Things to see and do in Lisbon

well THAT was a spectacular city, makes you wanna figure out how to make a living there...

will add to general helpful suggestions that:

1) Mezcal (Bairro Alto) is perhaps the best bar in the world
2) Fado was great! (went to Café Luso on impulse)
3) Those pastries are indeed fantastic, and the confectionery in Belém was a great place to get them
4) There seems to be a lot of semi-secret/very discreet nightclubs where you just knock on the right door and there's a cool party behind it?
5) The Hot Club Portugal is a cool jazz club

I've going to Lisbon next month with a friend; she's never visited it, I've been there once 5 years ago, so it'd be nice to hear some more recent tips from people. Based on the earlier visit, I think we should at least check out these:

* The Oceanario
* The old monastery in Belem + the pastry bakery (I didn't find the pastries that exquisite, but I guess you have to check them out at least once)
* Sintra (we didn't go there when we were in Lisbon with my gf, and I afterwards I regretted skipping it, so this time I definitely want to take the trip there)
* The Gulbenkian museum
* The fortress on top of the biggest hill (I didn't find it super exciting last time, but our apartment is right next to it, so I think she'll want to at least check it out)

So yeah, what else do you think would be the essential places to go to? I'm particularly interested in classical music venus, places where they have fado gigs, and art or cultural history museums. And if you have any tips on vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly restaurants besides the ones I mentioned upthread (PSI and Terra), that'd be appreciated. I don't eat meat nor fish, so finding places to eat was a bit difficult last time, since Lisbon is clearly a fish-loving city.

I'm really into Fernando Pessoa so the stuff related to him was top of my list, and I enjoyed it a lot.

The modern art museum in Belem justified that trip in addition to the pasteis, too.

There was a great vegetarian/vegan pizzeria in Rua dos Remedios, Alfaman, very friendly Italian owners, I recommend it. Primarily for take-away. Also a proper Indian restaurant called Gandhi Palace in Rua dos Douradores, near Praca Figueira.

* Sintra (we didn't go there when we were in Lisbon with my gf, and I afterwards I regretted skipping it, so this time I definitely want to take the trip there)

definitely do this. it's full of tourists but as i said upthread, quinta da regaleira is amazing.

if you go to oceanário this vegetarian restaurant in parque das nações is great:

http://www.miss-saigon.pt/?lang=en

the canteen of the hindu temple is cool too:

http://www.comunidadehindu.org/cantina-chp/

it's in an otherwise boring neighbourhood and not very close to the center, maybe worth the trip if you have the time

this one is nice too:

https://www.facebook.com/BIO.RestauranteVegetariano/

oh and damas in rua voz do operário. if you're near the castle you will be m/l close to it

for classical try to see something at palácio foz if you have the chance: http://www.gmcs.pt/palaciofoz/pt/programacao-cultural

ty ilx all of the above duly noted for October

I kinda wanna move to lisbon, any ilxors hear abt great job opportunities let me know thx in advance

I was thinking going there too. Not to live.

coincidentally i was in lisbon, maryland yesterday ask me anything

ty ilx all of the above duly noted for October
― Daithi Bowsie (darraghmac), Tuesday, 3 May 2016 19:14 (five months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I you go to Belém, you should visit the Berardo museum of contemporary art, they have a cool collection and entrance is free:

http://en.museuberardo.pt

This outdoor flea market had people selling loads of useless crap, but also some cool items, like Portuguese softcore erotic magazines from the '70s or self-made designer shoes. Definitely worth a visit if flea markets are you're thing.

Oh yeah, and if you go to Sintra (which we did in April, and it was well worth it), don't just go to the sights you can reach by foot, also take a bus visit the Pena Palace on top of the mountain... It's one of the most amazing buldings I've ever seen, like straight out of a Disney movie!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pena_Palace

You don't need to take one of the tourist rides that they advertise downtown, there's a regular municipal bus that takes you up the mountain (while stopping at every major sight) and back down for 3 euros.

Quinta_da_Regaleira in Sintra is also an amazing place, but if you go there, don't just visit the main building, spare some time for the various weird and cool things around the palace area... My favourite of those was the secret underground tunnel leading to the bottom of the "Alchemist's Well", where you can then take the narrow spiral stairs way up. The dude who had all this things built for his palace must've been quite the character!

If you take the train to Sintra from Lisbon, be prepared to queue for the train tickets for a while! We went to the station around 10am on weekday, and we still had to wait abour 20 minutes before we got to the ticket machine. But the trains go there every 30 minutes or so, so it's not a big deal if you miss one.

Thanks T!

going for a week in a couple of weeks. if I want to try a francescinha, can I just find one in Lisbon, or must I go to Porto?

Interested in the answer here, will go there end of May as well. Had some Francescinhas in Porto two years ago, would not hesitate to call it a mindblowing experience.

You'll certainly find places that serve it but they're unlikely to be as good as the ones you can get in and around Porto. It's a specific Porto thing, and there being a Lisbon/Porto rivalry, plus general lack of interest for regional Portuguese cuisines in Lisbon...you can find better examples of francesinha in Stockwell.

The Gulbenkian currently has an exhibit on Almada Negreiros, a Portuguese visual artist, perfomer and poet who was super-important to Portuguese modernism and surrealism, to give a completley unrelated recommendation.

Thanks for the Negreiros reference, Daniel_Rf!

I've relocated to Lisbon, so if any ilxors fancy a pint (or just an imperial) in this beautiful city, feel free to ilxmail me

!!! congrats

what part of the city?

thanks! I'm in Arroios, close to the Alameda station - a very nice area imo

Planning for upcoming spring vacay in April, was in need of a warm-ish European city with a quaint old town center, and I think Lisbon is the answer, with an overnight trip to Sintra and possibly a 20-hour layover in Casablanca on the way?? It sounds unreal tbh.

Will I go to hell for using Air BnB for accommodations in the Alfama area? Are they displacing ppl from affordable housing/disfiguring the historic city?

it is a paradise of a city you will live it

seville is also brilliant

weve airbnbd a few times there. idk about hell im as lapsed as you are.

Are they displacing ppl from affordable housing/disfiguring the historic city?

Well, yes, but such is life.

I don't know how many other cities in Europe this is now true of but I find Lisbon pretty disconcerting.. Been here about a month, signs in English are almost everywhere, airbnbs and accomodation in general isn't chap, walking down the street you hear more English than Portuguese and not just in Alfama or Alcantara. After going to a couple of coding meetups I've realized, these aren't tourists, they're expats. I'm in Beato, and first time I went into the local shop, on a seemingly dead street the guy asked if he could help in English

It sort of feels a bit like SF, I feel I could get a job offer just sitting in a cafe with a code editor open

Weather is great (was 66 on Saturday), getting around is easy the sea is a little bracing this time of year

Please go eat at Jesus e Goes if in Lisbon.

I liked Porto as much as Lisbon tbh.

expat in X complains about there being too many expats in X.

I dunno, when I was last in Lisbon I found it pretty Portuguese. Yes there are tourists and expats but no more so than in any other capital city, in fact a bit less so was my impression.

haha:)

Yeah, was curious if it was an outlier or if this is something which is prevalent across European cities (I have read that it is more pronounced in Barcelona, but the tech/startup sector in Lisbon is quite strong and it is a smaller city)

i think the tech stuff is def a factor there

crazy hipstery town too but they carry it well

The thing about expats/tourists is that they tend to hang around fairly well defined areas. Jump on just about any tram/bus, stay on it for a half an hour, get off, and you'll find yourself in a district with little discernible expat influence.

I wouldn't say I'm complaining about it as such, it was just quite disconcerting as I've not experienced it to this level anywhere else - the area I'm in (Beato) is much less touristic. its a double edge sword, and thr ar positives about it too. theres a lot of possibility here, especially if you're in software/web.

When we stayed in an airbnb in Alfama a few years ago our host was telling us about the nightlife and an Alfama nightclub, but she said people mostly stayed on the other side of the town until 2, when they would start to head towards the nightclub. As a tragically unhip 40 something geezer I just stood there baffled, thinking "does she mean... 2am??"

Gonna be in Lisbon for three days this spring, the whole family. Other than a destabilizing global pandemic, anything we should keep in mind and/or specifically seek out? I've never been. We're staying in Chiado, which seems hip/swank.

Some worthwhile touristy things are Pena Palace (in Sintra) and Sao Jorge Castle; take Tram 28 for a city tour.

Museu Berardo - top-notch contemporary art museum. Nearby is Pasteis de Belem, with its beloved custard tarts.
Carmo Convent is near Chiado and worth a quick visit - a church that lost its roof (topless church?) in an earthquake long ago.
Estufa Fria is an indoor botanical garden and a nice escape.
Cemiterio dos Prazeres (cemetery) - mausoleums galore, photo ops for Joy Division bootlegs LPs, if that's your thing (you can board Tram 28 on a nearby stop from here).

The food situation there is amazing (but do a little research), if your family is into that.

Keen to hear more about the dive bar where the estimable Daniel_Rf had his sublime fado experience, plus any other Lisbon recs ahead of a short break in a couple of weeks...

What a beautiful city. Caught a bit of Santo Antonio festival madness and now want to go back every June.

Aw sorry I didn't see that at the time, would have tried to dig up the place!

We didn't catch any fado in the end, but were treated to a busker segueing from RHCP to 4 Non Blondes, so were culturally nourished to complement the many amazing meals we had.