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Lisbon is a relatively compact city for its size, and despite the seven hills, it is easy to get around. If you have just arrived, I recommend losing yourself in the historical Bairro Alto neighborhood, which faces the Tagus river. Sip a ginjinha cherry liqueur as you listen to live fado music. Or begin up at São Jorge Castle, where there are panoramic views of the iconic red rooftops and sea.
FROM DAY TO NIGHT
Lisbon is a relatively compact city for its size, and despite the seven hills, it is easy to get around. If you have just arrived, I recommend losing yourself in the historical Bairro Alto neighborhood, which faces the Tagus river. Sip a ginjinha cherry liqueur as you listen to live fado music. Or begin up at São Jorge Castle, where there are panoramic views of the iconic red rooftops and sea.
Image credit: iStock; Bastille square Paris France Sunny day Winter
Image credit: Shutterstock
NEIGHBORHOODS
Image credit: Shutterstock
The city boasts many world-renowned restaurants and you are spoiled for choice. I like to go for pre-dinner drinks at one of the many rooftop bars. For something a bit different, you could catch a boat taxi to the Amarra Ó Tejo or Ponto Final waterfront restaurants, where you will be able to look across at Lisbon from the other side of the river.
Javá is a good choice for Mediterranean food with plenty of vegetarian options. This is located near the Time Out Market, where there are also lots of good bars. Or, if you want to sample the local specialty of steak à marrare, head to the fashionable Restaurante Brilhante.
I also like Gambrinus in the theater district, where you can sit in the balcony and enjoy lots of small sharing plates like croquettes. One of our hotel restaurants is the Rossio Gastrobar, where the kitchen team is headed by chef João Correia. You can dine on the seventh floor overlooking Rossio square, the castle, and the river lit up below.
EAT AND DRINK
Image credit: Shutterstock
As well as all of the department stores and global brands located on Lisbon’s own Champs-Élysées, the Avenida Liberdade, you can head to EmbaiXada for top designers that are only found in Lisbon. This shopping center, which looks like a small palace, features bespoke tailoring for men, women, and children.
If markets are your thing, the main square in the Príncipe Real neighborhood has regular markets on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, where you can pick up local fruits, honey, and bread one day and books or antique toys the next. There are also many Portuguese boutiques that celebrate the country’s textile heritage.
Shop
Image credit: Shutterstock
The EmbaiXada and Príncipe Real districts are filled with museums and art galleries. Inside the gardens and connecting streets of Escola Politécnica (National History Museum), there are summer and winter markets. This is a lovely place to take a stroll and buy some treasures from the small stores. It is also a very LGBTQIA+- friendly part of town.
In 2024, Lisbon will host several international music festivals, including Rock in Rio, NOS Alive, and Super Bock Super Rock. These will bring tourists and locals together to soak up the rhythm and flair of the city.
Lisbon is within easy reach of a day trip to the beach. You can take a short train ride or drive 20 minutes by car to arrive at beautiful beaches. My favorite place to catch the sunset is at one of the many beach bars.
I can’t wait to welcome you.
EXPLORE
Image credit: Shutterstock
Lisbon enjoys weekend festivals and a cultural program that runs year-round with concerts and performances from our national ballet and orchestras. We are all trying to live healthier lives; I think the pandemic made us think more about what we eat and exercising. On the weekends, I like to take long strolls along the waterfront. There is a long stretch between the Cascais beaches and the Expo area, where people walk, jog, and roller-skate.
On the outskirts of the city are mountains for trekking adventures and the sea for watersports. Sustainability is very important in hospitality, and Lisbon wants to lead the way in being a green city. I, for one, have noticed more of us cutting back on plastic water bottles in favor of reusable items while out on our excursions.
There are always new things to discover here. These could be better described as “sight-feeling” rather than “sightseeing,” as being in the city is an immersive, multisensory experience.
EXPLORE
Image credit: Shutterstock
Portuguese shoemaking is world-famous, and visitors stock up on handcrafted designs when in town. In the Commerce District (Praça do Comércio), many of the streets retain their original names denoting craft traditions such as “shoemaking street.” Here, you can also buy homewear products and jewelry made from cork, which is something uniquely Portuguese. This area is magical at Christmastime, when there are bright lights and colorful decorations.
Shop
Image credit: Shutterstock
Portuguese cuisine is heavily influenced by colonial trading with Indo-Asian and African countries. The result is a fusion of spices and flavors. This, combined with a gastronomic revolution in recent years, has elevated our contemporary dining to new levels. However, salted cod fish is still the main dish and we must have 1,001 ways to serve it. For an excellent fish restaurant, I recommend Sud, which serves Mediterranean dishes on the riverfront.
For something a bit different, the LX Factory is a renovated, post-industrial area. Once an empty warehouse, it has been regenerated into a lively hub for pop-up eateries, bars, and clubs, which attracts a hip crowd. Locals also head off the beaten track to the Expo area of the city. There is a rooftop bar on the side of the Vasco da Gama tower (next to our own MYRIAD by SANA hotel), which is a viewing platform during the day and then a dining spot after 6 p.m.
EAT AND DRINK
Image credit: Shutterstock
It’s only about 25 minutes from the airport to any of the city-center hotels, and once unpacked, you can move between neighborhoods quite quickly – at least when walking downhill. The city has North African heritage, and you can still see some fascinating Arabic architecture in the Alfama district downtown.
No visit is complete without treating yourself to a pastéis de Belém, one of the egg custard tarts – it takes its name from the Belém district. The Torre de Belém also served as a point of arrival and departure for Portuguese explorers and as the ceremonial gateway to the city.
You could also travel north of the city to Sintra. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a beautiful hilltop town where the medieval monastery invented sweet delicacies such as travesseiro and queijadas de Sintra.
NEIGHBORHOODS
Ricardo Furtado of Altis Hotels was born and bred in Lisbon. He loves to share the city’s hidden gems with guests.
The city boasts many world-renowned restaurants and you are spoiled for choice. I like to go for pre-dinner drinks at one of the many rooftop bars. For something a bit different, you could catch a boat taxi to the Amarra Ó Tejo or Ponto Final waterfront restaurants, where you will be able to look across at Lisbon from the other side of the river.
Javá is a good choice for Mediterranean food with plenty of vegetarian options. This is located near the Time Out Market, where there are also lots of good bars. Or, if you want to sample the local specialty of steak à marrare, head to the fashionable Restaurante Brilhante.
I also like Gambrinus in the theater district, where you can sit in the balcony and enjoy lots of small sharing plates like croquettes. One of our hotel restaurants is the Rossio Gastrobar, where the kitchen team is headed by chef João Correia. You can dine on the seventh floor overlooking Rossio square, the castle, and the river lit up below.
Image credit: Shutterstock
NEIGHBORHOODS
As well as all of the department stores and global brands located on Lisbon’s own Champs-Élysées, the Avenida Liberdade, you can head to EmbaiXada for top designers that are only found in Lisbon. This shopping center, which looks like a small palace, features bespoke tailoring for men, women, and children.
If markets are your thing, the main square in the Príncipe Real neighborhood has regular markets on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, where you can pick up local fruits, honey, and bread one day and books or antique toys the next. There are also many Portuguese boutiques that celebrate the country’s textile heritage.
Image credit: Shutterstock
EAT AND DRINK
The EmbaiXada and Príncipe Real districts are filled with museums and art galleries. Inside the gardens and connecting streets of Escola Politécnica (National History Museum), there are summer and winter markets. This is a lovely place to take a stroll and buy some treasures from the small stores. It is also a very LGBTQIA+- friendly part of town.
In 2024, Lisbon will host several international music festivals, including Rock in Rio, NOS Alive, and Super Bock Super Rock. These will bring tourists and locals together to soak up the rhythm and flair of the city.
Lisbon is within easy reach of a day trip to the beach. You can take a short train ride or drive 20 minutes by car to arrive at beautiful beaches. My favorite place to catch the sunset is at one of the many beach bars.
I can’t wait to welcome you.
Image credit: Shutterstock
SHOP
Lisbon enjoys weekend festivals and a cultural program that runs year-round with concerts and performances from our national ballet and orchestras. We are all trying to live healthier lives; I think the pandemic made us think more about what we eat and exercising. On the weekends, I like to take long strolls along the waterfront. There is a long stretch between the Cascais beaches and the Expo area, where people walk, jog, and roller-skate.
On the outskirts of the city are mountains for trekking adventures and the sea for watersports. Sustainability is very important in hospitality, and Lisbon wants to lead the way in being a green city. I, for one, have noticed more of us cutting back on plastic water bottles in favor of reusable items while out on our excursions.
There are always new things to discover here. These could be better described as “sight-feeling” rather than “sightseeing,” as being in the city is an immersive, multisensory experience
Image credit: Shutterstock
EXPLORE
Portuguese shoemaking is world-famous, and visitors stock up on handcrafted designs when in town. In the Commerce District (Praça do Comércio), many of the streets retain their original names denoting craft traditions such as “shoemaking street.” Here, you can also buy homewear products and jewelry made from cork, which is something uniquely Portuguese. This area is magical at Christmastime, when there are bright lights and colorful decorations.
Image credit: Shutterstock
SHOP
Portuguese cuisine is heavily influenced by colonial trading with Indo-Asian and African countries. The result is a fusion of spices and flavors. This, combined with a gastronomic revolution in recent years, has elevated our contemporary dining to new levels. However, salted cod fish is still the main dish and we must have 1,001 ways to serve it. For an excellent fish restaurant, I recommend Sud, which serves Mediterranean dishes on the riverfront.
For something a bit different, the LX Factory is a renovated, post-industrial area. Once an empty warehouse, it has been regenerated into a lively hub for pop-up eateries, bars, and clubs, which attracts a young, hip crowd. There is a rooftop bar on the side of the Vasco da Gama tower (next to our own MYRIAD by SANA hotel), which is a viewing platform during the day and then a dining spot after 6 p.m.
Image credit: Shutterstock
EAT AND DRINK
It’s only about 25 minutes from the airport to any of the city-center hotels, and once unpacked, you can move between neighborhoods quite quickly – at least when walking downhill. The city has North African heritage, and you can still see some fascinating Arabic architecture in the Alfama district downtown.
No visit is complete without treating yourself to a pastéis de Belém, one of the egg custard tarts – it takes its name from the Belém district. The Torre de Belém also served as a point of arrival and departure for Portuguese explorers and as the ceremonial gateway to the city.
You could also travel north of the city to Sintra. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a beautiful hilltop town where the medieval monastery invented sweet delicacies such as travesseiro and queijadas de Sintra.
Image credit: Shutterstock
NEIGHBORHOODS
Paulo Monge of SANA Hotels has lived most of his adult life in the Portuguese capital, and describes himself as a true “Alfacinha,” or Lisbonite.
Paulo Monge of SANA Hotels has lived most of his adult life in the Portuguese capital, and describes himself as a true “Alfacinha,” or Lisbonite.
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LITTLE BLACK BOOK
Begin up at São Jorge Castlewhere there are panoramic views of the iconic red rooftops and sea
No visit is complete without treating yourself to a pastéis de Belém
No visit is complete without treating yourself to a
pastéis de Belém
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