MY GUIDE TO VISTING LISBON PORTUGAL 2025
I’m not sure there’s a hotter destination than Portugal. We absolutely loved it. Maybe the most affordable European capital city to visit, incredible natural beauty and history, close to the Ocean, plus in Lisbon almost everyone speaks English. It’s no wonder more and more of us are vacationing in Portugal.
Here’s my guide to restaurants, bars, and destinations in Lisbon. It’s all super walkable - and also very hilly.
SPOTS TO VISIT:
Avenida da Liberdade: it’s like Michigan Ave. in Chicago or the Champs-Élysées in Paris with all the high end brands.
Praça do Rossio: Rossio square has maybe the most beautiful design of Calçada paving stones in the city. An undulating black echoes the waves of the ocean.
Old Town Lisbon: massive hills, winding cobblestone sidewalks and streets, just an absolute joy to walk around or take a streetcar up the hill.
Church of Saint Roque: modest outside, ornate in. Worth a walk-through.
Praça do Comércio: The Commerce Square is beautiful. There’s a Wines of Portugal shop here where we bought sample pours of wines from all over the country.
SHOPPING:
Luvaria Ullyses: A tiny closet-sized leather gloves shop where you put your hand down and the clerk brings out a glove that fits you, like a glove.
Brus: Plates and ceramics in a second floor store designed for people who aren’t that tall. Modern, beautiful design.
Conserveira de Lisboa: Tinned fish store with incredible selection, good prices too.
Claus Porto: Portugal is known for soaps and lotions - this had a nice selection.
The Footing Room: Independent brand fashion
Livraria Bertrand - Chiado: The oldest still-operating bookstore in the world.
Anthony Bourdain visited this humble spot for bifanas, O Trevo.
RESTAURANTS:
Taberna da Rua das Flores: Cash only, no reservations, we loved this. Server brings over the menu on a chalkboard and talks you through each item.
O Trevo: bifanas are humble marinated-pork sandwiches. About 3 or 4 Euro, get a beer and a bifana and eat like you’re Portuguese. Anthony Bourdain went here and that’s good enough for me.
Manteigaria Lisboa: The famous egg curd tart of Lisbon is top notch at these bakery right next to O Trevo. The line moves quickly, get at least one pastel de nata.
Oyster & Margarita: cute patio, excellent oysters and margaritas.
Cervejaria Ramiro: Simply prepared, fresh seafood, very famous in Lisbon. Get the clams in garlic butter and the grilled King Prawns priced by weight.
Cantinho do Avillez: Chef Avillez is prolific and famous in Lisbon, we really enjoyed this casual, contemporary take on Portuguese cuisine.
Time Out Market - many awesome options under one roof - a great stop if you like sampling from a number of different restaurants in Lisbon.
Manteigaria Lisboa’s pastel de nata was our favorite.
DRINKS:
Novo Wine Bar: solid wine bar, great friendly service.
Gin Lovers: We loved this spot - huge selection of gin & tonics and gin cocktails
Quattro Teste: We didn’t make it here, but friends loved it. Small, lounge vibes.
Red Frog: We loved this lounge/speakeasy right off of Liberdad. It was on the top 50 bars in the world list (now it’s like 88). You can make a reservation or just walk in.
A Ginjinha - taste the famous cherry fermented liquor. You buy a sipping shot from a window - drink it with the cherries inside.
Fábrica Coffee Roasters: Excellent craft coffe roastery. No wifi - drink coffee and talk.
GOOGLE MAP OF PLACES
We created a Google List of spots in Portugal. The list above is vetted by us, the list linked was our brainstorm of all the spots we considered.
