Lisbon, known as Lisboa to locals, is Portugal’s biggest city and is full of history, culture and a bustling food scene. Full of trendy restaurants, you will find many delicious spots to eat all over the city. We only got to spend a few days in Lisbon, but here are some of our favorite places to eat and things to do.
WHAT TO DO
*Hop onto Tram 28. These are those iconic yellow trams that always show up when you think about Lisbon. The tram route 28 goes through the heart of Lisbon and is a cheap way to see the whole city (3€). It can get crowded, so if you want to catch a good window seat consider getting on at the Martim Moniz tram stop. $
*Walk around Alfama district for a nice feel of old town Portugal. Get lost in the city’s oldest neighborhood as you navigate the romantic alleyways, stairs and courtyards.
Check out the grand Praça do Comércio, a large quintessential Lisbon plaza facing the harbor. Lots of hustle bustle with a central location.
*Miradouro da Senhora do Monte has an amazing viewpoint of Lisbon. You can either get here via Tram 28 or get a little cardio in and walk up the side streets and alleys. The walk up is super cute.
Go out to Bairro Alto district for drinks, food and music. This area really comes to life in the evenings.
Check out Castelo de São Jorge, a hilltop Moorish castle with ruins for some old Portuguese empire feels.
*Walk through the famous Arco da Rua Augusta into the big city plaza Praça do Comérçio. This is quintessential Lisboa.
Wander along Rua Augusta, a cute street full of shopping and restaurants.
For more recommendations of what to do in Lisbon, check out these travel guides:
Lonely Planet: The best things you can do for free in Lisbon
Travel + Leisure: Lisbon Travel Guide
WHERE TO EAT
*Taberna da Rua das Flores – Delicious petiscos (tapas) restaurant with a menu that changes daily. Very popular. Come on an off day if you can. You may need to leave your name and wait, but it is WORTH IT. Everything we tried was EXCEPTIONAL with decent pricing and wonderful staff. We tried to come here a second time but it is closed on Sundays. 10/10, definitely check out if you can. Some vegetarian options. $$
Check out the Time Out Market Lisboa to get a taste of many of Portugals’s best chefs curated and brought together by Time Out magazine. Our favorite pastel de natas from Manteigaria are there (we even took some gift boxes for our families which traveled decently well). We had a meringue cake and a rich banana cheesecake at Nós é Mais Bolos. Look for the ricotta cheese flan and eclairs. Nice place to come and try dishes from many of Portugal’s big names in one place. $
Jacaré – For great vegetarian options check out Jacaré located in the food court on top of El Corte Inglês, a massive mall with loads of tasty restaurants and rooftop dining. José Avillez is one of Portugal’s celebrity chefs and he named this restaurant after the alligator to reflect the omnivorous menu. The mushroom risotto and vegan moqueca (traditional Brazilian seafood stew) were both excellent. Lots of dessert and other dining options in the food court as well. $
*O Botanista is one of our new favorite restaurants in the world. It was so delicious we ate there twice… in the same day! We are always on the lookout for exceptional plant-based and health-conscious food that is also tasty… and this spot nailed it! Made by the proprietors of AO26 (the original vegetarian restaurant in Lisbon) the food was beautiful, unique and of excellent quality. We started off breakfast with the lemon-curd blueberry pancakes and the Rowlotini (probably our favorite dish of the day). Definitely get the gyosas appetizer, you will not regret it. The kombucha is homemade and you can get a fun sampler for 5€. For dinner, we came back and had the gyosas (again), the Bosque (light and refreshing) and the Norte bruschetta (mmmm). The vinho Espumante, a sparkling wine made with Elderflower liqueur, was unique and refreshing as well. Service was excellent. 10/10 $
Frutaria Cafe – A popular place for brunch with lots of healthy options and a cute atmosphere! Try their pineapple mint juice. Right across the street from Rodamon Lisboa. $
Vegan Nata Chiado – If you are vegan but want to try Portugal’s famous egg custard tarts (pastel de nata) look no further! This place is pretty popular, by the time we arrived they were all sold out for the day, so we are assuming they must be pretty damn good. $
For more recommendations on what to try and where to eat in Lisbon, check out this guide by Lonely Planet: A food lover’s guide to Lisbon.
WHERE TO STAY
Rodamon Lisboa – A very inexpensive hostel that feels more like a boutique hotel. Great location, helpful staff and the site even has a cafe and bar. Good option if you are trying to save some money but still want to stay in a central location. $
MORE INFORMATION
For more information on how to get around, health/safety, COVID rules, money/tipping and some Portuguese travel phrases, check out our Portugal General Tips. Check out our travel guide on Porto and Gaia too! Watch our Portugal drone video here for more inspiration.
MAP
Here is a Google map with all of our Lisbon recommendations. You can also access it for free here.
