This is it, my ultimate guide to Lisbon! (Finally, I’ve been back for over half a year from my five month erasmus in this wonderful city…) Every tip links back to the post(s) I orginally wrote about it or their website if I didn’t. I also added some places that I didn’t photograph, just to make sure you don’t miss out on anything. If you’re wondering how a semi-local twenty-something spends her time in Lisbon, this is it!
(Oh and I appologise for my awful handwriting: I got myself a pen tablet to battle rsi and to save myself time from always writing things out on paper and scanning them, but obviously I still need some practice. Hopefully soon you won’t be able to notice the difference between my handwriting on paper and with the tablet! )
Recommended neighbourhood: Alfama, Belém, Oriente
Centro cultural de Belém for the collection of modern art and the beautiful building.
Igreja do Carmo for the church’s ruins that leave you speechless.
Cristo Rei for the view you get from underneath this statue of Jesus.
Expo 98 for the well known architecture of Alvaro Siza and Santiago Calatrava.
Belém for the torre de Belém, the monastery and the famous pasteis de Belém.
Castelo de Sao Jorge for the view over the city, the peacocks that live here and the musicians playing underneath the treas in these old ruins.
Elevador de santa Justa, although I recommand to just walk on the bridge towards the elevator when you come from Largo do Carmo to enjoy the view and not pay for the ride down. It’s a tourist trap!
Eléctrico 28, or a walk around the old part of the city to see the beautiful facades, the colorful tiles and the amazing street art.
Mude for the fashion and design collections that are displayed in this museum.
Recommended neighbourhood: Bairro Alto, but I prefer Bica, which is less crowded with tourists.
Café Tati for a cup of coffee with free wifi, a small meal or a glass of wine and a jazz concert.
Primeiro Andar for the livingroom like interior and the beautiful people.
Cinema la em baixo for a vegetarian diner and a movie on tuesday nights and for 2 euro pizza (!!!) on sunday nights.
LOSTin Lisbon for the amazing terrace with the great view over the city.
Casa independente for the wonderful terrace and the beautiful crowd.
Pois café for the stunning interior and the austrian menu. (And if your waitress is an Austrian girl named Lisa, give her a big hug from me!)
Flower Power for an original meal in a flower filled interior.
Pensao Amor for the amazing interior (including a fur wall), the fact that this used to be a brothel, the sex shop and the hair dresser you can find here. Make sure to come here at night for some dancing too!
Cruzes Credo for yummie tostas.
Bacalhoero for live music, dj sets, vegi meals and film nights.
Associaçao loucos & Sonhadores for conversations about life accompanied by free pop corn. This place is hard to find and only known by the locals, so consider this a golden tip!
Quintal for feeling like you’re no longer in the city (that’s what a rooftop full of green, strawbales, chickens and rabbits does to you). Some of my friends are working here so needless to say the people behind the bar are lots of fun!
Quero te no Cais for most fun bar owner of Lisbon and the free wifi – working on my thesis in this tiny bar was never boring.
Sol e Pesca for the interior that is completely devoted to sardines.
O Pai Tirano for late night conversations with a glass of beer. The interior is based on a movie that was filmed in this neighbourhood in the fourties.
Café do Monte for warming up after seeing the sunset at the miradouro da senhora do monte.
Elevador Amarelo for afterwork drinks with the locals in an original vintage interior.
LX factory for the original shops, the beautiful cafés, the market that take place on sundays and the amazing location on an old industrial site. Oh and keep an eye out on their agenda, the parties there are pretty legendary.
Jardim da Estrela for lounging around in the parc.
The ruins of Almada on the other side of the Tejo, with the most beautiful view on Lisbon.
Tapada das Necessidades for the abandoned greenhouse you find in this parc
Miradouro de Santa Catarina, also known as Adamastor, for the great atmosphere that is best enjoyed with a bear. (Tip: order uma litrosa e copos (one liter of beer with plastic cups) at the kiosk for only 2 euros!)
Miradouro da Senhora do Monte for the best view over the city. Come here during sunset and bring a bottle of wine and a picnick!
Fundaçao Calouste Gulbenkian for the beautiful parc, the art library and the museum.
Recommended neigbourhood: Cais do Sodre, Bairro Alto, Bica
Chapito for the live african music on sunday nights, the amazing building that is an old women’s prison and the view over the city.
Out Jazz for summer sundays spent picnicking in a lisbon parc accompanied by live jazz music, followed by a dance party with great dj’s.
LEFT for dancing on tables until early in the morning.
Incognito for indie music and gin tonics.
Musicbox for really good music (Gold Panda, Breach, Jazzanova,…) that’s probably a little less famous than what you get at Lux, but also more affordable. Keep an eye on their agenda!
Bicarte for dancing next to exhibitions of local artists.
Galeria Zé dos Bois for art exhibitions and dance parties. Especially the LGBT parties by Rabbit Hole here are insane, don’t miss it!
Purex for the lesbians among us, but everybody is welcome here.
Lounge for upcoming talents and more well known names, I still regret I didn’t manage to get in when xxyyxx was playing here and that I didn’t know this place when Tom Barman was one of the dj’s… Belgium represent!
Lux for the best dj’s and the most well known dance floor of Portugal.
Bar da velha senhora for the best music in Cais do Sodre.
Costa da Caparica for surfing (or looking at the surfer boys…)
Carcavelos to stay close to the city.
Praia Guincho for the wild waves that are perfect for surfing and the rocks surrounding this beach
Recommended neighbourhood: Chiado, Baixa, Bairro Alto
Feira da Ladra for the vintage treasures you can find on this market.
Fabrica Features for design and fun gifts
Zazou for original portuguese products and a cup of coffee.
A vida portuguesa, for authentic portuguese products in a beautiful shop. There’s also one in Porto that looks like this.
Casa tita for quirkie gifts.
Oasis backpackers hostel, without a doubt. This is where I spent my first two weeks in Lisbon, when I didn’t have an apartement yet and this is also where I made my first friends. The food is amazing (one of their cooks was one of this season’s finalists of The great British Bake Off, a tv show on baking) but the best part is the staff, who make everyone feel at home right from day one and who I’m still in contact with one year later. I regularly passed by here for a drink, even when I wasn’t staying here anymore and I would always run in to familiar faces because a lot of guests find it hard to leave this place. Oh and they sure know how to party!
all photos by me
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Filed under: lisbon, personal, portugal, travel