Expertly prepared cocktails in a classy setting
€€€
Rua das Trinas, 25
Madragoa
+351 214 043 703, website
Mon, closed; Tue – Sat, 19h – 2h; Sun, closed
This little gem of a bar serves one of the best martinis in the entire country, every time, and has a rotating collection of gins but also carries all the classics that old-schoolers prefer. Matiz Pombalina, run by Carlos, sits in a meticulously restored space with exposed stone arches, with a perfect stereo set-up. But this isn’t a discotheque — talking, or plotting, is the thing here, and drawing on napkins. Carlos and his staff treat customers as guests: they’ll leave you alone if you’d rather brood into your cocktail glass, but they’ll happily step away from their duties to talk martinis, travel, and all things Lisbon. They’re also some of the best people to go to for restaurant recommendations, particularly in Santos and adjacent Madragoa, both neighborhoods where dining hasn’t taken on the high-profile commercial aspect currently choking Baixa Chiado.
