Lisbon City Guide

I got a bit distracted from the city guide publishing with my move to LA, sorry about that, 😬but we’re back in business with Lisbon and going to be rolling out Porto and the Algarve in the upcoming week. Lisbon was the last stop on our 2 month European adventure, and kind of ironic considering how much the city reminded us of San Francisco, with the bridge, food and friendly culture.

Anyway, let’s dive right in on all my favorite spots to eat + drink! Plus a few not to miss landmarks and shops too. Don’t forget to check out the map at the end of the post where I bookmarked everything.

Where to Stay

Definitely stay in the old town when visiting Lisbon…Barrio Alto y Chiado (where we stayed) or Baixa. We choose an Airbnb because after scouring hotels, it was truly the best option for the cost, afterall having a balcony to sip port on and a great view was high on our priority list. 😉 Our Airbnb (above) was absolutely perfect — amazing and helpful host, gorgeous interiors and one of the only places we stayed around Europe with an elevator! haha.

On the flip side… since it was the end of our 2 month trip we wanted to treat ourselves with a hotel experience and booked the Pestena Palace (below), an old palace turned hotel with pool, spa and beautifully preserved interiors. It’s a bit outside the city center but they offer shuttle transfers throughout the day. The Pestena Palace is a quiet sanctuary that exceeded our expectations (plus Madonna and Jane Fonda have both stayed there sooooo…..) 💃

Where to Eat

Ramiro
This place was recommended over and over to us by friends, family and locals during our stay. Apparently it’s the best seafood you’ll ever have. Unfortunately the day we showed up to eat we found out it had closed for summer vacation a few days earlier so we shed a tear and moved on, PLEASE go for me.

ZeroZero
A happy accident after Ramiro closed on us, ZeroZero is a very well done Italian joint, (run by Italians, so you know it’s legit) that we ended up at twice during our stay. I’m still drooling over the pastas, pizzas and drinks. Highly recommend the Linguine alle Vongole, Di Graziano Pizza and the Giardino di Prosecco — YUM!!

A Cevicheria
An absolutely divine Peruvian restaurant, with fresh seafood and trendy atmosphere. Just send it and get all the ceviches haha you can’t go wrong; but if I had to narrow it down…the classic ceviche and bbq’d octopus are musts! Wash it down with a pisco sour. 👌🏼

Alma
I’ve never done any sort of tasting menu/Chef’s Table kind of thing…until now, and OMG was I not disappointed. Alma was truly a one of a kind experience and the best meal I’ve ever had (definitely recommend the wine pairings to accompany). #treatyourself

TimeOut Market
An awesome food court area where you can find some of the city’s most popular restaurants and chefs! A great way to sample the foodie scene of Lisbon.

Where to Drink

Park
They converted the top floors of a parking garage into a rooftop bar and it’s EPIC! Multiple areas to lounge, views of the 25 de Abril bridge, and even a DJ/dance floor. Grab a glass of wine and watch the sun set over Lisbon or a negroni and watch the city lights twinkle — ya can’t go wrong any time of day.

Foxtrot
Funky art nouveau decor, great cocktails, a pool table and back patio – what more could you want? Great for kicking back with a late night drink. 🍸

Rio Maravilha
Yet another rooftop bar (they’re v popular in Lisbon) but this one has the best view of the bridge, funky artsy vibes and the best cocktails we had in Lisbon. Even though this was our favorite bar, Rio Maravilha is located in the LX Factory so it’s important to save time to walk around the area.

Cerveteca Lisboa
If you’re into craft beer, go here (pictured above)! Super low maintenance place with friendly staff. Grab a flight of local beers and chill out mid-afternoon.

+ many more on map at end of post!

Where to Shop

POP Closet
An extremely well curated vintage store, with high and low end styles. Don’t bother going though, I think I cleaned them out. 😜

Showu
Well crafted small labels from around Europe. I was super pleased with how unique the styles were yet how good the prices at Showu (located in the LxFactory).

Ceramicas na Linha
One of those places you can pop in for 5 minutes, grab a ceramic bowl  and leave (👈🏼 me) or accidentally get lost for an hour inside (👈🏼 also me, when I came back for the second time). Full of beautiful tiles and ceramic pieces. 2 minutes into Ceramics na Linha and  I’ve never wanted an extra suitcase more, to stock up on all their goods! So cheap too!

And then generally speaking, head to LxFactory for tons of artisan shops ranging from interior, to clothing, to travel, to kitschy goodness.

What to Do

LX Factory
An arts district full of tiny shops, bars and restaurants. You can easily spend the afternoon wandering around the LX Factory. Grab a drink at rooftop bar, Rio Maravilha, or some bomb Mexican food + mezcal cocktails at Mez Cais LX. Don’t miss shopping a new look at Showu or popping into the interior design stores for some eye candy.

Elevator da Bica
Picturesque trolly going up the hill, basically the image of what I had in mind when picturing Lisbon. Snap a photo earlier in the morning but stick around for dusk as locals gather on the stairs to chat and sip drinks.

Palacio Nacional Da Pena
The not-to-miss tourist moment of Lisbon is this gorgeous palace a top the town of Sintra. Photographs galore but honestly, if you’re in Lisbon during peak season I would think twice about going (or at least avoid Monday’s when all the museums are closed). It’s swarmed with tourists and basically ruined the experience, even though I had to check the box off.

• Buy tickets ahead and skip all the lines
• Take a tuk tuk up/down the mountain from the train station
• No need to climb the stairs up, or do the tour inside