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If Butter Yellow Were a City: Lisbon, Portugal Guide
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items It’s a decidedly butter yellow summer and Lisbon is the girl for that. Prepare to spend half the time walking uphill in the “San Francisco of Europe,” where tiled façades meet terracotta rooftops, and the next custard tart is never too far away. From...
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where to eat in lisbon
where to shop in lisbon
what to do in lisbon
where to eat in lisbon
psa: you're not legally allowed to leave portugal without trying a pastel de nata
a quick spot to start the morning with a coffee and cinnamon bun whether you take it to-go or sit in the airy co-working space ☕
Copenhagen Coffee Lab
a wide brunch menu with an intergalactic ceiling, the interior feels a bit like you're on a spaceship landed on mars—which does make sense considering the salmon on my benedict was out of this world 🥯
The Folks
where the original pastel de nata was born in 1837, you have to go outside the city center to belém to taste the og—and in my opinion—best nata around, topped with powdered and cinnamon sugar.
don't make the mistake of waiting in the winding queue, there's a to-go entryway on the left side of the building 🥮
don't make the mistake of waiting in the winding queue, there's a to-go entryway on the left side of the building 🥮
Pastéis de Belém
a cult favorite pastel de nata; the sweet eggy custard tart synonymous with portugal that you need to try at least once while you're there. while i preferred pastéis de belém, it's much easier to find manteigaria considering there's plenty of locatio...
Manteigaria
the most notorious bakery in sintra where travesseiros and queijadas de sintra were conceived. grab a number inside to be served, with the former tasting like a fluffy pillow puff pastry and the latter a firmer, dense crunchy cinnamon tart 🥧
Casa Piriquita
shop and sip in one location; the bottom floor is where gin lovers takes refuge on leather sofas (they almost convinced me to give g&ts another chance) while a curation of small shops and galleries occupies the upper two floors 🛋️
Embaixada
a strictlythegoodstuff rec (who never fails me), inventive small plates in a hipster converted warehouse. the zucchini flower salad delivered, and the dark chocolate nori mousse is more appetizing than it looks. signs that say 'cash only' are outdate...
Tricky's
it can't always be portuguese cuisine, someone has to hold it down with a quesadilla. mexican cantina la ruda lives inside lx factory, and if you're lucky you can sit inside a boxing ring 🥊
La Ruda
if you take no other rec from me, take this one. seeing an intimate fado performance in the reputed home of former fado legend maria severa was genuinely moving, and that's coming from someone who has no idea what the lyrics meant.
the vocals are so soulful, guitar strumming so impressive, you can't help but get emotional. speaking is discouraged during the performance out of respect, though photos and videos are allowed. the trio emerges a few times between ome-cooked courses—...
the vocals are so soulful, guitar strumming so impressive, you can't help but get emotional. speaking is discouraged during the performance out of respect, though photos and videos are allowed. the trio emerges a few times between ome-cooked courses—...
Maria da Mouraria
a handwritten chalkboard menu changes the lineup on the daily in this cash-only, no reservation taberna with adventurous plates for those daring enough to order sardines practically the size of your head (much thicker and spongier than expected, like...
Taberna da Rua das Flores
chef josé avillez is the bonafide culinary king of lisboa, boasting 9 restaurants across the city. we opted to eat inside mini bar, the moody jazz speakeasy in the back of bairro do avillez. pull on the leg extending from the bookcase to enter this l...
Mini Bar
arguably the most beautiful interior in lisbon—this italian mirror bar gets a rude rep online though we experienced nothing but kind, top-tier service after showing up right before close, without a reservation, and asking to move tables. annoying, i ...
the bucatini wasn't anything to write home about, unlike the amazing pastéis de bacalhau which reminded me of an elevated filet-o-fish 🪞
the bucatini wasn't anything to write home about, unlike the amazing pastéis de bacalhau which reminded me of an elevated filet-o-fish 🪞
Rocco
a hidden rooftop lounge perched atop a 6-story parking garage; park is where the cool kids go to watch the sun set with a dj spinning house beats in the background 🌇
Park
where to shop in lisbon
i'm of the opinion for a first time visit you need to leave with something ceramic, sardines, and step inside the world's second largest zara
an independent concept shop curating a collection of portuguese designers and other cool girl name brands from alohas to havianas and flabelus. find a second location in lx factory 🥿
The Feeting Room Lisboa
opened to ensure heritage portuguese craftsmanship didn't disappear, this nostalgic home goods store with a vintage touch elevates everyday objects—think beautifully wrapped soaps, ceramics, stationery, and prints 🧴
A Vida Portuguesa
a sucker for ceramics so bad i smashed a tile jewelry box and immediately rebought it at this pay per kg ceramic shop; my favorite from my entire portugal stint 🏺
Cerâmicas na Linha
heritage cannery specializing in an expanded range of flavors like tinned tomato tuna, mackerel, and sardines, neatly stacked in rows and rows of colorful vintage paper packaging 🎣
Conserveira de Lisboa
i'm usually not one to put a global chain on a destination recommendation list, but the world's second largest zara delivers and all four floors beg to be explored 🛍️
Zara
certainly more of a touristy option for tinned fish, but the sardine ferris wheel and wall of well-aged varieties are worth seeing if only to snap a photo 🎡
Sardinha Portuguesa
the melrose trading post of portugal, this industrial warehouse complex is home to a curation of brands from the feeting room and infamous ler devagar bookstore to themed restaurants like lucha libre la ruda 📚
LX Factory
alfama's famous flea market every tuesday and saturday, scour the outdoor vendors to secure hand-thrown and vintage ceramics, funky prints, and naturally a ton of tiles. i left with a fabric necklace unlike literally anything else i've seen before 🖼️
Feira da Ladra
what to do in lisbon
color hunting but you're in lisbon so everything is yellow (even the castles)
get the best bang for your buck with the 24, 48, or 72 hour pass granting entrance to 51 museums and monuments as well as free public transportation around the entire city. note that you must physically pick up a card from a visitlisboa office to lev...
Lisboa Card
large square along the waterfront surrounded by butter yellow buildings on all sides with a view of lisbon's iconic red ponte 25 de abril bridge in the distance. snap a flick in front of the large lisboa sign and pop into the visitlisboa located here...
Praça do Comércio
the portal between praça do comércio and the main commercial lane of rua augusta, climb to the top of this arch for panoramic views for €5 or free with the lisboa card 🏛️
Rua Augusta
not much to do here besides look down and note that the ground is pink, or shoot your camera upwards to take a flick of the rainbow umbrella canopy. from passing through a few times, the bars and restaurants here seem like a strong no-go ⛱️
Pink Street
avoid the uphill trek to carmo convent in this historic elevator dating back to 1902 for €6, or included in the lisboa card 🚋
Elevador de Santa Justa
modern art intermixed with a hodgepodge of façade pieces spanning centuries in the exposed courtyard, a reminder of the devastating 1755 quake. additional artifacts inside the ruins of the old carmo church include pre-columbian ceramics and mummies. ...
Carmo Archaeological Museum
a hilltop castle with moorish roots, 11 towers, and plenty of ramparts to wander for sweeping views over lisbon’s terracotta rooftops and the tagus river. the draw here is exploring the fortifications and gardens, with an archaeological site tracing ...
Castelo de São Jorge
as the “san francisco of europe,” there's plenty of places to look out and take in lisbon from above in the word synonymous from the city: miradouros. we picked this one on our way up through barrio alto to embaixada 🌁
Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
the most stunning example of manueline architecture you can't miss in belém, especially for its intricately carved, two-story cloisters. whether you use the lisboa card or pay €18, you have to reserve a time slot—the line sprawling around the entranc...
Jerónimos Monastery
recently re-opened to the public after restoration, this 4-story tower is largely empty inside with some military memorabilia like cannons on the ground floor—a nod to its original role defending lisbon from ships entering the tagus river. plenty of ...
Belém Tower
boho beach club of my dreams in costa da caparica, about a ~45 minute drive from the city. i read ahead of time that this is the best beach club on the block—and while i have no competitors to compare it to—i have to agree. certainly bring a towel be...
the williwaw pizza and je t'aime cocktail were the best part of our order, which you might as well order since the €120 fee for a sunbed duo includes €30 minimum consumption per person ⛱️
the williwaw pizza and je t'aime cocktail were the best part of our order, which you might as well order since the €120 fee for a sunbed duo includes €30 minimum consumption per person ⛱️
Irmão
it's practically a rite of passage to ride over lisbon's version of the red golden gate bridge, which you'll naturally cross coming back from a day basking on the beach along costa da caparica 🌉
25 de Abril Bridge
stop one during our day trip to sintra, the man-made ruins of this early 20th-century estate were designed to look much older than they actually are, surrounded by lush gardens and packed with tropical plants. the original, secret-society obsessed ow... 🌴
Quinta da Regaleira
next up was the palace of reds, yellows, and blues from the façades through the dining rooms. an eclectic romantic exterior combines neo-manueline, moorish, and neo-gothic elements from crocodile gargoyles to color just oozing out everywhere. the red...
Pena Palace
the most westerly point of continental europe, if you drew a line out from the large cross sculpture past the cliffs and over the atlantic, the first land you'd touch next would be nyc. we visited this point above crashing waves as our last stop duri...
Cabo da Roca
get up close and personal with an old yellow tram covered in graffiti from this uphill street sunset spot 🚃
R. da Bica de Duarte Belo