Lisbon City Travel Guide

The R&K Guide To Lisbon

Lisbon is a calm, compact jewel of cobbled streets and tile-clad buildings on the Tagus estuary, just a short train ride from the sea. Until very recently it had a secretive, forgotten feel. Now, tourism is booming and there’s a confident buzz in the air, but the banalities of globalization are still less evident here than elsewhere. Lisbon is a place to wander the backstreets, climb the many hills, take in the views, and sample Portugal’s wildly underrated food, wine, and music.

How To Do
Lisbon

01. Navigating the City
02. A Walking Tour of Alcântara
03. Your City Soundtrack
04. The Perfect Dish: Bacalhau à Brás
05. A Love Letter to Cacilheiros
06. GTFO: Aldeias do Xisto

22 Things to Know Before You Go

A History of Lisbon in 10 Dishes

Walking Tour: Alcântara

Lisbon’s recent emergence as one of Europe’s most popular destinations has changed the face of the city. But the look and feel of pre-hype Lisbon lives on in some pockets, particularly the western waterfront neighborhood of Alcântara, sandwiched between the highbrow Lapa neighborhood, Lisbon’s diplomatic quarter, and the riverside visitor-magnet Belém.

Walk

Quick Hits What To Eat

Makoufe at an outdoor table at Cantinnho do Aziz Aziz, tucked away in a back street in Mouraria, is perhaps the friendliest and most popular Mozambican restaurant in Lisbon; its outside tables nearly always packed.
Empada de galinha or espinafres at the Graça café These small, homemade chicken or spinach pies are sold in outdoor kiosks and bakeries all over the city, and are great for an energy boost after walking up hills.
Pastel de nata at Pastelaria Aloma The crowds flock to Pasteis de Belém, supposedly the original manufacturer of the Portuguese custard tart.

Quick Hits What To Drink

Ginjinha at A Ginjinha Sip the sweet morello-cherry liqueur in this old kiosk opposite the atmospheric church, São Domingos.
A bica in Pastelaría Versailles The beautiful, grand Versailles café is a classy place to drink a tiny cup of the strong coffee the Portuguese love (‘bica’ is the Lisbon name for a small espresso, but if you simply ask for a ‘café’ this is what you’ll get too).
Vinho verde at Éden Aparthotel Try Portugal’s classic light sparkling wine—made from young grapes—on the rooftop of the Eden, an art-deco former theater, now a hotel.

Quick Hits What To See

The Sé Cathedral Lisbon’s huge, austere cathedral, the oldest of its many churches, was founded in 1150.
Miradouro São Pedro de Alcantara Lisbon is a city of wonderful views and viewpoints from which to gaze at them; you don’t really have to do anything else while you’re here.
The Gulbenkian An arts complex with museums and galleries full of eclectic treasures from the huge private collection of the Armenian oil magnate and philanthropist Calouste Gulbenkian, who spent the last years of his life in Lisbon.

Features From Lisbon

Broken Songs of Lisbon

Tejo Bar in Lisbon, where there is nothing borrowed about the melancholy.

The Ginjinha Whisperer

He has spent 44 of his 63 years behind a counter serving the libation.

In Lisbon, A Stew for the Homesick Cape Verdean Soul

There is one dish that is Cape Verdean to the bone: cachupa.

You’d Be Upset Too if You’d Missed Out on Beach‑Side Donut Delivery

Did Portugal come up with the best food-delivery app in the world?

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How To Do Lisbon