Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
Page 178
FLOR DA SÉ
Lg. de Santo António da Sé
PASTELARIA
218 87 57 42
This pastelaria is known throughout Lisbon for having the best pastries this side of Belém and for its cheap pratos do dia (around €5). Its location near the border between Alfama and Baixa makes it a good place to start or to end your tour of Alfama.
Take tram 28E to Sé, then walk back a block along the tracks toward Baixa; it’s on the left. Pratos do dia €4.50-5.50 Open M-F 7am-8pm, Su 7am-8pm.
CHURRASQUEIRA GAÚCHA
R. dos Bacalhoeiros, 26
GRILL
218 87 06 09
Great, traditional Portuguese fare in a simple but very large dining room. The meat and fish are displayed in a window on the street, so you can just walk by and pick what looks good.
From Baixa, follow R. do Comércio east (to the left as you face the water) until R. da Madalena, then slight right onto R. dos Bacalhoeiros. Main courses €7.50-14. Open M-Sa noon-midnight.
ÓH CALDAS
R. de São Mamede, 22
TRADITIONAL
218 87 57 11
This traditional restaurant has favorites like sardinhas assadas (grilled sardines; €6.50), alheira (smoked chicken sausage; €6), and an ever-changing three-course daily menu (€12). Its location on the scenic route between the Sé (cathedral) and the Castelo de São Jorge makes it a convenient Alfama stop.
From Baixa, follow R. da Conceiçao east toward Alfama (to left as you face the river), just past the Igreja da Madalena. Head left up Travessa d’Almada for 3 blocks, then left on R. de São Mamede. Daily menu €12. Open daily noon-4pm and 8pm-midnight.
NIGHTLIFE
Bairro Alto is one massive street party every night (even Sunday!) until 2am, and is where just about everyone in town starts their evening. Few people actually stay in the plethora of bars that line these narrow streets: you go into one of the places, get your massive beer or cocktail (generally about 9 parts alcohol and 1 part not), and take a seat on the sidewalk. Or, head to Parraxaxá convenience store and buy ice-cold liters of Super Bock for €2 each.
Bairro Alto
PORTAS LARGAS
R. da Atalaia, 105
BAR, MUSIC
213 46 63 79
This staple of the Bairro Alto scene has live music every night (sometimes really good, other times unfortunate covers of ’80s songs that are so bad they’re good) and some of the biggest, strongest caipirinhas and mojitos around (€4-6). It gets crowded inside, but you can enjoy the music and drinks just outside. Don’t expect to be able to loiter inside and enjoy the music without buying a drink.
Baixa-Chiado (Chiado exit). Bus #1, 202, 758, 590, or tram 28E. Walk up R. da Misericórdia 4 blocks from Pr. de Luís de Camões, then left for 5 blocks. Beer €2. Caipirinhas and mojitos €4. Open Oct-June M-Th 8pm-2am, F-Sa 8pm-3am, Su 8pm-2am; July-Sept M-Th 7pm-2am, F-Sa 7pm-3am, Su 7pm-2am.
BICA ABAIXO
R. da Bica de Duarte Belo, 62
BAR
213 47 70 14
This bar is located on the steep slope of the shiny silver Elevador da Bica funicular, just to the south of the center of Bairro Alto. It’s perfect for those making the trek down to the river or for those sick of Bairro Alto’s cheaply made drinks: the native Brazilians who own and run this small bar make the best caipirinhas (€3) in town, crushed and mashed and mixed together right in front of you.
Baixa-Chiado (Chiado exit) or tram 28E to Calhariz-Bica. From Pr. de Luís de Camões, follow R. do Loreto (far-right corner of plaza, with your back to the Metro station) 3 blocks, then turn left down R. da Bica de Duarte Belo; it’s on the left. Beer €1.50. Mixed drinks €3-4. Open daily 9pm-2am.
Alfama
LUX
Av. do Infante Dom Henrique
DISCOTECA
218 82 08 www.luxfragil.com
This club is known far and wide as one of the best clubs in Western Europe; Lisboans abroad will tell you that if you visit one discoteca in Lisbon, it has to be this one. The enormous riverside complex has three stories of debauchery. Chill on the calm rooftop with amazing views, start to get schwastey at a slightly more intense bar on the floor below that, then descend into the maelstrom on the lowest level to find a raging disco howling and shrieking with techno. The bouncers tend to be very selective, so just act cool and try to get on their good side by being polite and speaking Portuguese (even the most pathetic attempt at the difficult language is greatly appreciated, and it might even decrease your cover charge). Dress well—only wear jeans or sneakers if the jeans are super-skinny and the sneakers are canvas high-tops, since the stylin’ hipster look tends to play well.
Santa Apolónia, bus #12, 28, 34, 35, 206, 210, 706, 745, 759, 781, 782, 794. Just east of Santa Apolónia train station, on the side of the tracks closest to the river. Cover usually €12. Open Tu-Sa 11pm-6am.
GINJA D’ALFAMA
R. de São Pedro, 12
GINJINHA
Hidden in the heart of Alfama, this tiny hole-in-the-ancient-wall bar specializes in ginjinha, Lisbon’s native wild-cherry liqueur, and serves it up cheap and ice cold (€1). You can take it outside to the small tables around the corner, which are much cooler than the stifling bar itself. It’s a great place to start the night, serving sandwiches to carbo-load with before heading back out to hilly and confusing Alfama.
Bus #28, 35, 206, 210, 745, 759, 794. Walk down R. de São João da Praça, to right of Sé Cathedral as you’re facing it, and follow the same street (bear left at the fork 1 block past the cathedral) as it becomes R. de São Pedro; it’s a small store on the left side. Ginjinha €1. Sandwiches €1.50-2.50. Open M 9:30am-midnight, W-Su 9:30am-midnight.
RESTÔ
Costa do Castelo, 7
BAR, CIRCUS
218 86 73 34 www.chapito.org
This bar has amazing views over Alfama and the Tejo, though those are best enjoyed during the daytime. At night the outside patio comes alive with a carnival feel, and not without reason—it’s on the grounds of Chapitô, a government-funded clown school. On most evenings there are circus shows, with tightrope walkers and trapeze artists practicing aerial acrobatics over the party below. Check the schedule online to make sure you’re around for a show.
Bus #737 to Costa do Castelo. From Baixa, it’s a long walk uphill: follow R. da Conceiçao east toward Alfama (left as you face the river), past Igreja da Madalena, and up Travessa d’Almada to the left to R. de São Mamede. Go up the steep and windy Travessa da Mata, then left up Cç. do Conde de Penafiel to Costa do Castelo, then right. Beer €2. Cocktails €4-7. Open M-F noon-3pm and 7:30pm-1am, Sa-Su noon-1:30am.
Cais do Sodré, Santos, Alcântara, and Docas de Santo Amaro
Once the bars in Bairro Alto close, the party walks down R. do Alecrim to Cais do Sodré, where there are more than a dozen clubs. The area looks pretty unsavory 7am-2am, but the lines for the clubs stretch around the block for the other five hours. Many party enthusiasts then continue westward toward the 25 de Abril bridge, where the neighborhoods of Santos, Alcântara, and the newly redeveloped Docas de Santo Amaro have chic and exclusive clubs, like Op Art.
FADO
A mandatory experience for visitors, Lisbon’s trademark form of entertainment is the traditional fado, an art combining music, song, and narrative poetry. Its roots lie in the Alfama neighborhood, where women whose husbands had gone to sea would lament their fado (fate). Singers of fado traditionally dress in black and sing mournful tunes of lost love, uncertainty, and the famous feelings of saudade (to translate saudade as “loneliness” would be a gruesome understatement). Almost all fado houses are rather touristy, since not all that many Portuguese want to hear fado sung by anyone other than the beloved Amália Rodrigues. Expensive fado houses with mournfully high minimums include Cafe Luso (Tv. da Queimada, 10 213 42 22 81 www.cafeluso.pt $25 min. Open daily 7:30pm-2am.) and Adega Machado (R. do Norte, 91 213 22 46 40 €16 min. Open Tu-Su 8pm-2am.) The places listed below are free.
/>
VOSSEMECÊ
R. de Santo António da Sé, 18
ALFAMA
218 88 30 56
This fado joint, conveniently located near Baixa, is housed in a beautiful, if oddly shaped, stable; arched ceilings and heavy stone columns run farther than the eye can see into the darkness of the ground-level restaurant. The fadistas rotate, each singing a couple of songs ranging from lively and funny to mournful. There’s no cover charge or drink minimum, but the drinks are reasonably priced (€3.50-6.50) and quite good.
Baixa-Chiado (Baixa exit), or tram 28E. Follow R. da Conceiçao east toward Alfama (to the left as you face the river) past Igreja da Madalena; it’s on the corner across the street to the left. Drinks €3.50-6.50. Main courses €8-15. Open M-Tu noon-4pm and 8:30pm-midnight, Th-Su noon-4pm and 8:30pm-midnight; fado 9pm-midnight.
A TASCA DO CHICO
R. do Diário de Notícias, 39
BAIRRO ALTO
965 05 96 70
This Bairro Alto fado location is popular with locals and has no cover charge or drink minimum. You’re going to want a cold drink, however, as it gets crowded and stiflingly hot early on. Many choose to grab a spot at the open window and watch from the cool(er) street outside. Pretty much any amateur fadista who wants to take a turn can sing, so on a given night you could hear something you’d rather forget immediately, followed by the next big thing in fado.
Baixa-Chiado (Chiado exit). From Pr. de Luís de Camões, head up R. do Norte (to the right near the far side of the plaza if your back is to the Metro station) for 1 block, then take a quick left. Next, turn right up R. do Diário de Notícias. Beer €1.50. Open M-Sa 8pm-2am. Fado starts around 9:30pm, but arrive much earlier to get a seat.
FESTIVALS
June in Lisbon is essentially one month-long festival, with food, drink, music, and dancing filling the streets from Bairro Alto to Graça and far, far beyond. The night of June 12 is the peak of the festivities, when Lisbon’s adopted patron Saint Anthony is celebrated during the Festa de Santo António. Confetti falls by the metric ton on the Avenida da Liberdade during the parade. The crowded streets of Alfama, particularly around the Igreja de Santo António da Sé, erupt with zealous revelry, and everyone consumes sardinhas assadas (grilled sardines) and ginjinha (wild cherry liqueur). Decorations hang in Alfama for months after the festas de Lisboa end, and serve as reminders of the crazy month. For three days during the second week in July, the Optimus Alive music festival takes over the Algés waterfront, drawing some of the world’s most popular artists and fans from across the globe (213 93 37 70 www.optimusalive.com).
Feiras Markets
The feiras can be great places to pick up one-of-a-kind souvenirs and other items on the cheap. Feiras that take place regularly include the Feiras das Velharias, antique fairs held in Lisbon’s western suburbs (in Oeiras and São Julião da Barra on the first Sunday of the month, in Caxias on the second Sunday of the month, in Paço de Arcos on the third Sunday of the month, and in Algés on the fourth Sunday of the month) and the Feira de Carcavelos, one of the area’s oldest markets that carries cheap clothing, which takes place in Carcavelos every Thursday.
FEIRA DA LADRA
Campo de Santa Clara
GRAÇA
The so-called “thief’s market” is Lisbon’s best known, held in Graça near the edge of Alfama. The stalls at this market, which takes place every Tuesday and Saturday, stretch from the Mosteiro de São Vicente da Fora to the Panteão Nacional, with vendors selling antique books, vintage vinyls, old postcards, and just about anything else you might want. Prices are flexible and bargaining is encouraged, but initially posing too low of an offer can be thought of as an insult. Get there early before the tour groups pick the place clean.
Take tram 28E to Igreja e Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora, then walk to the left of the big white church. Open Tu 7am-2pm, Sa 7am-2pm.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICE: The Tourist Office on Pr. dos Restauradores has information for Lisboa and all of Portugal. (Pr. dos Restauradores, 1250 213 47 56 60 www.visitlisboa.com Restauradores, or bus #36, 44, 91, 205, 207, 702, 709, 711, 732, 745, 746, 759. On west side of Pr. dos Restauradores, in Palácio da Foz. Open daily 9am-8pm.) The Welcome Center is the city of Lisboa’s main tourist office where you can buy tickets for sightseeing buses and the Lisboa Card, which includes transportation and discounted admission to most sights for a flat fee. (R. do Arsenal, 15 210 31 27 00) The Airport branch is located near the terminal exit. (218 45 06 60 Open daily 7am-midnight.) There are also information kiosks in Santa Apolónia, Belém, and on R. Augusta in Baixa.
• INTERNET: Biblioteca Municipal Camões has free internet access. (Lg. do Calhariz, 17 213 42 21 57 www.blx.cm-lisboa.pt Baixa-Chiado, tram 28E OR bus #58, 100. From Pr. de Luís de Camões, follow R. do Loreto for 4 blocks. Open Sept 16-July 15 Tu-F 10:30am-6pm; July 16-Sept 15 M-F 11am-6pm.)
• POST OFFICE: Correios main office is on Pr. dos Restauradores, but the Pr. do Comércio branch ( Open M-F) is less crowded. (Pr. dos Restauradores, 58 213 23 89 71 www.ctt.pt Restauradores or bus #36, 44, 91, 205, 207, 702, 709, 711, 732, 745, 746, 759. Open M-F 8am-10pm, Sa-Su 9am-6pm.)
Emergency!
• POLICE: Tourism Police Station provides police service for foreigners. (Pr. dos Restauradores, 1250 213 42 16 24 Restauradores or bus #36, 44, 91, 205, 207, 702, 709, 711, 732, 745, 746, 759. On west side of Pr. dos Restauradores, in Palácio da Foz next to the tourist office.)
• LATE-NIGHT PHARMACIES: Farmácia Azevedo and Filhos in Rossio posts a schedule of pharmacies open late at night, as do most other pharmacies, or just look for a lighted, green cross. (Pr. de Dom Pedro IV, 31 213 43 04 82 Rossio or buses #36, 44, 91, 205, 207, 709, 711, 732, 745, 746, 759. In front of metro stop at the side of Rossio closest to river. Open daily 8:30am-7:30pm.)
• HOSPITAL/MEDICAL SERVICES: Hospital de St. Louis is in Bairro Alto. (R. de Luz Soriano, 182 Baixa-Chiado. From Pr. de Luís de Camões, follow R. do Loreto 4 blocks, then right up R. de Luz Soriano. Open daily 9am-8pm.) Lisboa’s main hospital is Hospital de São José. (R. de José António Serrano 218 84 10 00 Martim Moniz or bus #8, 799. Open 24hr.)
Getting There
By Plane
All flights land at Aeroporto de Lisboa (218 41 37 00), near the northern edge of the city. The cheapest way into town from the airport is by bus: to get to the bus stop, walk out of the terminal, turn right, and cross the street to the bus stop, marked with yellow metal posts with arrival times of incoming buses. Buses #44, 91, and 745 ( €1.45. 15-20min., every 12-25min. 6am-12:15am.) run to Pr. dos Restauradores, where they stop in front of the tourist office. The express AeroBus 91 runs to the same locations ( €3.50. 15min., every 20min. 7am-11pm.) and is a much faster option during rush hours. A taxi downtown costs about €10-15, but fares are billed by time, not distance, so watch out for drivers trying to take a longer route.
By Train
Those traveling in and out of Lisboa by train are regularly confused, since there are multiple major train stations in Lisboa, all serving different destinations. The express, inexpensive Alfa Pendular line runs between Braga, Porto, Coimbra, and Lisboa. Urbanos trains run from Lisboa to Sintra and to Cascais, with stops along the way, and are very cheap and very reliable; make sure you go to the right station, though. Contact Comboios de Portugal for more info (808 20 82 08 www.cp.pt). Estação do Barreiro is across the Rio Tejo from Lisboa and runs trains to destinations to the south of the city. ( €2.15. 30min., 2 per hr.) Estação Cais do Sodré runs trains to the west of the city, with the line ending in Cascais. Take trains labeled “Oeiras” or “Cascais Todos” to get to Belém ( €1.25) and trains labeled “Cascais” or “Cascais Todos” to Estoril ( €1.75) and Cascais ( €1.75). Estação Rossio is the gorgeous neo-Manueline building that services the northwestern suburbs, with the line ending in Sintra. ( €1.75. 40min., every 10-20min.) Estação Santa Apolónia runs trains to the north and east. It is loca
ted on the river to the east of Baixa; to get there, take the blue Metro line to the end of the line. Trains between Santa Apolónia and Aveiro ( €16.50-25. 2½hr., 16 per day 6am-10pm.), Braga ( €31. 3½hr., 4 per day 6am-10pm.), Coimbra ( €20-31. 2hr., 20 per day 6am-10pm), Porto ( €20-28.50. 3hr., 16 per day 6am-11pm.), and Madrid ( €59. 10hr., daily at 10:30pm.) Estação Oriente runs southbound trains between Oriente and Faro ( €18.50-21. 3½-4hr., 6 per day 8am-8pm.) with connections to other destinations in the Algarve.
By Bus
Lisboa’s bus station is close to Jardim Zoológico, but it can be hard to find. Once at the Metro stop, follow exit signs to Av. C. Bordalo Pinheiro. Exit the Metro, go around the corner, and walk straight ahead 100m; then cross left in front of Sete Rios station. The stairs to the bus station are on the left. Rede Expressos (707 22 33 44 www.rede-expressos.pt) runs buses between Lisboa and Braga ( €19. 4-5hr., 14-16 per day 7-12:15am.), Coimbra ( €13. 2hr., 24-30 per day 7am-12:15am.), and Lagos. ( €18.50-19. 4hr., 14-16 per day 7:30am-1am.)
Getting Around