The Lisbon guide
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A carefully curated guide for the best Lisbon experience while staying in one of our apartments.
What's in the guide.
Quickly navigate to what interests you the most.
What to see in lisbon.
Don't miss out on these beautiful places for a real Lisbon experience. Our favorite sights are the following ones:
The brunch culture.
Brunch is definitely a thing in Lisbon, so if you are here you have to try at least one of these spots. In general, be aware that these are really popular places so you might have to queue a bit if you get there during usual brunch hours.
Breakfast Lovers Misericordia
Amazing food! Special tip: try the octopus.
Zenith
Chic setting featuring exposed bricks. The coffee at Zenith is top-notch. Try their cappuccinos or flat whites
Fauna & Flora
As the name suggests, a very green brunch place.
Café Janis
Also a great choice for a coffee or wine in the afternoon.
Dear Breakfast
Chain with several of these brunch places spread throughout the city.
Neighborhood
Extra: They also serve really delicious burgers!
Seagull Method
Perfect to work from.
Quest Café
Good coffee and even better carrot cake.
Pastel de nata.
If you’re in Lisbon, you definitely have to try out the typical “Pastel de Nata”, a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry. Our tip: try them dusted with cinnamon.
Manteigaria
Widely known as one of the best Pasteis de Nata in town. Perfectly matched sweetness and the puff pastry crispy baked. Best eaten warm, fresh from the oven, with a cup of coffee.
Pastéis de Belém
Belém is the district where the original Pastéis de Nata come from, giving the tarts their famous name. Only this one café in the area is allowed to call their tarts “Pastéis de Belém.” These are slightly sweeter than those from Manteigaria, and we’re curious to know which ones you prefer!
the best viewpoints.
Have you heard of the “miradouros”? You should definitely have a look at these spots, translated to viewpoints, to relax after work or to enjoy the view over the city. On many viewpoints, you find a kiosk. Get a coffee, fresh orange juice or wine/beer and enjoy the sunset. This is one of the most typical Lisbon experiences that can never miss in any stay in the sunniest capital of Europe!
Here is a selection of our favorite viewpoints:
Restaurants.
Get delighted by the diverse and amazing gastronomy in Lisbon. You will be amazed how broad the culinary offering in the capital is.
Portuguese cuisine.
Forninho Saloio
Rustic place with all sorts of meat and fish from the traditional charcoal grill. Try the food accompanied with the house wine vinho verde (special Portuguese green wine).
Ponto Final
Perfect date spot. Typical Portuguese dishes and wines, served on a terrace at river Tejo, overlooking Lisbon from the other side. You get there by taking the ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas (8 mins). Hint: reserve some days in advance, this spot usually gets booked out pretty quickly.
O Trevo
Bifanas: classic Portuguese sandwich. Get it with mustard. Perfect snack for in between or a quick lunch. Tastes best with a fresh Imperial (beer).
Zapata
Delicious seafood and fish. Very traditional and rustic environment. Amazing mussels and tuna steak!
Estrela da Bica
Fusion kitchen for all those that are looking for a tapas-style dinner. Try the grilled cabbage, it will surprise you.
Restaurante Cabaças
Notorious steak on the stone. Here you can become your own chef. You get a high quality piece of meat served on a hot stone. If you’re here for the steaks, this is THE place for you!
Churrasqueira da Paz
As rustic as it gets. One of the best fish in town. Our favorite dish: dourada grelhada (grilled sea bream).
Burgers.
Dallas Burger Joint
Our special tip: Order the classic cheeseburger with fries and the basil mayo sauce.
Ground Burger
Located in Time Out Market. Juicy meat and fresh ingredients for the burger.
Pizzarias.
M’arrecreo
Neapolitan style pizza. they also have an all-you-can-eat pizza menu where you get to try 8 different kinds of pizza. Desert recommendation: the home-made tiramisù.
Lupita
Trendy pizza place with full focus on food. Tasty pizzas, also rather non-conventional ones. Small restaurant that can get very crowded, so you might go for a take-away and eat the pizza at the waterfront.
Valdo Gatti
Tip: take-away and eat your pizza at Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, a nearby viewpoint.
Asian cuisine.
Panda Cantina
Delicious Ramen served in a small but cute canteen. Homework for you: How many pandas did you count?
Asian Food Court Martim Moniz
Food-court like environment with a broad variety of food, from dumplings over Pad Thai to Chinese noodles. If you’re a fan of Asian cuisine, you’ll definitely find what you're looking for here!
Aura Dim Sum
Top class dim sum: creative combinations, beautifully presented. The dishes look almost like pieces of art.
Sanskar Nepal
Best Indian restaurant in the center. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you’ll also find great alternatives here.
Tantura
Oriental food with Israeli and Turkish dishes. For the hummus and Shakshuka lovers among us.
Ice Cream.
Nannarella
Our got-to. Elevated selection of ice cream, sorbets & dessert cakes.
Santini
Perfect for all of you with a sweet tooth.
Beaches nearby.
There are plenty of beaches close to Lisbon, the perfect place to disconnect and have a great time.
Bars.
Even though it can be exhausting to constantly walk up and down, Lisbon's mountainous landscape means that there are so many places with beautiful views of the city or the Tagus river. That's why there are so many nice rooftop bars in Lisbon.
Javá Rooftop
360-degree views of river Tejo. Especially nice around sunset, when Lisbon shows its most beautiful colors.
Topo Martim Moniz
Rooftop bar with a unique view in the middle of the old town. It's especially nice to be there at night.
Oyster & Margarita
Unique concept in Principe Real: delightful drinks and meals, including fresh oysters.
Foxtrot
Old cigar bar with speakeasy atmosphere, both inside but also outdoor patio in the back. Comfortable environment where also burgers are served. You have to ring the bell for the waiter to open you the door.
Zé dos Bois Galery
House-party like vibe on a rooftop terrace in Bairro Alto. You wouldn’t expect this from the entrance.
BytheWine
Wine bar with an excellent selection of wines. Our special tip: Try the cake trio "trilogy" as a dessert. It's one of the best things we have ever eaten.
Transport & infrastructure
Arriving from the airport.
The easiest way to get to Lisbon city center from the airport is by Uber or Bolt. We recommend not to take a cab, just because they're usually more expensive and there are no chances that you get ripped off by using one of the apps. With normal traffic conditions, it will take you about 25-30 mins to get to the center.
Public transport.
We wrote an entire blog article about public transport in Lisbon, but in short here the gist for you: To ride the metro, bus, tram, electric cable cars plus the ferry, you need a “Viagem” card that you can charge. To use the public transport in Lisbon and surroundings, you need a "viva viagem" card that you can charge. You also need it for bus and ferry rides. A one-way metro ride costs 1,80€. The monthly pass for the entire Metropolitan area of Lisbon is offered for 40€.We recommend using Google Maps for navigation in Public transport.
Scooters.
Our special tip for transportation: Get a scooter. No, really, this was the biggest game changer for us in our entire time in Lisbon. Not only for trips around the city to discover this beautiful country, but also for everyday life. Parking is a mess in Lisbon, but with a scooter you can basically park everywhere. Also, compared to a car, fuel consumption is really low. Plus, you’ll be able to skip most traffic jams!
If you’re staying for longer, it makes absolutely sense to buy a scooter. If you’re only here for some days, there are some fair options available to rent a scooter at Scooteria.
Supermarkets.
There are many small grocery stores and corner shops in Lisbon. However, these usually have a very limited selection and can hardly compete with larger supermarkets in terms of price. The larger Portuguese supermarket chains are Minipreco, Pingo Doce and Continente. If you're looking for value for money, we recommend Aldi and Lidl. These supermarket chains ar well stocked and come with attractive prices.
In terms of selection, El Corte Ingles is our go-to recommendation.
Explore Lisbon with us.
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