We’ve all seen them, we’ve even visited them whether on a dare or through pure curiosity, but what’s the difference between them? Atlas has done the often very dirty work on Lisbon’s oldest and most iconic internationally-inspired sailor bars.
Europa
Rua Nova do Carvalho, 16-20
918 489 595
Wed – Sat, 23h – 4h
Europa looks like an extremely modern bar from the outside, but inside is a slightly more high-voltage version of the other bars geographically named. Why? Because this one is outfitted with lasers! It stays open ’til the wee hours and is quite popular with the staff of the nearby restaurants and bars as an after-work watering hole. Whether it’s free or relatively cheap to enter (it depends on the night), Europa slings affordable beer and blasts loud top hits from the last 40 years between resident DJ sets. It has recently been told to close its doors for the upcoming renovation of the block-long building in which it sits, but the lights have so far stayed on. Once it does have to close, we expect it to re-open next decade, based on our experience with Portuguese contractors…
Copenhagen
1200, Rua de S. Paulo, 8
912 428 155
Mon – Sat, 22h – 4h
Don’t let the renovations fool you, Copenhagen Bar still gets the right kind of sketchy. No one cares about anything other than dancing to a mix of hair bands and boy bands, but that’s okay. Recently they’ve been charging 15€ for a cover plus two free drinks, which is historically outrageous for this former disco dump. Regardless, the crowd is welcoming and there to dance ’til they drop — they frequently do. With fancy new art on the walls inside, the bar is attempting to appeal to the afkøle (cool), classier customer, but the regulars who’ve been going here for years sure didn’t get facelifts, so it’s a bit of a mix. Atlas will go in when there’s free entry, but at that steep a cover charge, they better have plans to renovate their toilets. Those are the last remaining fixtures of Copenhagen we knew and, uhm, loved.
Jamaica
Nova do Carvalho, 6
213 421 859
Tue – Sat, 23h45 – 6h
This open dance-floor is borderline empty until around 4am when the nearby bars close. In the earlier hours, the rounded bar seems swallowed by the enormous dance floor inside. The music is obviously reggae, but nothing groundbreaking — just the obvious tunes you probably already have in your library or on your Bob Marley Spotify. Obviously that hasn’t stopped them, as Jamaica Bar is almost 45 years old and still kicking, because we all continue going here for the vibe, which, when the place fills up, is one of the friendliest, flirtiest in town. It’s currently hosting Wah Gwan nights on Tuesdays, with live reggae performances by local and traveling acts. Worth a visit, bredren. You’ll leave feeling irie.
Liverpool
Rua Nova do Carvalho, 21
213 423 984
Mon – Sat, 14h30 – 4h; Sun, 14h30 – 24h
This is yet another place to let your hair down and boogie to top-10 hits through the decades, though it favors the ’60s and ’80s. It’s free to enter for both boys and girls most nights unless there’s a party going on, which is rare. Enjoy a cheap imperial (draft beer) and songs you know every word to and just dance your fanny off. Check out your moves on one of the dodgy mirrored walls, if you can see through the charming film of muck. The dance floor itself is small, so if more than 15 people are inside this dive, there isn’t much room to turn your head, let alone do the hustle or electric slide. But hey, give it a try anyway. You’ll be pleasantly knackered when you stumble out.
Oslo
Rua Nova do Carvalho, 17
213 426 312
Daily, 21h – 4h
A yellowed Axl Rose poster welcomes you in the door with pop music blasting out into the street from this aging dance joint. The holes in the bar stool upholstery have come from decades of wear and tear under the tushes of sailors and scallywags looking to boogie. The cocktail prices are the only thing that has changed since the ’80s, but not by much — guys and girls of all ages have been going here to dance dirty on the black-and-white tiles since its inception. Go in to grind to old favorites, have a laugh at the shower in the bathroom, or just ogle the least Nordic bartenders in town as the oldest of them puffs on a stale Ventil cigarette and pours you an halvliter (imperial).
Viking
Rua Nova do Carvalho, 7
213 426 468
Mon – Sat, 23h – 6h
Admittedly, this spot isn’t named after a port of call, but you probably wouldn’t want to tell that to a Viking. Whether you’re here for the spanking (really!) or just to jam out to old-school pop, rock, and modern top hits, you’ll be surrounded by lots of youngsters and bachelor party types all there to dance, or, in Old Norse speak, danzleikr — but don’t let that stop you from going. It’s a great place to get your second wind and grab a cheap beer, because the spirited vibe on the dance floor is contagious. Even the least boogie-prone will undoubtedly shake what their mama gave ’em. It gets especially packed around 1h and 3h while people await the topless show, so be sure to get in a little bit early to grab a spot up front, otherwise your view will be blocked by swarms of swaying spectators.
