Lisbon City Guide

My first visit to Lisbon and it’s definitely not going to be my last, what an incredible place. Lisbon is such a beautiful city from its colourful tiles and pretty cobbled streets. We spent hours wandering around and of course eating all the food along the way. I hope these tips help you if you’re planning to visit.

We flew from Copenhagen to Lisbon which was really easy, flights are frequent from most places in the UK and European cities. We had planned to spend four nights in Portugal. Every new city I travel to I always use city mapper for public transport options, it’s the ultimate transport app. We opted for a Bolt taxi from our transfer from the airport and used it a couple of times when travelling slightly further out of the centre.

Where To Stay

We stayed at GS Chiado Boutique studios, we would 100% stay here again and recommend to any of you visiting. I’ve linked it here, we booked via booking.com. The location was in the centre of the city and the studio itself was spacious and loved the stylish interiors.

Where To Eat

Ok, where do I even start here? The food is unreal and every meal was just as good as the last. If there’s one place you eat whilst you’re in Lisbon, make sure you have lunch or dinner at Cervejaria Ramiro. It’s a family-run restaurant known for serving some of the city’s very best seafood. Ramiro has become extremely popular so be prepared for a long wait, try to avoid peak times. We went around 15.30 pm and waited around 40 minutes. Grab a ticket from the machine and they will call out your number when your table is ready. They’ve got a well-organised system. They have a beer vending machine whilst you wait, such a genius idea!

To start, they bring out the most delicious warm, buttery bread. We followed with clams and prawns in garlic, tiger prawns and some Jamon serrano. Everything was phenomenal. For dessert, it’s traditional to finish off a meal with a prego ( a steak sandwich with mustard), of course, we did.

Go here for one reason, and one reason only; the chocolate cake. The Landeau serves up the lightest chocolatey cake. So delicious!

During the day we tended to drop into more casual dining spots. One of them being Time Out Market. it has brought together some of Lisbon’s best shops and foodie places under one roof. The cod cakes/fritters are worth ordering here washed down with a nice glass of vino. You also have to try the tinned sardines, there were so many different variations. I’m still undecided whether I actually like them.

Loved the platter-style breakfast at Wish Slow Coffee House, located in the LX Factory. This was the perfect place to start one of our days in Lisbon. Pastéis de Nata’s, Portugal’s most delicious sweet treat. A caramelized custard tart with flaky golden brown puff pastry. They really are the best! You can get these all over the city, we’d been recommended Pastéis de Belém and Manteigaria. I prefered Manteigaria out of the two, the tarts were a little sweeter. If you’re after a good brunch, stop by Zenith for breakfast, cocktails and good coffee. I spent my birthday morning here and it was such a good find! For good wine and cheese stop by at The Old Pharmacy.

What To Do

Take a trip to Belem – from the centre of Lisbon, it’s around 15 minutes by cab. Discover the place where the famous Portuguese custard tart was created in the 1800s. You’ll have to queue but it’s totally worth it. They come out warm and with a sachet of cinnamon to pop on top. It’s a lovely area to walk around, the buildings and architecture are stunning.

Have a wander around the LX Factory – it’s a great place to stop on the way back from Belem. It’s a converted warehouse full of independent boutiques and restaurants.

Check out the Viewpoint from Miradouro de Santa Luzia – where you’ll find amazing views of the city situated on a romantic terrace. On a beautiful day like we had it was stunning. We spent a couple of hours here, it was so relaxing and a guitarist and singer were playing.

Can’t wait to return to Lisbon at some point, in the summer next time for sure. Let me know in the comments if you’ve been to Lisbon or thinking of planning a trip. G xx

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2 Comments

  1. Avatar
    Olivia
    January 16, 2020 / 4:58 pm

    I’ve been looking forward to reading this! I’m off to Lisbon next week! And I can’t wait to try out your suggestions! Thank you! 🙂

    • Avatar
      Gem x
      Author
      January 17, 2020 / 5:22 pm

      I’m so glad to hear that. I hope you have a really lovely time! x

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