A postcard from Lisbon
A week in November in Portugal
I’m still not entirely sure what the purpose of these posts is - maybe they are going to be more for me than they are for anyone else? Somewhere for me to document my trips and photographs in one place, but also maybe something which I can share with friends when they go to places I have been. If sharing recommendations was a love language then it would definitely be mine.
January and February have been months of staying in London and embracing the winter hibernation, so I thought I’d carry on writing about trips I took last year. A week in Lisbon in November was my last time away! When I found out I had a work conference there, Chloe and I decided to extend the trip and spend the weekend beforehand exploring the city together. We landed on Friday evening and made our way to Pátio do Tijolo, a beautifully designed hotel, high up in the city, tucked between Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real. From our balcony, you could just make out the Ponte de 25 de Abril in the distance.
We deliberately left the weekend fairly unplanned. One dinner booked, otherwise just aiming to wander in the sunshine.
On Saturday, we found Marquise for breakfast not far from our hotel - a cafe with a little courtyard where we sat with coffee, bread and scrambled eggs. The rest of the day was spent exploring the city’s narrow and steep streets, wandering into lots of little shops and boutiques. When we got hungry we stumbled into a little local cafe for bifanas at lunch. Suckling pig sandwiches in crunchy rolls with brothy vegetable soup and homemade crisps on the side - simple, perfect, and wonderfully cheap.
That evening we went for the one dinner I had booked: Copo Largo. The restaurant had a really friendly vibe and we felt right at home. We ordered greedily from the chalkboard menu and picked a bottle of portuguese wine off the shelf to enjoy alongside our food (which was all delicious). I’m still thinking about the fantastic duck prosciutto and baked rice dishes. When we finished, we weren’t rushed from our seats and stayed to enjoy our wine despite people beginning to gather outside the restaurant for later tables. There was no 1.5hr table limit like we find more and more in London!
On Sunday, we took the bus out to Belem. We walked along the river, found a cafe for lunch Beco de Belém (another bifana!) and then visited the monastery at golden hour. We’d got one of the final slots of the day because we hadn’t prebooked tickets, but it felt like it was meant to be. Visiting in the evening light really made the most of the honey-colored stone. The sun lit up the cloisters and laid out long shadows across the floor and we wandered around slowly, soaking in the light.
On Monday, before Chloe flew back home, we took the tram up to Alfama, visited the castle, and sat with drinks looking out over the terracotta roofs and the river.
Then I stayed on for my work conference, with most of the mornings and evenings to myself for the week. I’ve always loved early mornings when traveling - seeing a place wake up, the light different, the streets quieter. I found a few opportunities for early morning runs along the river, with a coffee and a pastry somewhere to follow. At Padaria 100 I found a delicious pain au chocalat and I also ate multiple pastel de nata from Manteigaria (there are locations all over the city, all consistently good).
I had a few more opportunities for delicious food as well. I booked O Palmeiral one night for dinner with my colleagues. We ate delicious Italian-Portuguese fusion in an incredibly cozy setting with fun and generous staff. It was comfort food and felt like the kind of place that makes you want to become a regular even though you’re only visiting. Another evening I battled through a heavy downpour with my umbrella to get to Pomme Eatery and sat in the window with some delicious croquettes, a glass of wine and a book.
November in Lisbon was busy - busier than I expected - but manageable in a way I imagine summer isn’t. You could navigate the narrow streets without fighting through crowds, wander into restaurants without booking weeks ahead and enjoy the warmth without it being overwhelming.
Lisbon was undeniably beautiful, but it also felt like a city of two sides - there’s a proliferation of brunch places and generic millennial cafes catering to tourists and expats, and then there’s the actual local city underneath. The challenge is finding the latter. The small local cafes with no English menu, restaurants with their neighborhood regulars - those felt like the real Lisbon. The instagrammable brunch spots with oat milk lattes and avocado toast, less so.
I left with mixed feelings. I’d had a wonderful weekend exploring, delicious food and drink and a lot of fun, and November was the perfect time to visit. But I also left wondering how long the authentic local spots will last as the city continues to change, and how the continued gentrification will impact the capital city of a country where average income remains lower than a lot of its european neighbours.
Where to eat and drink
Coffee & breakfast
Marquise - lovely courtyard to sit in and also bread and pastries to take away
Padaria 100 - excellent coffee and pastries, modern but local
Manteigaria - pastel de nata, multiple locations across the city
Ceres Boulangerie - bakery with great pastries and sandwiches
nerv - good modern coffee spot
Lunch & casual
O Tachadas - good traditional restauarant
Pomme Eatery - small plates and good wine
Dinner
Arca Bistro e Bar - cute small restaurant, modern european food. Need to book ahead.
O Palmeiral - Italian-Portuguese fusion, cozy, wonderful staff. Looked like they also do a good breakfast!
Bar Alimentar - Popular, italian inspired. Definitely need to book ahead.
Damas - quite funky bar / restaurant, good veggie options
