Three Day In….Lisbon

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Visit: August 2019

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Portugal is on the cusp of being the next hot spot in Europe.

After decades of political strife, Portugal became a democracy in the 1970s and was an early member of the European Union. The years leading up to this had been hard on the Portuguese economy, with isolationist trade practices and too much central control of resources. The Portuguese got a little too spend-happy in the 1990’s as the European Union started to really take shape and the launch of the Euro. Unfortunately, the recessions of 2001 and 2009 really hit Portugal hard, as the bankers and Portuguese politicians implemented some harsh austerity measures to meet the EU fiscal responsibility demands.

Only now is Portugal really coming out of this long recession, and only now are Portuguese citizens who left to pursue jobs elsewhere, starting to come home to help rebuild this amazing country. Unemployment is still high, but it’s getting better each year. At Four Star Life, we believe that Portugal is on the cusp of making a real comeback and we were excited to spend a week or so there on our last European trip.

Our first stop was Lisbon, which is both the capitol and the largest city on Portugal. The city has been shaped by many forces over the years, but none so much as the earthquake/tsunami of 1755. Geologists and historians estimate the earthquake to have been a magnitude of between 8.5 and 9.0 on the Richter scale, leading to the devastation of many homes and buildings. To add insult to injury, many people fled their crumbling homes for the safety of the port area along the water, only to be hit with a tsunami caused by the earthquake! On top of THAT, other survivors went to churches to light candles, which started a fire, burning down part of what was left of the city. A bad day to say the least!

These events led to a few distinct features of the city: (1) most of the older buildings are centralized in the Alfama district, which is built on more solid stone than most of the rest of the city (so less earthquake damage) (2) because the destruction was so wide spread, much of the city was (re)built in the 1750s and 1760s, giving is a very unique and consistent architectural style and (3) cost of the reconstruction was very high, so the king at the time directed that the architecture be simple and function, which led to a lot of clever work-arounds to decorate homes, including the use of tile.

Like most European capitals, the best neighborhoods for sites and hotels are in the city center/older parts of the city. In the case of Lisbon, this would be the Alfama, Bairro Alta, Principe Real, Baixa and Chiado neighborhoods. This includes the main shopping district along Avenida de Liberdade. Our favorite of these was Alfama: old buildings, close to the water, lots of winding streets and cobblestone – a perfect little neighborhood to explore and enjoy.  

We arrived in Lisbon in the early afternoon on a Monday. Ubers are super-cheap in Portugal, so we grabbed one and headed to our hotel, the Memmo Alfama. The hotel is centrally located in the Alfama district and is unique in that it has a roof deck. Permission to build a roof deck or terrace is rarely given, but the Memmo is located next to an ancient wall that needed to be preserved, and the owners of the hotel agreed to fund the restoration in exchange for permission.

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We are only in Lisbon for three days, so we wanted to make the most of it. Our first stop is lunch. Alfama has lots of little cafés and restaurants and we found a great little one, “Le Petit Café” right across the street from our hotel, and split a baked goat cheese salad, grilled fish and spaghetti bolognese (with some wine, of course). From lunch we headed straight out to see the sites.

The street that our hotel is on is the same main road that the famous Tram 28 runs along. This iconic yellow street-car runs through various neighborhoods in Lisbon, giving travellers (mostly tourists) a view of the city and a flavor for the different neighborhoods. Getting on can be a pain though, and is best done at either terminus. We opted instead to walk for a bit, stopping in at St. Mary’s Cathedral, before heading down the hill, along the tiled & cobblestoned streets, toward the water and a visit to Time Out Lisbon, an open market with lots of food stalls, vendors, and shops, all housed in a giant warehouse structure. Definitely a great place to see what Lisbon is all about and to grab a bite, especially the Pasteis de Nata.

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From Time Out, we walked along the water, through the Praça do Comerico (a main square that use to be a royal residence and later became a commerce center) and then back up the hill, through the Baixa neighborhood, before heading back to the hotel. After a little nap and a couple of cocktails, we were off to dinner at “Restaurante Sacramento” for some traditional Portugese cuisine and then a night-cap back at the hotel, taking full advantage of Memmo Alfama’s beautiful and unique rooftop bar.

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Day two in the Lisbon area started early with breakfast at the hotel and then a short Uber to one of the two main stations, were we are catching our train to the hill-side town of Sintra. Sintra holds a special place in Portugese history, as it has a unique geography that is both strategic (high look outs in many directions – great for defenses back in the day) and temperate (temperatures tend to be more moderate than sea-side Lisbon). Initially inhabited hundreds of years ago by Moorish invaders, Sintra later became the favored get-away spot for Portuguese royalty and rich merchants. Today it’s is mostly a tourist town, but for good reason, as there is a lot to see.

Our first step was to get a guide and a ride. This was easy, as there are dozens of tuk-tuks right by the Sintra train station, and all of the drivers spoke English and were also tour guides. We chatted with a driver/guide, told her what we wanted to see and how long we wanted to tour around, negotiated a price and off we went! The first thing you see, located right in the heart of Sintra, is the National Palace. Although it’s now just a museaum, it used to be the favored residence of the royal family in the 15th – 19th centuries. Our guide told us the inside is just okay, but the exterior, which is a mix of medieval, gothic and Arabic architecture is the something to see. From there, we headed up the hill to get a view of the Moorish Castle. Again, this site is best viewed from the outside, as it isn’t (and never was) inhabited. It was used as a look out site for hundreds of years and has views of the mountains, valleys and ocean, making it a key location for strategic defenses, historically. The final view on the way up the hill is the Pena Palace, another royal residence in years past, situtated atop a hill in the Sintra Mountains. Of the three castles/palaces, this is the most interesting, the most visited and definitely the most colorful.

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Per our guide’s advice, we bought our tickets to the Pena Palace at the “side entrance” at the bottom of the property, and then she shuttled us up the “main entrance”. From there, it’s just a short walk up to the Palace, with full access to the exterior and gardens. An additional ticket can be purchased for entrance into the Palace itself, but the lines were insanely long, so we opted for just walking around the outer walls, turets and grounds.

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After touring around the Palace, we headed back into the town of Sintra, paid our guide and grabbed a bite at one of the local restaurants. The last thing on our to-do list was to visit the Quinta de Regaleira, an old residence of “Monteiro the Millionaire”, a rich Portugese merchant in the 1800s. The grounds are a maze of gardens, tiny castles and turets, secret wells for secret rituals, rocky grottoes, and a luxurious (by 1800s standards) residence for the family. The most popular single spot on the property is the Initiation Well. You can walk down to the bottom and out through a side exit, but the line is always long, so it’s easier to snap a pic from above and call it a day!

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From Quinta de Regaleira, we headed back the train, back to Lisbon, and back to the hotel to rest. For dinner tonight, we headed to another local favorite, Tapisco. While we waited for our table, we had a couple of drinks at their “window bar” facing the street and admired the architecture, the colorful buildings and the setting sun. Once we sat for dinner, we were not disappointed. The highlight was their bachalau (cod fish) with egg yolk. Rich, creamy, flavorful. Highly recommended. After dinner, it was off to bed to get ready for our last day in Lisbon.

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Day three started early. We had to pack up to get ready to check out and head to our next destination, but first we needed to hit the last two things on our checklist: a walking tour of Alfama, and lunch at Belcanto.

We started with the walking tour. The hotel, Memmo Alfama, provided the guide for any hotel guest who wanted to attend. The vast majority of the guests spoke English, so the whole tour was in English. As we walked through the cobbled streets and up one hill and down another, our guide gave us a history lesson about Portugal, Lisbon and some details about how Alfama is different than the rest of the city. Part of that is the geology (see intro section above), but also just in it’s history and vibe. The hilly terrain makes for beautiful court yards and views; musicians sit under giant bougainvilleas playing for change; old ladies sit on park benches watching the world go by. This was a great way to learn about the neighborhood, the overall history, the unique architecture (and tile work), and a great way to get a little exercise to start the day!

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After the tour, we were “dropped” back at the hotel to finish packing, and head to our last stop, Belcanto Restaurant. Ranked amongst the “50 Best Restaurants in the World” this was an experience in itself. Please see our review for Belcanto in our “Epic Meals” section. Here are a few photos to whet the appetite.

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After lunch, we had a couple of hours to kill and walked around the Avenida Liberdade, where a lot of the high-end hotels and shopping are located. Although we didn’t buy much, we did note that prices here for luxury items are lower than those in the States, plus you can get a VAT refund on some items, making it even cheaper. That’s a wrap on Lisbon. Our last stop was the train station, to take us to our next destination, the Algarve Coast.

Where to stay

Note: Hotel prices in Lisbon fluctuate quite a bit depending on the time of year and how far out you book. Keep an eye out for deals at top-rated hotels! Prices below are directional for peak season.

Memmo Alfama ($200-$300) (Tv. Merceeiras 27, 1100-348 Lisboa, Portugal)

The hotel we stayed at during our trip. (memmohotels.com/alfama). Located in our favorite neighborhood in Lisbon, Alfama. Newly renovated, charming, boutique hotel with a gorgeous roof deck and small dipping pool. Rooms are small, as you’d expect, but location is perfect.

• General Rating:  79 points (Great)
• Four Star Rating: 80 points (Exceptional)
• Notes: Our favorite of the group due to location and general vibes

Memmo Principe Real (Marriott) ($300 – $400) (Rua Dom Pedro V, 56 J, 1250-094 Lisboa, Portugal)

Recommended by trusted friends. (memmohotels.com/principereal or Marriott.com). Good location in the one of the older parts of the city, this is a great choice for people trying to collect or use Marriott Bonvoy points.

• General Rating: 79 points (Great)
• Four Star Rating: 72 points (Great)
• Notes: Price is a little steep, but not so much as to bump it down a category

Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa ($250 -$350) (Av. da Liberdade 185, 1269-050 Lisboa, Portugal)

Recommended by trusted friends (nh-hotels.com/Lisbon/Avda-Liberdade). Located along the main street of Avenida Liberdade, this hotel offers all of the amenities of a resort, but with a good city-centric location. Not as charming as a boutique, but has it all.

• General Rating: 81 points (Exceptional)
• Four Star Rating: 79 points (Great)
• Notes: Bumped down due to price

Sofitel Lisbon ($150-$250) (Av. da Liberdade 127, 1269-038 Lisboa, Portugal).

Recommended by trusted friends (sofitel-lisbon-liberdade.com/en/). Part of the Accor Hotel Group and located along Avenida Liderdade, as well. A little bit dated in terms of style, but a great back for the buck if you can find the right dates.

• General Rating: 78 points (Great)
• Four Star Rating: 82 points (Exceptional)
• Notes: Bumped up due to very low prices for some peak travel dates

Where to eat:

• Belcanto – Part of our “Epic Meals” section. One of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants”. (R. Serpa Pinto 10A, 1200-026 Lisboa, Portugal) (belcanto.pt)
• Restaurante Sacramento – Traditional Portuguese cuisine. (Calçada do Sacramento 40 a 46, 1200-394 Lisboa, Portugal) (tablegroup.pt)
• Tapisco – Great neighborhood place. Bit of a wait, but worth it. Amazing bacalhau (cod fish). (R. Dom Pedro V 80, 1250-096 Lisboa, Portugal) (tapisco.pt)
• Time Out Lisbon – Marketplace with lots of food stalls. (Av. 24 de Julho 49, 1200-479 Lisboa, Portugal) (timeoutmarket.com)
• Le Petit Café – Alfama neighborhood joint. Good for lunch if you are in the area. Largo de São Martinho 6, 1100-537 Lisboa, Portugal) (lepetitcaferesto.wix.com)
• Cervejaria Ramiro – Highly recommended by trusted friends. Seafood-centric menu (Av. Alm. Reis nº1 – H, 1150-007 Lisboa, Portugal) (cervejariaramiro.pt/)
• Loco – Recommended by trusted friends. New rising star, competing with Belcanto. (R. Navegantes 53, 1200-830 Lisboa, Portugal) (loco.pt)
• Guilty by Oliver – Recommended by trusted friends. Hot spot for celebrities, like soccer player and television hosts. Go on the weekend for the best crowds. (R. Barata Salgueiro 28 A, 1250-044 Lisboa, Portugal) (restauranteguilty.pt)
• Pasteis de Belem – The most famous place for Pasteis de Nata (custard tarts), although you can get them lots of places throughout Portugal. (R. de Belém 84-92, 1300-085 Lisboa, Portugal) (pasteisdebelem.pt) Other top attractions • Day trip to Sintra • Ride the #28 Tram • Castelo Sao Jorge • Museo Nacional do Azulejo (Tile Museum) • National museum? • Alfama Walking Tour • Luxury shopping (cheaper than the US + VAT refund)

Other top attractions

• Day trip to Sintra
• Ride the #28 Tram
• Castelo Sao Jorge
• St. Mary’s Cathedral
• Museo Nacional do Azulejo (Tile Museum)
• Alfama Walking Tour
• Luxury shopping (cheaper than the US + VAT refund)