― Leigh, Friday, 5 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― katie, Friday, 5 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
I've never been either. Sorry. TBoD is great though.
― Tim, Friday, 5 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Deadman, Friday, 5 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― nic, Saturday, 6 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 6 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Rebecca, Saturday, 6 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Graham, Saturday, 6 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 5 September 2002 09:43 (twenty-two years ago) link
― leigh, Monday, 9 September 2002 09:21 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Simeon (Simeon), Monday, 9 September 2002 09:50 (twenty-two years ago) link
make sure you take a ride on tram 28, it goes through the old part of the city and is bone shaking experience.
― Leigh, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 13:24 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Sam (chirombo), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 13:28 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Simeon (Simeon), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 14:08 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Miss Laura, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 07:29 (twenty-two years ago) link
― gareth (gareth), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 14:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 15:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Simeon (Simeon), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 15:10 (twenty-one years ago) link
― katia, Wednesday, 31 March 2004 23:12 (twenty years ago) link
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 23:16 (twenty years ago) link
I plan to retire there and write my memoirs.
It was once described to me as the most unfuckedup part of Europe and I could see what they meant.
I loved the fact that bookshops, boutiques and galleries were open at midnight and beyond in the Bairro Alto, and yet by day it's a normal area where people hang out their washing and take their kids to school and so forth.
The Chinese Pavilion is among my favourite bars ever.
Palacio da Pena in Sintra is, as was mentioned upthread, truly spectacular. Sintra is well worth a day trip even if you don't go in for castles and stuff.
― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Thursday, 4 January 2007 16:28 (seventeen years ago) link
Oddly enough, I've found that portuguese women as a rule don't really look to Cristiano Ronaldo, or indeed any male footballer, as a role model for what they seek to look like.
― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Thursday, 4 January 2007 19:39 (seventeen years ago) link
The bullfighting stadium at Campo Pequeno looked extraordinary from the outside. Any been in?
― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Friday, 5 January 2007 09:44 (seventeen years ago) link
this happens on sunday
3 nights, 1 girlfriend, 1 unexplored city
any advice?
― Just got offed, Friday, 22 August 2008 21:28 (sixteen years ago) link
ok so the answer to this thread is EAT THE CUSTARD TARTS
― Just got offed, Thursday, 28 August 2008 13:04 (sixteen years ago) link
Where are you staying? Just got back from Lisbon myself. Stick around the south side of the city really, near the river. It gets progressively less interesting the further away from the river you get.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 28 August 2008 13:07 (sixteen years ago) link
But yes, EAT THE FUCKING CUSTARD TARTS. But if you're going to do it, go to Pasteis de Nata in Belem, which is the original place. It serves, like, nothing else. The surrounding area is interesting as well.
Also go drinking out in the streets of Bairro Alto until 6am.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 28 August 2008 13:10 (sixteen years ago) link
Where DID I stay, more like! Right next to the Marques de Pombal, awesome cast-iron dude in a wig with a pet lion.
Belem might well be my favourite place in the world. We didn't go to Pasteis de Nata for our tarts, but a place down the road towards Lisbon (about 2 blocks away) on a street-corner was perfectly sufficient. I think I ended up having about seven in one afternoon.
As for Belenenses' stadium, well there's a photostory in there when I can be arsed to load my pics. Let's just say that security there isn't what it is in Britain.
And yeah, we stuck around the river pretty much throughout. Our only venture north was to the zoo, which was actually a pretty sweet one as these things go.
The city itself is truly lovely, with a hot but not too much so Mediterranean slow-life twisty vibe, great architecture, vivid colours and superb wall-tilings. We went for several walks around the city (when not bussing; that Lisbon card! So handy!) and found it endlessly delightful. Bairro Alto, nice as it was initially, became seedier the more we penetrated, and at my gf's insistence we turned off halfway down Rua de Atalaia, before we could reach all the recommended bars/restaurants but also before we had to walk past a battalion of very shifty-looking bums on the road ahead. Went to an Argentinian place instead. With views over the whole city. Rock.
Oh yeah, the food. The fish!
The funicular railways!
That fucking bridge!
L'ARANJAS!
― Just got offed, Thursday, 28 August 2008 13:19 (sixteen years ago) link
Shame, Bairro Alto's pretty fucking cool and not as dodgy as it looks. Also those trams are awesome.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 28 August 2008 20:18 (sixteen years ago) link
to lisbon in may! psyched. 5 nights then to morocco for a week or so. i'm mostly interested in cool old stuff and eating, what should i look at/consume??
― adam, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:32 (twelve years ago) link
Go to the Gulbenkian museum
― Like a Leppard Messiah (Michael White), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:40 (twelve years ago) link
I really liked this restaurant
http://chafarizdovinho.com/en/index.htm
― Like a Leppard Messiah (Michael White), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:41 (twelve years ago) link
Also, I second Daniel Giraffe's recommendation to go the Pavilhão Chinês. That bar is amazing and good fun, too.
― Like a Leppard Messiah (Michael White), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:45 (twelve years ago) link
Eat one pasteis
― (Uptown Baby) (admrl), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:47 (twelve years ago) link
^^^
They're very good
― Like a Leppard Messiah (Michael White), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:56 (twelve years ago) link
Going a week today for a long weekend, can't wait. What are the nightclubs like? Been reading a few horror stories about doormen and dresss codes...
― boxedjoy, Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:04 (twelve years ago) link
just booked a four day stay in july (for what will be my first trip out of britain), wahoo. although three of those days i'll be at a conference. unless i decide to just give my paper and then fuck off into the city.
― hot young stalin (Merdeyeux), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 04:24 (eleven years ago) link
If you want to party, the Bairro Alto area is basically several blocks full of minuscule bars, with people drinking and partying both inside and on the streets. Seedy and a bit touristy maybe, but we had plenty of fun there.
The Sea World was also really cool, especially the penguins and the sharks. (The queues are long though, so if you want to visit you should go there pretty early in the morning.) The old monastery in Belem was worth seeing too, but the fortress at the top of the city was kinda boring, except for the (admittedly beautiful) view... There were other places in Alfama with almost as nice views, though, and you don't have to pay admission.
I'll also second Michael White's recommendation of the Gulbenkian museum; there's loads of cool art ranging from antiquity to the 20th century, and not just paintings, but also furniture, jewelry, mosaics, grandfather clocks, etc.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 11:22 (eleven years ago) link
Lucky you, it's really good. The Oceanario was terrific - I think that's the same thing as the Sea World? But if you only have a short time, probably stick to the old town, eat custard tarts, etc. The view from the castle is super.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 11:30 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, the Oceanario, that's what I meant, couldn't remember what it was called.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 11:40 (eleven years ago) link
if you want to see tiles, go to the National Tile Museum. After visiting I felt like I never needed to see another tile as long as I live, a feeling which sticks with me to this day.
― Neil S, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 12:13 (eleven years ago) link
Lovely place. I haven't been back for a couple of years. We took the train to Belém and went to Casa Pastéis de Belém for the Pastéis de Nata, addictive! If you want to blow the budget then Bica do Sapato for food and then nip to Lux for dancing - that was a great night.
― mmmm, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 12:32 (eleven years ago) link
Already mentioned, but: Custard Tarts. Seriously.
Day trip to Sintra. V Pretty.
― 29 facepalms, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 13:32 (eleven years ago) link
Indeed, at Casa Pastéis de Belém I was told they made 10,000 a day. Might be a bit of an overstatement.
― mmmm, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 13:37 (eleven years ago) link
ooh, thanks everybody. worst case scenario is being stuck giving my paper on the last day of the conference so i have two days worrying / finishing it rather than being able to relax. if that doesn't happen, this all sounds nice.
i'll be there from sunday evening till thursday evening - what's the weekday nightlife like?
― Merdeyeux, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 17:13 (eleven years ago) link
Lisbon is the one place in Europe where I have seen men and women in their sixties drinking in bars at 1am on a Monday night.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 17:21 (eleven years ago) link
If you are a carnivore please do not ignore this suggestion: eat at Tomo La Da CaVeal cheeks especially recommendedCosign on Oceanarium, Sintra, Chinese Pavilion. Shows at ZDB. My favourite city ever
― ♫ don't you have your own computer? ♫ (flamboyant goon tie included), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 17:21 (eleven years ago) link
Tomo La Da Ca is in my top five restaurants ever, it's a simple take on Portugeuse food by a French chef
― ♫ don't you have your own computer? ♫ (flamboyant goon tie included), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 17:22 (eleven years ago) link
when my cypriot friend who arrived in advance is warning me that lisbon is exceptionally hot, i know that i am absolutely fucked. still looking forward to it though!
― Fanois och Alexander (Merdeyeux), Friday, 5 July 2013 11:51 (eleven years ago) link
Loads of shade and little windy streets to walk around though.
― Matt DC, Friday, 5 July 2013 11:52 (eleven years ago) link
such a lovely place, with my single free half day yesterday I just decided to wander with no specific plans, found myself in the Gulbenkian gardens and visited the museum itself before heading south and strolling along the riverside and around the old town, doing basically nothing but nicely so. Though the highlight was the conference afterparty, held at this crazy place http://deleuze2013.fc.ul.pt/camp/venues.php run by one of the keynotes, a bunch of philosophy ppl dancing to a salsa/merengue/etc band until 1am and about a hundred locals, young and old, doing some more traditional/learned dancing outside until well past 2am.
― Fanois och Alexander (Merdeyeux), Friday, 12 July 2013 14:06 (eleven years ago) link
anyone have tips on Porto?
or Lisbon stuff not mentioned upthread/that a gr80 would like
― °ㅇ๐ْ ° (gr8080), Thursday, 13 March 2014 14:45 (ten years ago) link
see who's on at Lux Fragil
the Berardo museum of modern & contemporary art (in Belem) is mindblowing, I had to leave and come back to the entire country a week later because I got overloaded
― Charles, hatless (sic), Thursday, 13 March 2014 15:02 (ten years ago) link
Drink loads of port, obviously. This is tourism 101 but Solar Vinho do Porto is an awesome port bar half way up the cliff with awesome views over the river and a ridiculous selection of port.
Serralves contemporary art museum is great, beautiful gardens around there to chill in if it's hot (which it probably will be).
The Rem Koolhaas music centre is pretty cool, not much around there but it's worth looking at.
There's an area up the top of the hill that's just a mazy rabbit warren of streets full of decent late night bars and clubs.
Eat a francescinha. You'll feel like you're about to die afterwards but they are the most incredible unhealthy food imaginable.
Worth getting the tram down to Foz on the coast, but there's also a decent beach slightly further north that you can get to easily by cab, I forget the name.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 13 March 2014 15:06 (ten years ago) link
oh yeah my suggestions are for Lisbon, not Porto
― Charles, hatless (sic), Thursday, 13 March 2014 15:34 (ten years ago) link
Lisbon:
Put up with the queue to eat seafood at Ramiro, and do the thing of having the steak sandwich for dessert.
There's a branch of the Solar Vinho do Porto in Lisbon too, up near the Bairro Alto - it's nowhere near as good as the one in Porto but still very pleasant.
Read "The Book of Disquiet" before you go.
― Tim, Thursday, 13 March 2014 17:16 (ten years ago) link
got a place in bairro alto for the weekend, will be in porto during the week
also i am a vegetarian travelling with a vegetarian friend fwiw
― °ㅇ๐ْ ° (gr8080), Thursday, 13 March 2014 17:56 (ten years ago) link
You should definitely not go to Ramiro!
We enjoyed a newly-opened bar at one end of the Bairro Alto which was called something like Lisbon Pub. It was the only place I found any local-ish small brewery beer.
― Tim, Thursday, 13 March 2014 18:00 (ten years ago) link
Pub Lisboeta, that was it. Just a little bar but I liked it, especially the Portuguese porter.
― Tim, Thursday, 13 March 2014 18:03 (ten years ago) link
If you want to eat proper vegetarian (not fish) in Lisbon, most of the local restaurants are not good, or at least that was our experience when we were in Lisbon... However we found a couple of really nice veggie restaurants, I'd recommend both of these:
http://www.restaurante-psi.com/This one was located in the middle a small park in pretty quiet neighbourhood. There's a "proper" restaurant part, but half of the tables are inside a glass gazebo, and I'd definitely recommend that if you want to have a nice, atmospheric dinner in the evening. It's a bit hippieish, if that bothers you. The menu wasn't huge, but we enjoyed the place so much we went there three times. They have some kinda of Indian(?) stuffed crepes which were delightful.
http://www.restauranteterra.pt/English/Welcome.htmlThis one was a bit less atmospheric than PSI, but the food was really, really good. It's buffet-style, and most of it is vegan, but not "health food" style vegan, there was fat and juices and tastes. Most of the tables were on a terrace walled with trees, so it was a nice place to have dinner too. A bit crowded, at least on the weekends, but definitely one of the best vegetarian buffets I've ever come across.
― Tuomas, Thursday, 13 March 2014 18:53 (ten years ago) link
Thanks for the veg recommendations - anyone know a good hostel in Lisbon?
― niels, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 16:51 (eight years ago) link
portugal has most of the best hostels in the world - so you can't go too far wrong with like booking.com
i stayed at alfama patio hostel - it was in a really nice part of the city and everyone there was very friendly. i guess consider whether you actively want to meet people and go on hostel-organised events etc.
if you are solo or looking for privacy, you can get a private room in the hostels for about 40 or 50 euro a night i think. it's very clean and nice and has some good common areas for reading or chatting to people.
apologies if you know the city, but an advice dump:
go to sintra if you can. a short day trip. this is one of the coolest things i've seen on a trip: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinta_da_Regaleira
there are amazing views if you keep walking up hills kind of away from the coast, lots of vantage points and that kind of thing.
good food p much everywhere.
― japanese mage (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 5 January 2016 16:58 (eight years ago) link
that looks amazing, will definitely go there! I don't know anything abt Lisbon :P
― niels, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 17:09 (eight years ago) link
how weird i've just got back from there
we airbnb'd it, lovely apartment in bairro alto for £30 a night
― cher guevara (lex pretend), Tuesday, 5 January 2016 17:12 (eight years ago) link
that's very affordable! do you have a link?
I get a feeling Lisbon's kind of.. trending.
― niels, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 17:14 (eight years ago) link
possibly trending due to massive recession
― japanese mage (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 5 January 2016 17:16 (eight years ago) link
i suppose that's when places trend
oh yeah this is cool too if the phrase "chapel made of human bones" is something that piques your interest:
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/portugals-chapel-bones
― japanese mage (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 5 January 2016 17:17 (eight years ago) link
xp sadly
I dunno, was just agreeing with a friend that if we could get a week off we'd go south - when picking a destination we thought of Lisbon without thinking twice, I guess it's maybe some kind of collective unconscious that sometimes surfaces in the consumer choices you make. Or coincidence/misinterpretation.
― niels, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 17:19 (eight years ago) link
that is a SPOOKY looking chapel!
― niels, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 17:20 (eight years ago) link
if you have a week i would probably give porto a go as well. it's a short and pleasant train ride. there's a really good wine tour of the douro valley, from porto, that is quite affordable and idyllic.
hostels really are a major deal in portugal, like if you google best hostels in the world most of the top 10 are lisbon or porto. and not like in a grim way either, these are genuinely really nice. i guess apartments are cheap too tho.
alternatively the very southern tip is interesting in a weird kind of way, there are some strange little islands in the ria formosa near faro - i stayed in a town called olhao about a half hour outside faro. down that way it's very hot and a bit shabby but quite enjoyable nonetheless imo.
maybe avoid faro itself i guess, it seems like sun-seeker destination 101.
― japanese mage (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 5 January 2016 17:26 (eight years ago) link
another option if you wanted three destinations in a week would be lisbon for a few days, then head to south of portugal - then go from faro to seville.
i forget exactly how long the bus from faro to seville is but i don't remember it being a major trip - maybe 4 or 5 hours. and seville is really great - amazing weather and a brilliant atmosphere.
― japanese mage (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 5 January 2016 17:29 (eight years ago) link
lots of great advice, much appreciated
― niels, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 18:05 (eight years ago) link
i got a very nice & hostel-priced airbnb in Bica - not far from bairro alto , but more quiet- all of the "streets" were footpaths/stairs for several blocks in each direction, it was awesome
co-sign on Porto-- it is crumbling magical beauty
― gr8080, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 20:25 (eight years ago) link
it's been said upthread but if you eat meat and/or drink alcohol, i strongly suggest getting wasted and getting one of these the next morning:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesinha
filth of the highest order.
think you can prob get them in lisbon, to varying degrees, but porto is the original home.
another thing you could do, thinking about it, is lisbon to porto and then somewhere like vigo, would be really easy, no journey there more than two hours. vigo is p cool too, spanish seaside town, very faintly trendy. it has a japanese themed spa hotel which had really cheap offers when i was there, tho it might have just been a lucky deal as it was majorly posh.
― japanese mage (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 5 January 2016 23:37 (eight years ago) link
aaaaaahhh that sandwich looks insane. i really want to go to portugal.
― big Mahats (mattresslessness), Tuesday, 5 January 2016 23:39 (eight years ago) link
it is totally crazy. i travelled there for a few weeks hence my contributions here - i arrived in porto really hungover, had a nap in my hostel, then found out what a francesinha was and was eating one like five minutes later. as matt says upthread it's not something you'd want every day, but it actually does taste good.
at the time.
― japanese mage (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 5 January 2016 23:47 (eight years ago) link
rent scooters and ride them to Cascais, it's the perfect day trip
― gr8080, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 01:48 (eight years ago) link
also i never thanked sic for his Berardo museum recommendation- it is so great & is free
― gr8080, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 01:52 (eight years ago) link
I'll see if we can fit in Porto, sounds pretty good. Scooter ride too. I'm veg but we are certainly getting wasted a day or two and I'll recommend the francesinhas to my friend, hehe.
― niels, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 07:34 (eight years ago) link
I didn't realise that beer was an ingredient of a frascesinha. That somehow makes it even more incredible/disgusting.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 10:54 (eight years ago) link
yeah it's a beer gravy! i think sometimes you get port in the gravy too. why not?
― japanese mage (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 6 January 2016 11:11 (eight years ago) link
when I was in Lisbon, I went to the Tile Museum which was almost transcendentally boring.
― The Male Gaz Coombes (Neil S), Wednesday, 6 January 2016 11:26 (eight years ago) link
probably an acquired taste
― niels, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 12:04 (eight years ago) link
yes, it certainly depends on how you feel about tiles.
― The Male Gaz Coombes (Neil S), Wednesday, 6 January 2016 12:08 (eight years ago) link
👊 grady
― glandular lansbury (sic), Wednesday, 6 January 2016 14:29 (eight years ago) link
the best meal i had the whole week i was in portugal was here:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-finestra-lisboa
its not very ~portugese~ and is a pretty boring neighborhood a good 10-20min walk from the ~lisbony~ parts of lisbon, but it was a few blocks from the hotel we stayed in our first night and we just stumbled upon it and had a lovely dinner out on the sidewalk
― gr8080, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 15:53 (eight years ago) link
also when i landed on google street view just now and spotted the woman leaning out a 2nd floor window, i felt the urge to go back something fierce
http://i.imgur.com/s22oJYX.jpg
portugal is a nation of people aimlessly hanging out of windows
― gr8080, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 15:54 (eight years ago) link
when in rome porto:
http://i.imgur.com/3FdIXQw.jpg
― gr8080, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 15:58 (eight years ago) link
anyone recommend some good music venues? cinemas?
― niels, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 12:18 (eight years ago) link
p great photo btw
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 world2) 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 them4) 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
― niels, Saturday, 27 February 2016 20:25 (eight years ago) link
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.
― Tuomas, Thursday, 10 March 2016 09:41 (eight years ago) link
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.
― Tim, Thursday, 10 March 2016 09:49 (eight years ago) link
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.
― niels, Thursday, 10 March 2016 10:08 (eight years ago) link
* 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.
― japanese mage (LocalGarda), Thursday, 10 March 2016 10:25 (eight years ago) link
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/
― dbs, Thursday, 10 March 2016 12:34 (eight years ago) link
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
― dbs, Thursday, 10 March 2016 14:52 (eight years ago) link
ty ilx all of the above duly noted for October
― Daithi Bowsie (darraghmac), Tuesday, 3 May 2016 19:14 (eight years ago) link
I kinda wanna move to lisbon, any ilxors hear abt great job opportunities let me know thx in advance
― niels, Wednesday, 4 May 2016 10:02 (eight years ago) link
I was thinking going there too. Not to live.
― (Henry) Green container bin with face (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 May 2016 10:23 (eight years ago) link
coincidentally i was in lisbon, maryland yesterday ask me anything
― #amazing #babies #touching (harbl), Wednesday, 4 May 2016 11:21 (eight years ago) link
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
― poor fiddy-less albion (darraghmac), Monday, 3 October 2016 20:33 (seven years ago) link
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
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 10:14 (seven years ago) link
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.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 10:18 (seven years ago) link
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.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 10:31 (seven years ago) link
Thanks T!
― poor fiddy-less albion (darraghmac), Tuesday, 4 October 2016 13:22 (seven years ago) link
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?
― droit au butt (Euler), Monday, 24 April 2017 17:28 (seven years ago) link
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.
― the european nikon is here (grauschleier), Tuesday, 25 April 2017 09:04 (seven years ago) link
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.
― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 25 April 2017 15:40 (seven years ago) link
Thanks for the Negreiros reference, Daniel_Rf!
― the european nikon is here (grauschleier), Thursday, 18 May 2017 13:15 (seven years ago) link
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
― niels, Sunday, 1 October 2017 20:36 (six years ago) link
!!! congrats
what part of the city?
― gr8080, Monday, 2 October 2017 16:10 (six years ago) link
thanks! I'm in Arroios, close to the Alameda station - a very nice area imo
― niels, Monday, 2 October 2017 16:34 (six years ago) link
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?
― There's more Italy than necessary. (in orbit), Monday, 11 February 2019 22:01 (five years ago) link
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.
― ɪmˈpəʊzɪŋ (darraghmac), Monday, 11 February 2019 22:19 (five years ago) link
Are they displacing ppl from affordable housing/disfiguring the historic city?
Well, yes, but such is life.
― Wee boats wobble but they don't fall down (Tom D.), Monday, 11 February 2019 22:51 (five years ago) link
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
― cherry blossom, Monday, 11 February 2019 23:25 (five years ago) link
Please go eat at Jesus e Goes if in Lisbon.
I liked Porto as much as Lisbon tbh.
― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Monday, 11 February 2019 23:29 (five years ago) link
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.
― Zelda Zonk, Tuesday, 12 February 2019 00:36 (five years ago) link
haha:)
― cherry blossom, Tuesday, 12 February 2019 00:44 (five years ago) link
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)
― cherry blossom, Tuesday, 12 February 2019 00:46 (five years ago) link
i think the tech stuff is def a factor there
crazy hipstery town too but they carry it well
― ɪmˈpəʊzɪŋ (darraghmac), Tuesday, 12 February 2019 00:49 (five years ago) link
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.
― Zelda Zonk, Tuesday, 12 February 2019 00:52 (five years ago) link
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.
― cherry blossom, Tuesday, 12 February 2019 01:02 (five years ago) link
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??"
― large bananas pregnant (ledge), Tuesday, 12 February 2019 08:43 (five years ago) link
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.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 19 January 2022 23:24 (two years ago) link
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.
― ernestp, Thursday, 20 January 2022 02:24 (two years ago) link
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...
― Piedie Gimbel, Tuesday, 30 May 2023 15:09 (one year ago) link
What a beautiful city. Caught a bit of Santo Antonio festival madness and now want to go back every June.
― Piedie Gimbel, Monday, 26 June 2023 13:02 (one year ago) link
Aw sorry I didn't see that at the time, would have tried to dig up the place!
― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 26 June 2023 13:06 (one year ago) link
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.
― Piedie Gimbel, Monday, 26 June 2023 13:10 (one year ago) link
gonna be there for 3 days in mid-june, i read thru this thread (very helpful) ... open to any recent/new suggestions but specifically curious if anyone has recs for good record stores, vintage stores, bookstores etc or neighborhoods where you can just walk around & stumble upon such things
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 30 May 2024 18:07 (three months ago) link
Peekaboo Records, within the Espaço Chiado shopping mall, is the best record store in Lisbon and owner can prob point you to other points of reference re: vintage clothes and hangouts - just say Reifferscheid sent you.
Carpet & Snares, in the same building, is also a good record store.
― Daniel_Rf, Thursday, 30 May 2024 18:15 (three months ago) link
amazing thanks daniel
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 30 May 2024 18:19 (three months ago) link
Just got back from Portugal and had an amazing trip (Lisbon > Madeira > Porto > Lisbon, all great in different ways).
We were over by Martim Moniz during our first pass through Lisbon, probably the best parts of which were all the Indian restaurants on Rua do Benformoso (literally the street was just Indian restaurants & grocery stores, and it was popping at night) and proximity to Miradouro da Graca (really nice sunset spot).
When we came back to Lisbon we were on R. Prior Coutinho (not sure what neighborhood that would be). Wandered into a Russian craft beer bar (Sputnik) in search of the best Portuguese beer we had found (Ophiussa) where there was a Russian poetry reading in progress and the bartender's puppy in a box by the bar. Also found some really great Tibetan food, a nice park (w/roosters, hens, and ducklings wandering around), and another amazing miradouro (I think it was da Senhora do Monte, which you can see from Graca).
On our last day we went to LX Factory, which did have some good record stores and some vintage clothes. The Jazz Messengers shop (in the big bookstore there) was great, I got a Dorothy Ashby record. And there was another boutique-y record store there with tons of great Brazilian, funk, and dance records (pretty pricey but good stuff). But it was just as good to wander down by the shipyard and watch fish jumping out of the water for an hour.
Also once we succumbed to using Bolt that made getting to different parts of the city much easier, you can get anywhere for like 5 euros or less.
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Thursday, 30 May 2024 18:38 (three months ago) link
thanks so much jordan
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 30 May 2024 22:18 (three months ago) link
my understanding is that our trip overlaps w/ santo antonio festival so if any locals had any tips for how to navigate that lmk
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 30 May 2024 22:29 (three months ago) link
lol I had a hard time keeping you Jordans straight
― Are you addicted to struggling with your horse? (Boring, Maryland), Friday, 31 May 2024 01:27 (three months ago) link
lol, just prepare for absolute madness. go with the flow and enjoy it.
― Daniel_Rf, Friday, 31 May 2024 08:40 (three months ago) link
Hoping to finally make it out to Lisbon this year. That's it, that's the post.
― nashwan, Friday, 31 May 2024 10:03 (three months ago) link
Btw I don't know how long you have there, but Porto ruled too. We got an incredibly affordable Flixbus between the two.
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Friday, 31 May 2024 14:39 (three months ago) link