Lisbon is inching steadily up on my list of favorite cities in Europe.

Its informal but trendy, a bit run down but beautiful. There is tons to see and do and easily navigable. You can scale the (many!) hills or jump in a super cheap taxi. Its pretty much the perfect weekend away and especially if you’re looking for a spot of sun. Stay in town or (highly recommended) prolong your trip a bit and take a day trip to Sintra or Belem. Eat tons. And be sure to learn about Vasco da Gama (whose name I find endlessly entertaining to say) at the height Portuguese influence.

It took me a few trips to really get to know how much Lisbon has to offer. And here are some of my favorites tips.

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EXPLORE

The Castle of São Jorge for amazing views over the city – its the best place to get perspective of the layout of Lisbon and for views of the 25 de Abril bridge. While very little of the Moorish castle is left, you can wander its walls all the way around the city. When we visited, there was a tiny wine cart from which you could buy a plastic wine glass and then wander the ruins with Vinho Verde in your hands. Now that is a business model I want to see replicated at tourist sites everywhere.

The Alfama neighborhood is the best place in Lisbon to get lost. It has an old, local feel to it. And one that you can’t help but feel is being slightly ruined by tourists like myself scrambling through with camera in hand. But it is a maze of stairways and tiny courtyards, of tiny restaurants and fado joints. For a great walk, start at the Ingreja de Santo Estevao and wind your way down to the narrow streets below.

Bairro Alto is also a great neighborhood to stroll around during the day for its little boutique shops, bright colored houses and tiles. At night it turns into the hopping (and at times a little bit seedy) bar district. Either way, it makes for great discoveries.

Sintra is a must. An hour’s train journey from central Lisbon, the multicolored fairytale castle of Pena Palace is one of the most spectacular buildings – inside and out- in Europe. Prepare for crowds, but the visit is worth it. Take the bus up the hill to Pena (or ready yourself for a workout…) and then get off at the gardens. You can continue the ride straight up to the castle entrance, but the cooled gardens on a warm summer day are magical and shouldn’t be missed. Inside, you’ll find painted walls and lovely courtyards. (For more on Sintra, read here.)

A trip out to Belem is a must to see the Torre de Belem and the 16th century Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. Take a walk along the river, visit the ultra modern art museum and then stop to eat some of the world famous “nata” cinnamon creme cakes at Pasteis de Belem. (Tip, if you just want to buy some to carry away, you can walk to the front of the line and buy some from the counter… most of the line are people waiting to cue for a table.)

Above: The view from Lisbon’s Castle / Alfama
Bairro Alto / Torre de Belem / Mostario dos Jeronimos

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EAT

Mercado da Ribeira – If I recommended one thing everyone has to do in Lisbon, it is this. One of my favourite places to eat. Ever. I like it so much, I’m usually there several times on every trip. Think of it like a big covered market, where individual stalls have been taken over by the best chefs in Portugal. Come hungry, grab a big communal table and prepare to try at least 3 stands. But start with Chef Henrique Sa Pessoa and his black porc sandwich with garlic mayonnaise. (Especially if you have a hangover!)

Cantinho do Avillez – Hands down, one of the best meals I’ve ever had in Europe from famed Portuguese chef Jose Avillez. Not formal in the slightest, but with outstanding food and wine (try the Quinta Nova Grainha Douro Reserva). We dined on Alentegano style black pork and tuna tartar that were were out of this world and tried the local specialty of deep fried green beans with lemon salt and tartar sauce. But it was the service that put this place over the top – our server took the time to walk us through all the dishes, pointing out the local specialties and things we shouldn’t miss. To top it all off, we’d given the bride-to-be on our trip 25 challenges to complete (one for each letter of the alphabet) and one of which was learn how to make a drink behind a bar. The Cantinho not only let her do it, but the bartender set up glasses and all the ingredients she would need to use in advance and patiently walked her through it. I’ll be singing about this place from the hilltops for ages. (And Jose Avillez has other eateries you can try: Belcanto, Cafe Lisboa (next on my list!) and Mini Bar.)

A Cevicheria (link is to the interior designer’s page, I couldn’t find a restaurant website) – we tried to get in here but the wait was too long and it is tiny. Just looking inside however made me ache to try again. Great interior decorating with a giant octopus on the ceiling. Food is in the name: Peruvian ceviche. Great street for other good restaurants and bars.

A Taberna da Rua das Flores – small, traditional tapas dishes and drinks served in an informal, cute atmosphere. Be prepared for a very long line.

Cervejaria Ramiro – this place was INSANE. Lines out the door, mental servers running their feet off, receipts scattered across the floor and an interesting mix of locals and tourists groups. But they all come here for one reason: gigantic seafood platters. I mean scampi the size of your face. If we hadn’t stayed out until 5am the night before, I’m sure we would have enjoyed it more. Be sure to reserve if you go otherwise you’ll find yourself in the giant line!

While I didn’t try it on this trip, I loved the look of A Baiuca, a tiny no-frills whatsoever restaurant serving local cuisine with fado performances in the Alfama. Its on my list to try next time.

Above: The stalls at the Mercado da Ribeira / Nata from Pasteis de Belem

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DRINK

(Miradouro or “vista”) Portas do Sol – You may wait 5 years for service but you won’t mind in the slightest with the view. Grab a couch or a bean bag chair and soak up the sun.

Pavilhao Chines – very quirky, iconic bar on a great street for restaurants and bars. Pricey, but for a fun cocktail, its worth a visit

Wine with a view – the best idea I’ve ever seen for a tourist site is a little wine truck parked within the Lisbon castle walls. They give you a chilled plastic glass you get to keep, a generous pour and off you go to explore the site. We sat on the castle walls and looked out over the city.

Above: Looking out over Portas do Sol / Wine with a view at Lisbon castle

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SHOP

A Vida Portuguesa, in Chiado (Rua Anchieta, 11) but also with a little stand in the Mercado da Ribeira, is like a little shop of curiosities. Gorgeous smelling hand creams, selections of salts in test tubes and beautiful stationary. Lovely packaged soaps are a big thing in Lisbon and you can find some of the prettiest here.

Bertrand, also in Chiado, is the world’s oldest bookshop dating from 1732. They have a selection of books in English and French so you might not come away empty handed.

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STAY

If I wanted a special treat, I’d try a stay in the Palacete Chafariz d’El Rei down by the port side of the Alfama. I found this by accident, drawn to the bright fuchsia flowering plants on its terrace. I rang the bell to request a card and stood in the main hallway for a minute. To my mind’s eye, I felt like I was standing inside a Moroccan palace with different colored lamps hanging from a dazzlingly tall stained glass ceiling. If I don’t stay there on my next trip, I’ll try their tea for sure.

Well, actually, the Palacete has competition. Because I also want to stay at the Palacio Belmonte. 10 gorgeous suites at prices I can never afford. (But a girl can dream and stare at their website, can’t she?) Check out the Padre Himalaya Honeymoon Suite.

On our last trip, we stayed at the Sheraton not far from the Parque Eduardo VII for a friend’s hen do. I grew up with chains like the Sheraton and I have to say, this one did not feel as refined as you should expect from a four-star hotel. Our room was beautiful, but they kept stocking it for just one person when we were two (fine for shampoo, challenging for towels) and a friend of ours was given keys to a room that hadn’t been cleaned. Then they didn’t believe her when she asked for a new room. Come now, Sheraton, that’s not why people choose to stay in a Sheraton… Though their rooftop bar has fantastic views over the city as the sun goes down.

If you decide to go out to Sintra and want to drag your trip out a bit with a splash, try the Penha Longa Resort in the countryside. My mom (who I refer to as the travel research genius) once found us a spectacular deal to stay here. This is a place to feel spoiled and a wedding venue of dreams, with the modern hotel right next to a 14th century palace and church. Its simply stunning with wonderful service and several restaurants. Oh, and they have Asprey bath products.

But for the foreseeable future, I think I will be returning to one of my favorite AirBnBs – this lovely and remarkably well-priced apartment in Lapa, a lovely suburb of Lisbon on the way to Belem. A huge sofa so comfortable we wanted to fall asleep on it, two sizeable bedrooms and bathrooms and a terrace with a view straight onto the 25 do Abril bridge made this a winner in our book. And there’s a hammock on the terrace. It may look further away from the center of town, but it was very well connected by bus and tram. Its also a great area to catch the 28 tram before it reaches the center and gets so crowded you can’t get on anymore!

Above: The view from our AirBnB in Lisbon

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You can find all the places mentioned above marked on the map below, just zoom in or out & click on the blue markers for more details.