We visited Lisbon last month and it has fast become one of my favourite cities for so many reasons. Between its tiled façades, colourful back drops and a perfect blend of traditional & effortlessly cool vibe, Portugal’s capital is such a perfect city break.
A guide on shopping, eating and how to spend time in the city.
Where to shop
Lisbon may be a very hilly city but wandering through Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest neighbourhood, was great to stumble across independent shops and cafe's. If it’s a Tuesday or Saturday, you have to head straight to Feira da Ladra, the city’s iconic flea market. I loved it there - you’ll find lots of vintage treasures, antiques and second-hand clothes.
I would also recommend spending a morning or afternoon exploring LX Factory, a former industrial complex turned creative hub that has two floors of independent shops, artist residencies and restaurants. There is a great concept store called The Feeting Room which has a mix of mens, women's and homeware and is definitely worth the visit (they have a few locations across Lisbon and Porto)- we loved it there. And be sure to stop at Ler Devagar, a beautiful bookstore.
You can't visit Lisbon without some ceramics shopping, I would definitely make a trip to Ceramicas na Linha. This shop had SUCH a great range of ceramics and a variation of items either being individually priced and some priced by weight.
One of my purchases :)
Where to eat
Breakfast in Lisbon spoils you for choice, we loved The Folks - the coffee and yoghurt and granola was a firm favourite but here are some more recommendations : Hello, Kristoff / Dear Breakfast / Honest Greens
The folks - yoghurt bowl with caramelised banana
For a gorgeous Italian dinner head to Leonetta. I would definitely recommend booking in advance for this one. It has a very cool, almost New York feel serving delicious pasta in beautifully curated interiors. We couldn't decide on food so we had 3 pasta dishes (the ragu in white sauce was amazing !)
More recommendations: Coyo Taco, A Muralha Tasca Tipica, Tapsico, Patife Pizza
Drink - Boavista Social club, Park bar (rooftop in a carpark great views!)
Also - don’t leave without trying a pastel de nata (something I didnt think I liked until I tried this one) from Manteigaria. There may be a bit of a queue but it is worth it !!
Day Trip to Cascais
A big tip for Lisbon -Taxi's are very cheap, so depending on your time either get a 40 minute uber (cost around €25) or there is a 40-minute train from Lisbon’s Cais do Sodré station to Cascais, which is a lovely charming coastal town. Spend the day at the beach, we went to Praia de Rainha which is a lovely cove beach - the sea was very calm and beautiful soft sand. Perfect juxtaposition to the busyness of the city.