Recommendations for Lisbon

jrar · 23-02-2020 10:37pm #1

Heading to Lisbon next month with the missus for 4 days - have a rough idea of the city from previous visits but last time there was early 2000's

Not sure whether we're going hotel or Air BnB route but wanted to get some input on best area to stay in ? We're north of 50 so club scene not a requirement but we do like good food, good boozers etc. - anywhere that offers good choice of those coupled with daytime strolling/sightseeing/shopping ?

Thanks

JohnCleary · 24-02-2020 1:47pm

We have stayed in a private room ensuite at Travellers Inn twice. Suited us perfectly.

Everything from well behaved school tours, to families with young kids to to a couple in their 70s.

We loved the location, walked everywhere.

marieky21 · 24-02-2020 2:07pm

We visited two years ago and stayed here it was lovely very central everything in walking distance. Host was very nice and on hand with tips for restaurants etc.

https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/plus/15144002?source_impression_id=p3_1582549485_7i%2Bc7eLqSapbODjP#modal

Fitz* · 24-02-2020 5:37pm

There's a cool rooftop bar, called rooftop park, on Calcada do Combro. Some class views of the city at night time. It's a decent cocktail bar type place but worth it for the views. You have to enter it through a multi-story car park which is kinda weird. It gets chilly up on the roof too.

Time Out Market is a large market type food hall. There are many different types of vendors selling street food & drink along the outer walls, with all the seating, and bars in the middle. You place your order wherever you want to eat from and they give you a buzzer when the food is ready and you collect and bring it to your table.

Bairro Alto area is basically one big bar with pubs coming out of every corner. This might not be your scene though.

We went on a day trip to Cascais beach for a day. It's only about an hour away on the very cheap train.

JohnCleary · 24-02-2020 6:16pm

FitzShane wrote: »

There's a cool rooftop bar, called rooftop park, on Calcada do Combro. Some class views of the city at night time. It's a decent cocktail bar type place but worth it for the views. You have to enter it through a multi-story car park which is kinda weird. It gets chilly up on the roof too.

Time Out Market is a large market type food hall. There are many different types of vendors selling street food & drink along the outer walls, with all the seating, and bars in the middle. You place your order wherever you want to eat from and they give you a buzzer when the food is ready and you collect and bring it to your table.

Bairro Alto area is basically one big bar with pubs coming out of every corner. This might not be your scene though.

We went on a day trip to Cascais beach for a day. It's only about an hour away on the very cheap train.

+1 to everything said above

jrar · 24-02-2020 9:20pm

Some great food/drink recommendations there folks, thanks for that

Yes, as I recall Bairro Alta reminded me of a hilly Temple Bar so we want to stay near there but not in it - looking at places now in Chiado and Principe Real

strangel00p · 24-02-2020 9:27pm

FitzShane wrote: »

Time Out Market is a large market type food hall. There are many different types of vendors selling street food & drink along the outer walls, with all the seating, and bars in the middle. You place your order wherever you want to eat from and they give you a buzzer when the food is ready and you collect and bring it to your table.

Bairro Alto area is basically one big bar with pubs coming out of every corner. This might not be your scene though.

Agree about Bairro Alto, it's chaos on Friday/Saturday night. Lots of drug dealers hanging around, but quite safe. A Portuguese version of Temple Bar - but not as good.. I don't personally recommend Timeout. Lovely food but difficult to find somewhere to sit and eat it. I'd walk down to Alfama and enjoy some of the restaurants down there, it's much nice than Bairro Alto. Definitely recommend Princpe Real, lovely coffee shops there and cheap restaurants.

Weepsie · 24-02-2020 9:38pm

Stay in alfama area. Loads of great restaurants and bars to suit all budgets, within walking distance of lots of places worth seeing, near 2 train stations, and taxis are dirt cheap in Lisbon too.

Pateo 13 is a place you should definitely eat in if you like fish. Always busy and they don't take reservations.

Brunch Cafe is great for well brunch/cafe. There a place nearby that does their take on tapas with loads of gins too.

Great city, loads to do.

Unshelved · 25-02-2020 10:07am

Some taxi drivers are absolute chancers in Lisbon. If you want to take a taxi from the airport, go upstairs from Arrivals to Departures and use the taxi rank there - that's what the locals do. Check with your hotel about how much a taxi should cost & ask the taxi driver for the fare price before you start your journey.

For transport around Lisbon, go to a metro station. Buy a green Viva Viagem card from a vending machine - it costs 50c. This can be topped up in vending machines or at tabac shops. It covers all transport in the Lisbon area - trams, metro, buses, transport to and from the airport and it includes some of the Elevadors.

Wear comfortable shoes - the city is very hilly and the cobblestones are not for stilettos!

Beware of pickpockets. While Lisbon is safe enough, theft is rife. I had my bag stolen off the back of my chair in a bar.

Try to see Benfica play in the Stadio de Luz - the atmosphere is fantastic.

This is only relevant if you’re flying with Ryanair, but if you are, you’ll be using Terminal 2 for your return flight. The terminal was built for Ryanair and Easyjet passengers only and it’s pretty bad – more like a bus station. There is a McDonalds and a coffee shop but it’s not great. The Duty Free is tiny so if you’re planning to buy anything, do it in Dublin before you go. Because we're not in Schengen Irish and British passengers have to go through passport control, which can take ages and be a bit nerve-wracking – we were afraid that we were going to miss our plane because the queue was so big. However, don’t be in a rush to go through passport control either because there’s nothing on the other side – not even a toilet.

raheny red · 25-02-2020 11:52am

Cantinho do Aziz restaurant, Mozambique / African cuisine. Perfect for lunch. Try their samosas and €2 bottles of Mozambique beer!

25-02-2020 2:03pm

Definitely visit this point

https://goo.gl/maps/VHLqzJs2tXS5zR27A

great outdoor area where you can get a drink (small outdoor bar) with a fantastic view down onto the water and a great buzz to it with free live music (if the sun is out - maybe not in March?) and great sunsets

miradouro-de-santa-catarina+-+TA+3-final.jpg?format=1500w

miradouro-de-santa-catarina+-+TA+3-final.jpg?format=1500w

that area in general is a brilliant area to stay in also as the buildings and streets are all quaint and atmospheric.

metro good to get around and uber is ridiculously cheap and quick to get one there we found - pretty much 1/3 to 1/2 the price of an Irish Taxi and of course you can't really get shafted on uber as it's through the app.

if you're going Ryanair the departure terminal is sh1t yes but ignore the advice about duty free - spirits for example are cheap at the airport if you don't have a checked-in bag to load up on.

Muahahaha · 25-02-2020 9:40pm

Take a ride on the no.28 tram, I could have spent all day just sitting on that enjoying it trundling up and down hills.

The Jeromino Monastery is worth a visit for the architecture. As is the Christ the Redeemer statue on the far side of the water, great views of the city from there.

25-02-2020 11:05pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

Take a ride on the no.28 tram, I could have spent all day just sitting on that enjoying it trundling up and down hills.

The Jeromino Monastery is worth a visit for the architecture. As is the Christ the Redeemer statue on the far side of the water, great views of the city from there.

yes it's decent but there's not a lot to see - pretty much effectively just the one thing with the arches and that's it. you're done in 30 minutes

the queues can be long so get there at opening time on the dot I would say.

elperello · 25-02-2020 11:17pm

Take the ferry across the river to Cacilhas.
Metro card works to pay.
Old heritage wooden ship to visit and they are restoring a submarine in the dock beside it.

ted1 · 25-02-2020 11:58pm

The aquarium is one of the better ones I’ve been too.

Visit a Fado pub, it’s the local trad music. Tasca De Chico is a good one.

The botanical gardens are nice

Recommendations for Lisbon

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