraria) to sing about the ups and downs of life while invoking a sense of longing/nostalgia for a person, place, or moment. Fado has changed throughout the years depending on the location (mostly Lisbon or Coimbra) but it’s traditionally sung by a fadista, accompanied by a Portuguese guitar (which has 6 orders of 2 strings) and a viola. The music still exists today and was nominated by UNESCO as a Intangible Heritage of Humankind in 2011. So, here’s a short of list of where to hear Fado music in Lisbon: Highly recommend RESERVING a table for dinner in advance! Most of the time you have dinner + there’s a wonderful fadista to accompany the meal! Enjoy :)