8 Days in Portugal - Part 1, Lisbon

It’s really hitting now what a whirlwind it is to try and get a feel for a place in only a week. As I write this, we are flying to Brussels where we kick off a 2-week marathon of 5 countries before slowing down in Croatia. So, while it’s still fresh in my mind, here’s a recap of our time in Portugal!

We started our trip in the capital, Lisbon, a hilly city on a river that’s so wide we thought it was a bay. We booked an AirBnb in a very old neighborhood, Alfama. When the taxi dropped us off from the airport he pointed up a path and said “that’s you, no cars”. We found ourselves walking up and down stairs to get everywhere in Alfama. This hillside area sits below the Castle de Sao Jorge, initially settled in the 8th century. Our first full day there, we walked up to the hilltop to see it and take in the views. Knowing that our trip around Europe is going to be lots of castles and churches, I try not to get my expectations too high, but this castle was awesome. The views of the city were fantastic and you were able to access a lot of the walls and towers. Definitely worth the 10 Euro admission price.

As you wander around Lisbon, you’ll see historical sights without even trying. Statues of explorers and saints freckle the city and there are many public parks with concessions and great views throughout. We spent most days walking, averaging 10 miles a day. One other historical building we checked out was the Basilica de Estrada. You can pay 4 Euro to go up onto the roof and from there you can look down into the chapel. The day we went, the inside of the church was closed, but it was because the President of Portugal was nearby for a photo op! We caught him and the Prime Minister of Greece hopping in a cable car as we left the church.

The church was across the street from the Park de Estrela, which was so pretty and relaxing to have a coffee and Pasteis de Nata at. A lot of our time in Lisbon revolved around finding the best food and drinks we could. An easy way to kick that off was in the Time Out Market. We had been to a Time Out Market in New York City recently so we knew the concept, and while it felt a bit like a shortcut, it was a quick way to get a feel for the local fare. We started with a tapas sampler from Chef Marlene Vieira and pasteis de nata from Manteigaria.

Lisbon has a burgeoning craft beer scene so we got to try some tasty options besides Super Bock while we were there. The three spots we went to (and recommend for any beer tourists!) were 21 Gallas, Cerveteca, and Outro Lado. All had a selection of taps from local brewers and a few other guest beers from elsewhere in Europe. It was nice to have a sour beer or two to break up all the wine and port (more about that when we get to Porto!).

Most mornings, we either had a late breakfast or just skipped straight to lunch. Something we have to navigate while we travel is my inability to function without breakfast, and Marcus’s desire to have a “slow, easy” morning. Some places we found and liked were Cafe Janis, which had vegan options and alt milks (yay, we didn’t see any in Morocco or Paris), and Dear Breakfast. On our hunt for wifi, we also checked out Copenhagen Coffee Lab which has many locations in Lisbon, and while the food was good the wifi was not.

For dinners, we were actually pretty good about sticking to Portuguese food (until our last night in Porto when I just needed pasta). We love tapas because it allows you to try many things and share family style, and we got treated to some great stuff in Lisbon. Our favorite was Tapa Bucho, but we also liked Damas and Faz Frio. The best dishes we had were a sausage plate at Tapa Bucho, a poke dish at Damas, and suckling pork fritters at Faz Frio.

Marcus loves a good speakeasy so we also sought out some tasty cocktails while we were in town. The first spot we found was called Foxtrot. The vibe in there is so cool, with old school decor and many different tucked away seating areas, this would be a great date spot. We tried some delicious cocktails, played backgammon, and ate croquettes here. The owners have a few other spots around the city, with similar decor and vibe (we’re told), so if you can’t make it to Foxtrot check out one of their sister bars. The next speakeasy was ranked 67 for cocktail bars around the world, Red Frog. The drinks were so eclectic and thoughtful, with flavors you wouldn’t get anywhere else. It was very intimate, with only 6 tables, so you’ll definitely need a reservation (made via text).

For the first time since Paris, and likely the last time until Barcelona, we got to have a fun night out with friends while in Lisbon. We met up with Kate and Paul, who moved to Lisbon from the US over three years ago and they showed us a great time. We had BYOB drinks at a miraduoro (basically a lookout point, sometimes with a kiosk for buying drinks and snacks) before dinner at Sr Lisboa, which was Portuguese sharing plates. At this point I was not yet burnt out on cod and enjoyed the cod volcano, while the boys got octopus, and we all shared some delicious pork belly with crispy skin. The bar/club we went to after dinner, Casa Independente, was in a converted apartment building with many different rooms and spaces with different vibes. We danced to old school hip hop and chilled in the courtyard with G&Ts. We even managed to find a secret smokey after-hours…. It was definitely a memorable night!

We also got to meet up with an old friend of Marcus’s, who recently opened a business - Lisbon Bicycle Kitchen. The bike shop sells, rents and repairs bikes, but my favorite part was the bagel shop inside, Good Boy Bagels. We split a BLT bagel and it was dreamy. They also had beers from a German brewery and the brewer happened to be in town so we got to meet him. Definitely check out Good Boy Bagels when you’re in Lisbon!

In addition to all the walking, we also found that Uber/Bolt were affordable ways to get around. The bus was fairly easy to figure out as well, but be warned that they are very consistent at checking that you’ve paid your fare! After Lisbon Bike Kitchen, we rode electric scooters down to LX Factory, which is under the April 25 Bridge. This funky little area has public art, a hostel with rooftop bar, stores, a tattoo shop, galleries, and of course food and drinks. We tried our first Port Tonic, which we learned is a newer cocktail around here to try and get young people drinking port. We also had our first Aperol Spritz of the trip (5 euro for happy hour) before riding the bus back to Alfama.