Lisbon Guide

Lisbon is breathtaking not only because of it’s unique beauty but also thanks to it’s hilly streets. We spent there a beautiful, sunny and warm month (I definitely needed more) and I’ve learned a thing or two:

– Lisbon with a tiny kid may be a bit tricky, because you have a choice between caring your kid everywhere in a carrier or pushing a stroller uphill and downhill on on narrow streets made out of a cobble stones. I chose the second option and it helped me loose few kilograms I surly gained after consuming far too many pastel the nata (my new addiction).

– when they serve you bread, olive oil, olives or other appetisers on a table without asking, it does not mean that these are for free. You’ll pay for each one. But it’s still worth it.

– when traveling with small children you’ll be amused how exiting locals get about them. Even teenage girls were looking into my stroller and when there’s a long line of seniors waiting for a lift on a metro station, you’ll be the first one to go in, even if you say that you can wait. I’ll miss it. Oh and a teenage boys asked me on underground and tram stops if I’d like to sit (does not happen often elsewhere).

– taxis are fairly cheap, but when traveling with a public transport, it’s worth to buy a card and charge it with few euros as your tram trip will be much cheaper thanks to it.

– there’s a totally different coffee culture in this country, so instead of flat white grab espresso and enjoy.

– you have to try pastel de nata for breakfast with your espresso or whenever you feel like it, just try it.

– it’s worth to walk around without a plan as this is a way to find amazing spots. Each street and corner hides something special.

And here are few places I enjoyed:

Royal Cafe (Lg. Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro,
Nº29 R/C Esq, Chiado)- In this beautiful place you can find something I always wanted to have – a green wall (= wall full of plants). It’s a refreshing spot with a friendly staff and delicious food. It’s located in Chiado and is a good rest stop.

Manteigaria – Fabrica de Pasteis de Nata (Rua do Loreto, 2, Chiado) – I found this place by accident, so the best way. You enter kind of a small space, half of which is a production area and the second one serves you what they made in the first area. And you see how they do pastel de nata from the beginning to the end. And you know what’s the best? You want to try just one and you can’t stop eating. It’s amazing how delicious this little treasures are. I think that in this place you will find the best ones in Lisbon. Do add a sprinkle of cinnamon and powdered sugar on top, it really adds to the flavor. It’s a tiny place so no siting area. You simply come, eat as much as possible, drink shot of coffee and go to enjoy your day. And yes, you do the same thing the next day.

LX Factory (Rua Rodrigues Faria, 103) – located under 25 de Abril Bridge is an unique place in Lisbon. When you cross the gates you’ll find a container with nice selections of magazines on right hand side and then plenty of shops with art and design, also restaurants with a good bite. The whole area is located in a post industrial buildings and is worth checking out. I wouldn’t say that it’s an art centre, but a place to check out for lunch or dinner. You can get here by taxi (reasonably cheap in Lisbon) or tram 15.

Cantina in LX Factory (Rua Rodrigues Faria, 103)- they serve a tasty Portuguese food and have a nice interior. I enjoyed lovely service, music and food. Staff has a jeans uniforms and at the day we went there Tomasz looked like if he was working there. My fish was delicious and Tomasz’s steak was even better. During warm days you can also dine outdoors.

Cervejaria Ramiro (Av. Almirante Reis, nº1 – H) – We loved this place. They serve fresh seafood and you can choose through pictures on iPad (yes they have an iPad menu). Everything we had was amazing. Steak sandwich is perfect as well.

1300 Taverna (Rua Rodrigues Faria, 103) – I met there with friends and wow, they have a delicious food and original interior. It seems to be a trendy spot and it does not surprise me. I had cod and I could definitely eat it again.

PARK (Calçada do Combro, 58) – Club/bar/restaurant located on a top floor of a car parking. Amazing view on a city, good food and nice vibe. I got excited about the outdoor part, but the indoor is stylish as well. Apparently during a night it’s even better, but since I had a 3 month old with me, I didn’t check.

Village Underground Lisbon (R. 1 de Maio 103) – I went there out of curiosity. I like the area and it’s something worth checking out. I had lunch in a bus located on a container and it was high and cool. Not a place for a stroller but you can always grab your kid and leave a stroller downstairs. I went there in a warm (not hot) day and it was kind of hot on a top flor. But food was yummy and prices were very reasonable.

Eduardo VII Park and Estufa Fria – if you like gardens and greenhouse this is a place for you. Estufa Fria was created between 1926 and 1930 by architect Raul Carapinha and it is my special place in Lisbon. Trees, plants, small paths, cactuses, greenhouse – this is a place to sit, relax and enjoy.

A Vida Portuguesa (R. 1 de Maio 103) – beautiful store with Portuguese goods. I bought few things over there.

Livraria ler devagar (Rua Rodrigues Faria, 103) – cafe and a bookstore in LX Factory – It looks awesome and is worth checking out. Plus you can have a bite inside as well.

Botanical garden (Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58) – if you like nature this is a place to visit. We were walking around with Mia and simply had a good time.

Expo area – this is a second face of Lisbon. Totally different but not less interesting. This is where Vasco da Gama Bridge is located – the longest bridge in Europe with a total length of 17.2 kilometres. It has an awesome path for biking or running, interesting new architecture and few unique spots.

Hello, Kristof (Rua do Poço dos Negros, 103, 1200-336 Lisbon) – my number 1 this time. Very nice interior, they do have a lot of magazines, so you can have a good read while drinking your coffee. Oh, they have the best coffee in Lisbon. Barista is super sweet as well and knows what she’s doing. They also have some good breakfast in the house. Mon-Fr 9am-6pm.

Taberna da Rua das Flores (Taberna da Rua das Flores, Rua das Flores 103, Lisbon, Mon-Fr 12pm – 12am, Sat 6pm – 12am) – It’s crazy how good this food is. I only saw baos and I already regret I didn’t take them. I took fish tartar – poetry, pork ribs – i swear I felt like crying out of happiness after the first bite. With each next it was just pure pleasure. There’s no reservation and place is pretty popular, so the best will be to get there around 5:30-6pm and place your name on the list. It’s worth waiting even for 2h!

The Mill (Rua do Poço dos Negros no. 1, 1200-335 Lisboa, Mon_Fr 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 9am-5pm) – They have nice breakfasts. I went there by coincidence, really and I do not regret. Big juicy breakfast it was. I love the place in front of the window, where you can observe the street.

Foxtrot (Jazz & Blues Club) (Travessa de Santa Teresa 28 | Bairro Alto, Lisbon 1200-405, Mon-Th 6pm-2am, Fr-Sat 6pm-3am, Sun 8pm-2am) – what a place! I do not go to bars too much, you know, mama’s style, but this place is not to be missed. The interior is beautiful, like form one of the old movies and they do serve a great gin and tonic. I ended up in front of the door at 6pm and it was still kind of closed but bartender took pity on me. I have to add that he was a perfect bartender and even though there was a language barrier, we kind of had a nice chat. If you feel like a drink in Lisbon – this is the place.

Nannarella (Rua Nova da Piedade nº 64, Lisbon, Portugal 1200-299, Mon-Sun 12pm-10pm) – some people say that these are the best ice creams in Lisbon and I think that they are right.

Sintra magical town. It’s only 1h away from Lisbon (4,40 euro) and it’s like being in a totally different world. Beautiful palaces and castles, wonderful walks and unique views. I took a round trip bus, which stopped at a way. I saw people walking uphill (loooooong walk), but I did not feel like it at all. It is a touristy place, but definitely worth seeing.

Casa da India (Rua do Loreto 49, Lisbon 1200-241) – It is a very special place and it’s not an Indian restaurant. It’s totally, 100% Portuguese. But don’t believe in my word only, just go there and see all the locals queuing there during the lunch and dinner time. They have a fresh seafood, meat and much more. Very typical interior and very friendly service gives it an additional touch. I’ve been there twice, once for lunch and once for dinner and I loved each one. What a vibe! What a food!