Lisbon
Overview
Map
Food
From experience
- A Casa do Bacalhau (1/3)
- “The cod house” seems to be a local favorite. The staff was fantastic; wine list impressive; and the ambiance and decor just can’t be beat. One tiny problem — the food was way too salty for my taste. It is more traditional Portughese style, which tend to be heavier on the salt. If you are good with saltier food, this place is 10/10.
My to-try list
Drinks
From experience
- Red Frog Speakeasy (3/3)
- My type of place — slightly hidden but easy to locate, good service without being snobby, great showsmanship in mixology, and equipped with a smoking area in the back (mostly for cigar smokers). The space is intimate and seems fit best for small groups or single travelers. It’s a bar I’d revisit for sure.
- 2018 October: I decided to take my nightcap here, and went with an “American ganster” (twist of old fashioned) It is slightly sweeter than my taste but good cocktail overall. However, the second drink I had, “too famous to be naked”, was just phenomenal and a total gustatory journey. Definitely recommend.
- Pensão Amor (2/3)
- This bar used to be a brothel, and they are not shy to show that with paintings, graffitis, sculptures… essentially every imaginable way. It is located above Lisbon’s Pink Street and populated with tourists. (Yes all you hear is English) The drinks are quite decent, and definitely worth a stop to impress out-of-towners.
My to-try list
- Pavilhão Chinês great decorations
- Maria Caxuxua known for caipirinhas
- Bar A Parodia old fashioned (style-wise not drink-wise) bar, great cocktail
Destinations
From experience
- Comércio Plaza (3/3)
- Like many other destinations, I stumbled upon this one. Stuffed from a Portuguese dinner, I desparately needed a walk, and my taxi driver took me here. It is a small plaza by the port, and to walk along the ocean was incredibly calming and relaxing.
My to-try list
- Torre de Belem “Tower of St Vincent”, is a fortified tower located in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém in the municipality of Lisbon. The lines are extremely long so book your ticket ahead of time.
- Jerónimos Monastery Late Gothic Manueline-style monastery. The lines are extremely long so book your ticket ahead of time.
- Alfama District old town centers
- Basílica da Estrela Ornate, Baroque, 18th-century church with twin bell towers.
Art & Architecture
From experience
- Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (3/3)
- I’m marking this museum a must because it houses Hieronymus Bosch’s The Temptation of Saint Anthony Abbot. It is one of the most beautiful and enticing piece I’ve ever seen. Deeply emotional, mythical, and enticing, this piece depicts a lone man’s journey to salvation while faced with the diabolical temptations in the world. I would go back in a heartbeat.
- Other works of art that I enjoyed
- Gustav Courbet, Man with Pipe
- Bartolome Esteban Murillo, Mystic marriage of St Catherine
- Albrecht Dürer, St. Jerome (I know, even Durer was a “other” for me in this museum)
- Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (2/3)
- Great museum to visit if you are into European art (post Renaissance) like I do. My absolutely favorite from this museum was not a Rubens or Rembrandt, but a still of peacock and hunting trophies by Jan Weenix. The finess and contrast in texture across the painting were signature of Dutch paintings. In additional, the contrast of life and death with such natualistic resemblence truly moved me.
- Other works of art that I enjoyed
- Beaker with flying birds, Egyptian
- Rembrandt - Portrait of an Old Man **
- Rembrandt and pupil - Pallas Athena
- Rubens, Love of the Centar **
- Jan Weenix, Peacock and Hunting Trophies ***
- Rubens, Portrait Of Helena Fourment
- Turner, The Wreck Of A Transport Ship **
- Manet - Boy Blowing Bubbles
- Rodin, Jean-d’Aire, Burgher of Calais
- Museu Coleção Berardo (2/3)
- This museum is much newer and focuses on modern/contemporary pieces. When I walked through the galleries, it felt like my art history textbook appearing chapter by chapter. The curator did a great job assembling works that are representative of artistic movements.
- My favorite part of this museum is the olive garden outback. You can sit with a drink in lawn chairs amongst artworks and water feature, while enjoying a full view of the harbor and Ponte 25 de Abril (which is eerily similar to the Golden Gate bridge). I love the sunset here.
- Works that I enjoyed:
- Angelo de Sousa, Untitled *
- Warhol, Judy Garland
- Louise Nevelson, Royal Tide, Dawn
- Fernand Léger, Composition
- Emillo Vedova, Presenza N5V *
- Francis Gruber, Nu assis a la chaise verte **
- Picasso, Femme dans un fauteull
- Yves Tanguy, Paravent, quetre feuilles
- Turrell, Blue **
My to-try list
- Aqueduto das Águas Livres Gothic aqueduct stretching for 14km.
Lodging
From experience
- Fontecruz Lisboa, Autograph Collection (3/3)
- As a Marriott girl with love for boutique hotels, Autograph collection is one of my favorite lines in the chain. The Fontecruz did not live down from the expectation. The hotel is filled with customized design details that screams Lisbon. (My room number is in ceramic panels.) The details feel well-tuned. I’ll definitely stay here again.
- Additional points — The hotel is surrounded by high-end luxury boutiques if you like shopping, and walking distance from my favorite bar in Lisbon red frog.
My to-try list