Part 2 of my Mother’s Day weekend led us to Lisbon
13 Things you have to see in Lisbon:
- A Fado Show
- Enjoy the delicious food and unique restaurants with great views
- Go to see some of the beautiful miradouros (my fave was the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte)
- Bairro Alto (old town)
- We also liked the neighboring districts of Sao Bento, Baixa-Chiado and Alfama
- The district Bélem
- Watchtower Torre de Belém
- The famous bakery Pastéis de Belém
- LX Factory in Bélem
- The Jeronimos Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jeronimos)
- A ride with the tram line 28
- 7 Hills Tram Tour
- The Oceanario
For all of these points you`ll find many details below.
If you have enough time, make sure to pay Sintra a visit!
If possible, I recommend to plan about 2 days for Sintra.
What to see in Sintra you`ll find on my separate post.
Our accommodation in Lisbon – Great interior, good value for money and a top location!
After 2,5 wonderful days in Sintra a taxi brought us to our booked apartment Lx Way Apartments Poiais S. Bento. It was beautifully furnished and a bargain compared to the already quite expensive hotels around. Yes, it was a bit noisy cause of all the night owls on the weekend (to which I also belong at home 😉 ) and yes, you can hear the tram tracks The constant ringing started to get on our nerves a bit. But the location in walking distance to the old town quarter Bairro Alto (we only had to follow the tram tracks of the well-known line 28 towards center for about 10 minutes) where many great cafes and bars are, made up for everything for us. We chose a lively neighborhood because we wanted to be in the action at any time of day. So we were not disappointed at all. I recommend the apartment to everyone with the same interests in a city trip from the heart. You can sleep at home again. 😉
Here`s the address of this apartment: Rua da cruz dos Poiais 2, Lissabon
How to check in without a reception desk
Since it`s an apartment and not a hotel with a reception, I was contacted on my mobile phone by Whatsapp, to arrange the key delivery. It went smoothly, the person in charge was even a few minutes earlier than agreed. He showed us the apartment and patiently answered my question, which, according to his facial expression, disturbed him a bit. I just wanted to know whether the area was safe for two women, nothing more. He said he didn’t know that people were being robbed or anything. He said it’s a normal neighborhood. It really is. No worries. 😉
Our first evening in Lisbon – A Fado show and Indian food with a beautiful view
For this first evening in Lisbon, I had bought tickets online in advance for the Fado in Chiado show. Under this link you can buy the tickets. Fado is a ypical Portuguese music style, which is Unseco World Heritage. Fado is often played in restaurants as an accompaniment to dinner, but since I prefer to eat or go to a concert, I found the 50 minute pure Fado show very suitable for us. We would do it again like this. The show was very informative with pictures about Lisbon. They showed them on a screen in the background, as a first impression of the city and immediately conveyed the feeling of the city. The singing was mostly melancholic and the sound of the special guitars was very atmospheric. A successful first surprise to my mother.
Here`s the address of the theater where the Fado Show was played: R. da Misericordia 14, Lisbon
Restaurant Lost In – Such a cool restaurant!
They serve Indian and Portuguese dishes and have a beautiful terrace with a great view. We also liked the unique, colorful interior very much.
On their Facebook page you can find a cool video of the restaurant.
Rua Dom Pedro V 56, Lisbon, Tel.: +351 917 759 282, Email: lostin.esplanada@gmail.com, Mo – Fr 12:30 pm – midnight.
Here (on their homepage) you can make a reservation via booking tool.
A nightcap at the end of the day
Bar Foxtrot
In the Foxtrot Bar we enjoyed a delicious cocktail. They served the drinks in unusual glasses.
This bar is located 4 minutes on foot from our booked apartment.
Travessa Santa Teresa 28, Lisbon, Tel.: +31213952697, Su – Thu 6 pm – 2 am, Fr – Sa 6 pm – 3 am
Lisbon – City of Miradouros
A miradouro is an observation platform, from which you have a wonderful view of all possible corners of the city, especially at sunset.
Lisbon has definitely a lot of them.
Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
This Miradouro is located right below the restaurant Lost In. It has a nice view and was never too crowded.
(R. de São Pedro de Alcântara)
Miradouro de Santa Luzia
A really beautiful miradouro with a great view of Alfama and the Tejo. The facade is lovely decorated with many tile pictures.
(Largo Santa Luzia, Lisbon)
Miradouro da Senhora do Monte – Our fave Miradouro!
The view was amazing and the atmosphere there was very nice.
(Largo Monte, Lisbon)
This was the fantastic view at this miradouro.
(The first photo was taken just below the actual Miradouro):
What else Lisbon is famous for
Of course for the tram of line 28 and the many steep streets with colored houses
Some info for the tram line 28:
- The end stations Campo de Ourique and Maritim Moritz are recommended to get a seat. But we just got on somewhere and still had a seat.
- At this link you can find some info about the famous tram 28.
What we experienced on our 1st day in Lisbon
Bairro Alto – Lisbon`s old town
On Sunday we went for a shopping tour through the old town quarter Bairro Alto.
Délirium Cafe
The bar`s not far from the metro station Baixa-Chiado in the shopping area.
Calçada Nova de São Francisco,2A, Lisbon, Tel.: +351 21 346 0920, Open daily from 12:30 pm- 1:00 am
The 7 Hills Tram Tour
At the Praca do Comércio.
Red tram:
- The red tram is a hop on/ hop off tram with audio accompaniment via headphones.
- It passes the districts Alfama, Baixa Chiado, Mouraria, Sao Bento, Estrela etc. and the castle (Castelo de Sao Jorge).
- For approximately 19 euros, you can get in and out as you want at each station of the tour for 24 hours.
- There`s a tram every 20 minutes.
Green tram:
- The green tram is also a hop on/ hop off tram with the same audio accompaniment.
- It leads past the Jeronimos monastery to Belém
- Price etc. are the same as for the red tram
The fastest and easiest way to get from A to B
Taxis are very cheap and an easy and fast way to get to your destination. Also it`s convenient when you need a break from all the walking (the many hills are tiring after a while).
2 great miradouros and an appetizer while sundown
In the evening we took a taxi to Miradouro da Senhora do Monte and Miradouro de Santa Luzia.
Rooftop Bar H10 Duque de Loulé
Av. de Duque de Loulé 81-83
Chapito à Mesa – One of the most romantic restaurants!
After the sundown we went to the restaurant Chapito à Mesa. It was THE perfect restaurant for Mother`s day!
The restaurant belongs to a circus school. On the ground floor there`s a huge classical circus tent (where you can eat in a relaxed atmosphere). On the upper floor there`s a more dignified restaurant with a partly fantastic view of the Alfama quarter and the water.
Luckily my wish for a nice table with a view was made possible. The view was really fantastic and the food and service was excellent!
The program of our 2nd day in Lisbon
Bélem – The famous watchtower and the equally famous bakery
On Monday we took a train to Belém. We took a sweaty walk to the watchtower Torre de Belém and to the Bakery Pastéis de Belém.
How to get to Bélem:
- For us, the easiest and cheapest way to get there was by train from Santos station
- The station is located within a 10 minute walk from the apartment we stayed.
- Take the train of the Linha de Cascais to Bélem. It`s 2 stations and takes 5 mins.
- From there you can walk along the river Tejo for about 20 min. until you reach the Torre de Belém.
- From the station of Belém you`ll need around 10 mins. to walk to the Jeronimos Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jeronimos). Attention, the monastery`s closed on Monday! (Which is why, sadly, we only saw it from the outside.)
Bakery Pastéis de Belém
1837 the Pastéis de Belém or also called Pastéis de Nata (= the famous vanilla custard tartlets in puff pastry) were invented here.
The café of the bakery is very touristy and crowded, therefore also quite uncomfortable. It`s better to take the delicious pastry with you and enjoy it in one of the two surrounded beautiful parks.
You can find the bakery between Belém station and the monastery.
Rua de Belém 84, Lisbon
LX Factory – A factory that became a Hipster Place
Afterwards we strolled through LX Factory.
The formerly forgotten factory site was revitalized and came back in 2012 as an island of creativity. A lot of art in the form of street art, a bit different shops and numerous restaurants and cafés can be found here. A very hip spot, which certainly offers a cool atmosphere in the evening too.
We were there in the afternoon and still full of our late breakfast and pastries, so we didn’t stay until the evening.
Lx Factory is located in the middle between the city and Torre de Belém.
The Insolito – A truly unique restaurant!
Also I`ve made a reservation at the restaurant The Insolito for dinner. That was a great idea and was absolutely worth it, as we really liked the restaurant. The food and service were great too, like at Chapito à Mesa the evening before!
Our last day in Lisbon
Oceanarium – The largest indoor sea aquarium in Europe!
A visit at the Oceanario is very worthwhile. The bottom-deep windows give you an exciting insight into the underwater world. The sharks were already a highlight, but also the whole underwater world and the building itself.
Hand luggage suitcases and other similar sized bags etc. can be stored in lockers in the entrance area for a small deposit (I think it was 2 Euro). Practical if you want to visit on the way to or from the airport.
My conclusion on Lisbon:
It`s such a beautiful and great city! So worth discovering! We had a great weekend and I`ll visit Lisbon again for sure!
Great Restaurants (especially for breakfast):
- Bowls & Bar, Rua de Sao Benta SA (2 min. on foot from apartment)
- The Mill, Rua do Poco dos Negros 1 (3 Min. on foot from apartment)
- Dear Breakfast, Rua das Gaivatos 17 (3 Min. on foot from apartment)
Awesome Restaurants (with an amazing view)
(Insist on a table with a view, when booking online! So you can take full advantage of these special restaurants)
- Lost in, Rua Dom. Pero V 56, Lisbon. Open daily from 00:30 pm -midnight. Indian and Portuguese restaurant with colorful interior and a cool terrace with a beautiful view.
- Chapito à Mesa, Costa do Castelo 7, Lisbon. Open every day from noon – 6 pm and from 7 pm – midnight. A very romantic restaurant with extremely good food and service! High price range.
- The Insolito, Rua de Sao Pedro de Alcantara 83, Sunday and Monday closed! Tue to Sat open from 5 pm – midnight. Very special furnishings, also great food and service (also rather upscale price range).