Alfama
Castle St Jorge – unbelievable view from the top of the hill, plenty of tourists but big enough that you don’t feel crowded. Bonus, one of the two Wine with a View carts is stationed here. A truly brilliant idea and with some very delicious inexpensive wines. Who doesn’t want wine while they peruse a centuries old castle and the stunning clay tile rooftops of Lisbon?
Fiera De Ladra – A great flea market with a variety of old quirky vintage items as well as chintzy cheap bric a brac. Happens every Tuesday and Saturday from 8 am – 6 pm.
Tram 28 – everyone recommends it for a reason. It takes you through most of the main points of interest in Lisbon.
Santa Catarina/Bairro Alto
Pharmacia – A restaurant with outdoor bar attached to the pharmacy museum. Great view, cool cocktails.
Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara – Terraced park with another amazing view of Lisbon. You can see the Tagus, Alfama and Castle St Jorge. There are two kiosks for refreshments along with an outdoor bazaar.
Park – its a bar on the top of a parking garage. Very little signage so just make your way to the very top. Gorgeous view of the city, Tagus river and the 25 de Abril bridge.
Mercado da Ribeira – went here at least 4 times during my stay. So much food to choose from in a small space. I had squid ink risotto, octopus salad, croquettes, and the list goes on.
Paletaria– fresh fruit popsicles, very delicious and Instagram worthy (see photo above).
Cafe Carpe Diem – Part art gallery/installation, part cafe. Wander through to check out the current exhibitions and then grab some refreshment and sit outside in the old garden. A complete gem, not to be missed.
A Taberna da Rua das Flores – delicious. Modern take on some Portuguese classics without being pretentious at all. Menu changes daily. Lots of small plates for sharing. It was a long wait, go earlyish and prepare to drink wine on the sidewalk while you wait (we waited almost 2 hours, totally worth it).
Manteigaria – This place churns out a ridiculous quantity of Pasteis de Nata (the pastry of Portugal with egg custard and crispy shell). I ate at least one of these every day from a variety of places in Lisbon and these were my favorites. Slightly warm, creamy, crispy, sweet; the perfect companion for a rich espresso. I took a pack of six to go on our last day in Lisbon and ate almost all of them before we got back to San Francisco.
São Bento
Nannarella – some of the best gellato I’ve ever had. I went twice in the span of three days and would have gone again if I wasn’t trying to hit up other food spots. A MUST visit.
Campo de Ourique
Jardim da Estrela – beautiful park with a couple of ponds, ducks, peacocks, occasional open air craft market, a playground, a cafe and a kiosk selling anything from Tosta Mistas (toasted cheese and ham sandwich) to Gin and Tonics.
Mercado de Campo de Ourique – more subdued food hall with a good selection of fresh produce, meat, fish and of course loads of food/wine options.
A Tentadora – great old school cafe with some solid pastries and a good vibe (plus they have lots of outdoor seating on the sidewalk)
Príncipe Real
Frangasqueira Nacional – classic, basic and ridiculously tasty Portuguese BBQ. Go early because they tend to sell out. Take out only.
Jardim do Príncipe Real – a quarter of the park is dominated by centuries-old Buçaco cedar, a perfect spot to read or eat some of your Frangasqueira BBQ.