In late July 2023, we took a family trip to Portugal, with the first stop being Lisbon! We stayed in an AirBnB in the Chiado neighborhood, which we absolutely loved! We got many recommendations from friends, all of which are here.
Activities
Walking Tour: As we do in all cities, we started our trip with a free walking tour of Lisbon. Although we were jet lagged, we pushed through and learned a lot! We learned that JK Rowling wrote parts of Harry Potter while staying in Lisbon and that Slytherin was inspired by Salazar (full name: António de Oliveira Salazar Salazar) who was the dictator of Portugal from 1932 to 1968. Our tour guide explained that Salazar did not allow for movies to be dubbed because then people would have ideas, so instead he just allowed subtitles because a majority of the population was illiterate. Some people in Portugal today strongly believe that this was good in the long run because it helped the Portuguese learn English and other foreign languages. We also learned about the earthquake of 1755, which lasted for 9 minutes and destroyed much of Lisbon. A tsunami then followed the earthquake, which was the cause for most of the casualties.
We learned that Portugal is known for its beautiful tiles that line the sides of the buildings and streets. The tiles on the street are referred to as “Portuguese pavement” and they get very slippery when wet!
Our tour guide brought us to a square in Lisbon that was built as an apology for the many Jews that were killed in Portugal during the Spanish Inquisition.
We finished our tour with some Ginjinha, a Portuguese liqueur made by infusing ginja berries in alcohol. We recommend trying this sweet drink…but only once 😖.
Pink Street: Officially called Rua Nova do Carvalho, this small pedestrian street is better known as “Pink Street” because in 2013 the pavement between the bars and clubs was painted pink. We enjoyed walking around this area both during the day and at night.
LX Factory: LX Factory is an industrial complex from the 19th century that houses a bunch of shops, restaurants, and bars. We enjoyed the pottery stores and the Sunday Flea Market at LX Factory.
MAAT: MAAT is a museum focused on three areas – Art, Architecture, and Technology. We walked along the water to see MAAT and the famous bridge, The Ponte 25 de Abril! This bridge is similar in design and color to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco since it was actually built by the same company.
Belém: Knowing that we wanted to explore Belém, we booked a free walking tour of Belém! We learned about the Age of Discovery and saw the Jerónimos Monastery, which is the final resting place for some of the great Portuguese explorers. We also got to see the Presidential Palace, but only from afar!
We visited Empire Square Gardens (Praça do Império Garden) which was built for the Portuguese World Exhibition in 1940.
And we saw Monument of Discoveries and Belém Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Fado: Fado is a music genre that can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon. It is a Portuguese folk song typically of doleful or fatalistic character and usually accompanied on the guitar. We went to Clube de Fado to listen to some of the best Fado singers in Lisbon. Other Fado spots we considered going to are here.
Jewish Quarter: Lisbon is home to roughly 1500 Jews. While meandering through an area of Lisbon called Alfama, we found the small Jewish Quarter! We met a wonderful man who we spoke to for a bit to learn about Jewish life in Lisbon.
Food
Alma: This 2 Michelin star restaurant was absolutely incredible! The chef, Henrique Sá Pessoa, focuses the dishes on his passion for Asia, his knowledge of traditional Portuguese cuisine, and his life in Lisbon.
Pastéis de Belém: This place is known for having the most delicious pastel de nata, which is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry, optionally dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar. This spot is crowded at all times of the day, but waiting a few minutes is very much worth it!
Vicente: This restaurant was recommended by our tour guide, specifically for the black pork. Black pork is popular in Portugal and it is black because the pigs only eat black acorns.
Cantinho do Avillez: We had dinner here and absolutely loved it. The chef, Jose Avillez, is a famous Portuguese chef and has a bunch of restaurants throughout Lisbon.
Time Out Market: Melanie and her brother, Jordan, went to Time Out Market when they were in Lisbon in 2017 and they had a blast! We went back for drinks and a quick dinner on our first night (still fighting the jet lag) and did not have a great experience. It was extremely crowded and the lines were insanely long. After talking with a few locals, we learned that, over the last few years, Time Out Market has become very touristy and isn’t as enjoyable to experience as it was back in 2017.
Fábrica Coffee Roaster: This is a chain coffee spot that had a location near our AirBnB. They have great coffee and delicious pastries and avocado toast. In addition to this spot, we also loved the coffee from Copenhagen Coffee Lab, which is another chain that has a bunch of spots throughout Lisbon.
Shopping
+351: This is a Portuguese brand inspired by the Atlantic. +351 stands for the Portuguese dialing code, which reflects that the brand itself is 100% Portuguese.
The Feeting Room: This is a neat concept store with a few locations throughout the city.
EmbaiXada: This is a 19th-century palace turned shopping mall that features Portuguese brands and designers.
Solar Antiques: This is a tile store in the Bairro Alto neighborhood that we stumbled across. The tiles were extremely old and absolutely beautiful.
Melanie & Cody 