The People’s Guide to Lisbon

Featured Articles

The Portuguese Parliament voted to renew the state of emergency until April 17.

Portugal's Coronavirus Death Toll Reaches 295, State of Emergency Extended to Apr. 17

Between 00h00 on 9 April and midnight on 13 April, it’s against the rules to travel outside your municipality. Stay put, people!

Easter-geddon: The Prolonged State of Emergency

We got too relaxed, just like Antonio Costa and other responsible adults around the world warned us not to. And we're — you know what, scratch that — YOU're gonna pay for it, you life-hacking geniuses.

Coronavirus: It’s Gonna Get Worse, Or Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Porn, Tarkovsky, Sea Lions, and Other Free Ways to Self-quarantine with Meaning

What Commerce in Lisbon Looks Like Under Lockdown

Lockdown in Lisbon: Things to Do Indoors to Entertain Young Children

LX em Casa: Ways to Meaningfully Pass Time

Abandoned Lisbon: Empty Streets As Citizens Bunker Down

COVID-19: How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer

Get to know SmokedFalmon and fall in love with their tunes.

Atlas Shoots the Breeze with SmokedFalmon

Meu Nome É Mariana | Behind the Scenes with Mariana Badan

Mark Waldron-Hyden will be gracing our wonderful city this March as part of PORT to PORT festival. But before he gets here with his synths, samples, and cassette tapes (yes, you read that right), we thought we'd get a behind the scenes look.

Mixing Music on... Cassette Tapes?

Featured April Events... From Your Home

to Apr 1 | INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MUSIC FESTIVAL | Homestage | FREE

ONLINE YOGA CLASS | Dancing in my room: Morning Practice | 2,5 - 5€

to May 17 | BI-WEEKLY ONLINE QUIZ NIGHT | O’Gilin’s Irish Pub Quiz Night | FREE

ONLINE CLASSICAL CONCERTS | Gulbenkian Música | FREE

ONLINE JAMS | Lisbon Irish Session Under Quarantine | FREE

to May 12 | TUESDAY ONLINE DONATION YOGA

MUSIC | AtYourHome | FREE (Donations Welcome)

Things to Do When... There's No Coronavirus

Essentials for Visitors (Stay Indoors for Now!)

The African Lisbon Tour is more than just a tour — it’s part of a movement started by a West African immigrant to Portugal to show the other side of the Times of the Explorers and Portugal's colonial past, right here in the capital.

African Lisbon Tour: A Conversation We Need to Have

The best foodie souvenirs in Lisbon. From high-grade olive oil to mountain cheese to port.

Lisbon's Ten Best Foodie Souvenirs

Best of Lisbon 2020

Lisbon According to Ginjinha Sem Rival's Nuno Gonçalo Lourenço

Why You Should Visit Baleal and Ferrel: Two Small Towns That Are Making Big Waves

Anthony Bourdain’s Trip to Lisbon Bite by Bite

What to See, Do, and Eat in Ericeira: The Prettiest Town on Portugal’s Central Coast

Of all the must-haves on your vacation checklist, drinking water should probably come pretty close to the top (especially in the summer heat). And, like much of the rest of the city, Lisbon has a winding and fun relationship with the elixir of life.

Tap Water in Portugal

Mercado da Ribeira and TimeOut Market — exploring the great divide under one roof.

TimeOut and Ribeira: The Lisbon Market With a Split Personality

Hot and Hungry: Where to Get Ice Cream in Lisbon

Is Lisbon Safe? You've Asked, We've Answered

The biggest music festivals in Portugal, the capital of music festivals.

Portugal's Music Festivals

When the Saints Go Marching: Santo António Day Explained

Bairro Alto Alternativo

Living in Lisboa

Porn, Tarkovsky, Sea Lions, and Other Free Ways to Self-quarantine with Meaning

Lockdown in Lisbon: Things to Do Indoors to Entertain Young Children

LX em Casa: Ways to Meaningfully Pass Time

COVID-19: How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer

Best of Lisbon 2020

Tap Water in Portugal

A few Lisbon hotels offer their saunas and steam rooms, and sometimes their swimming pools, to non-guests, but it will cost you.

Lisbon's Public Steamrooms and Saunas

Portugal’s Public Wi-Fi. Aka the White Elephants

How To Become a Legal Resident in Portugal

In Lisbon you can visit one of the many swimming pools in sports halls, gyms, and rooftops year-round to get more deeply in touch with its favorite of the four elements.

The Waterworld of Lisboa

Nights out in Lisbon can be rough. Take the edge off with a hearty brunch from one of these 11 cafes around Lisboa.

Brunch in Lisbon: a Date with Debauchery

Finding books in English in Lisbon isn’t too difficult, and the number of stores selling English-language books keep growing.

Where to Find English-Language Books in Lisbon

There are dozens of museums in Portugal’s capital and within a short drive, and almost all charge admission. Here are a few tips to do it on the cheap - or for free.

Lisbon Culture on the Cheap, Part 2: Museums

There have been some recent changes to Recibos Verdes (Green Receipts) that you’ll need to wrap your head around. This is for all the self-employed English-speakers battling their way through the Portuguese bureaucracy.

Public Service Announcement: Changes to Recibos Verdes / Green Receipts

Not all Lisbon markets are created equal, nor are the vendors who comprise them. Here's where to go if you're keen for a stroll as you shop or bargaining before you buy.

The Thirteen Best Markets In Lisboa

Strangers do things that annoy us, make us laugh, and make us cry in the great city of Lisbon. Here is the place to share your stories anonymously.

The Page of Disquiet

If a Lisboeta tells you to go to a certain place whose name you've never heard — and you're not quite sure where to find it — here's what they mean.

Lisbon Implied, or How to Talk About Locations Like a Local

Things Hard to Get in Lisbon — and Where to Find Them

Vintage, up-cycled, second-hand, or just plain USED: whatever you call not-new clothes, here's where to find them in Lisbon, from bargain bins to boutiques.

Getting Thrifty: The Second-Hand Stores of Lisbon

Bairro Alto is the party neighborhood of Lisbon, and if you’re visiting, it is a “must-go” spot. But please, do it in style and find the best bars.

Bairro Alto Alternativo

Latest Restaurant Reviews: For Later!

A charming local restaurant with excellently made traditional fare five minutes from Sintra's center by car

Adega do Saloio

Traditional Portuguese food expertly prepared to be thoroughly enjoyed

A Maria Não Deixa

Good, simple booze by good, simple people, with excellent music

Palheta

Not a buffet sushi roll in sight at this 24-year-old Chinese classic

O Norte da China

A dependably good meal off the main drag in Chiado's shopping district

Fabulas

A local favorite for a casual typical Portuguese lunch

Pastelaria Carrocel

Nothing fancy— just damn good momos, mofos.

Sagarmatha Momo

A charming local lunch spot with a Parisian café feel at a fraction of the price

A Tentadora

Bairro Alto is the party neighborhood of Lisbon, and if you’re visiting, it is a “must-go” spot. But please, do it in style and find the best bars.

Bairro Alto Alternativo

Nothing special, just a well-priced lunch in a shady spot in Bairro Alto

Floresta do Calhariz

Let your taste buds travel the world from the comfort of a rooftop restaurant

Okah

Best mezze (tapas) this side of Damascus

Mezze

If your craving comes served in a bowl, you'll probably find it here.

Bowls&Bar

One of Pessoa's favorite cafés for watching the world go by. Sure, there are cheaper coffee shops, but here you are on Praça do Comércio.

Martinho da Arcada

Go for the view, stay for the dumplings. Impressive Chinese food on an equally impressive terrace overlooking Martim Moniz square in downtown Lisbon.

Hua Ta Li

For a taste of the ex-colonies with a side of art, try this spot out. Luso-fusion cuisine and various creative performances hosted in Santa Engrácia.

Casa Mocambo

Authentic Turkish street food, traditionally prepared. This Restaurant ticks all the right boxes for an authentic Turkish meal in Anjos.

Ottoman's Bite: Pizza Tradicional Turca

Go for the grilled flavor and friendly staff and try to ignore the forgetful service.

Madragoa Vinho e Petiscos

Delicious traditional Portuguese food served as it should be

O Recanto

Great food, good people, no frills

O Manjar do Duque

Virtual Events (STAY HOME!)

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Latest Posts

Portugal’s Coronavirus Death Toll Reaches 295, State of Emergency Extended to Apr. 17 April 5, 2020
Easter-geddon: The Prolonged State of Emergency April 3, 2020
Coronavirus: It’s Gonna Get Worse, Or Why We Can’t Have Nice Things April 3, 2020

Blog Categories

Interviews

Let’s Have A Word #5: Maja Milinković - "Let’s Have a Word" is David Soares‘s attempt to make the Lisbon scene spill the beans. Fado is often an acquired taste, even for a Portuguese person. It needs to mature a while before the familiarity of the sung language and the warm, crystallized sound of the strings end up striking a chord (literally). This […]
Fyodor Books Meets the Press - Fyodor books opened two years ago in a 13-sq-m closet-like space on Calçada Nova de São Francisco. The original concept was simple: make books accessible to everyone, with a browse-at-will approach and a low cost. The simplicity of their 3€ per book (or two for 5€) is what initially drew Atlas in there, but it was […]
Pessoas of Lisboa: Guillén Achalandabaso - "I want to give back to the world the best it has given me: music."

History and Customs

St. Vincent’s Day: The Lack of Conspiracies in Portugal - Happy St. Vinny’s Day! Today marks the 843rd anniversary of a very strange voyage involving two ravens and a corpse. By command of King Afonso Henriques, on January 22, 1173, a ship set out to make the 300-km journey from the southernmost point of Portugal and carry the remains of Saint Vincent the Martyr — […]
Amadeo de Souza Cardoso: The Slow-Burning Modernist - Amadeo Cardoso was a caricaturist, painter, and man-about-town in the Parisian art scene. He certainly has his place among the great Portuguese modernists.
Cristiano Ronaldo: The Portuguese Captain - Most people are pretty familiar with the name Cristiano Ronaldo. However, it’s the world cup so we thought we would take a look at the Portuguese captain.

Lisbon Street Team

Booking Portuguese Hotels the Portuguese Way: the Launch of Click2Portugal - Portugal is fighting back against industry giants in the tourism sector with the launch of a Portuguese-built hotel aggregator, Click2Portugal.com.
Abandoned Lisboa: The Comboio Graveyard in Barreiro - Across the river from Lisbon in Barreiro, disused trains sit on overgrown tracks, rusting under the elements and awaiting whatever fate will befall them.
The Hardest Part of Walking the Camino Portugués Alone - There was always a harder day, a worse moment to come, all the way up until my last full day of walking… which I suppose you could call the hardest part if I have to pick one.