Lisbon, The REAL City That Never Sleeps: A Luxury Travel Guide

Photo Credit: Four Seasons Lisbon

How do I love Lisbon? Let me count the ways. OK, I won’t do that, because I’d be naming every bar and restaurant in Portugal’s capital city, a coastal locale known for its pastel-colored buildings, Ponte 25 de Abril bridge (a dead ringer for the Golden Gate), and cheerful tiles. What many might not realize is that this particular city is a hedonist’s dream, a place where you can eat and drink to your heart’s content, where dinners starts at midnight, and where some clubs open at 6 a.m. Yes, you read that right. It’s also an elevated city full of culture and history, with beautiful cobblestoned streets that you can (and will) want to get lost in. Here is what you must experience.

WHERE TO STAY

Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon

Photo Credit: Four Seasons Lisbon

Not going to lie, the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon is pretty epic. This is an elevated stay to the nth degree, the kind of place you truly have no need to leave (unless you want to explore, so yes, you will leave, but the point is, you don’t have to). That being said, it’s in the middle of everything: a prime, centrally located spot in front of Eduardo VII Park, 15 minutes from the city center, with hilltop views of Old Lisbon, St George’s Moorish Castle and the Tagus River. [And if you have to leave, they make that seamless, too, by offering a private, vintage moto-sidecar tour, offering guests a way to see Lisbon from the ground up as they weave through the streets with a local photographer on hand as well as a personalized tile-making workshop with the renowned Viúva Lamego tile-making factory.]

It’s absolutely stunning, with a mixture of Art Deco and Louis XVI decor, executed by Portuguese craftsmen, with a museum-worthy array of artwork dotting its walls. In fact it has one of country’s largest and most important privately-owned collections of mid-twentieth century Portuguese art in loco. Highlights of the collection include Almada Negreiros’ Centaur trilogy of Portalegre tapestries; two canvas oil paintings by Carlos Botelho; As Quatro Estações (Four Seasons), a tapestry designed by Sarah Afonso in1959; Querubim Lapa’s interpretation of Lisboa; and Pedro Leitão’s elegant Bambús mural in lacquered wood with mother of pearl inlays commissioned for the hotel’s entrance hall to the grand ballroom. There’s also a free iPad art app available that can and should be used as a personal art curator and tour guide.

It’s rooms are quiet and spacious, newly designed yet retaining a sense and sensibility of its 1950s past. The most premium, of course, is the hotel’s top-floor corner Presidential Suite, where a grand marble entrance welcomes guests to a palatial stay equipped with a dining room, living room, five terraces, marble floors, and a bedroom with views of St. George’s Castle and the Basílica da Estrela.

Photo Credit: Four Seasons Lisbon

I mentioned that this property has everything, and it truly does. There’s a 59-foot indoor lap pool with views of the hotel’s gardens and Eduardo VII Park; a new outdoor pool and bar area; a rooftop running track with 360-degree views of the city and landmarks; a freestyle yoga studio; and a fabulous spa with calming, Buddhist-inspired music, a Zen design in marble and oak, original artwork, and some fabulous treatments. Try the Seven Hills of Lisbon, an ode to Lisbon’s undulating landscape utilizing organic regional ingredients, and cellular facials by Swiss Perfection. Make sure to actually relax here, because the spa is fabulous: all treatment rooms have private showers, ergonomically designed treatment beds and ritual chairs; there are heated limestone floors in change rooms; and a eucalyptus-scented sauna plus crushed ice fountain.

Photo Credit: Four Seasons Lisbon

I saved the best for last. There’s beautiful outdoor dining and a huge, over-the-top breakfast buffet at Varanda, sushi galore at O Japonês, but the real piece de resistance is CURA, the hotel’s Michelin-star eatery. This is one hell of an experience, course after course of exquisitely presented, beautifully prepared fare that seams endless in its execution. In typical Portuguese dining style, it’s a meal that you should anticipate going until well into the night. Prepared by chef Pedro Pena Bastos, a meal here is an event. Bastos selects his ingredients as meticulously as an artist chooses his paints, drawing from Lisbon’s rich regional palette of seasonal ingredients to create artisanal dishes of great depth, taste and meaning. Standouts and signatures alike include figs with beetroot, lime, and reindeer moss; amberjack with peppers, tea, lettuce heart, pollen, sunflower, cured pork, melon, and shiso; a dessert of carob and black garlic, egg, honey, raspberry, and lavender; and merino lamb with quince and wild spearmint. With wines pairings from young hotshot sommelier Bruno Malagueta, who gravitates toward Portugal’s finest (a unique experience for American visitors), the experience is, quite literally, perfection.

R. Rodrigo da Fonseca 88, 1099-039

WHERE TO DRINK AND DINE

Photo Credit: Tiago Maya

As I mentioned, you can truly go all night long (and all day, as it happens) in Lisbon, which is the real city that never sleeps (instead, it naps). These are some of my favorites places to sit back, sip back, and relax. And also, you know, grab a pastéis da nata or 20 —local beloved pastries known for their flaky crust and creamy, sweet egg filling.

Monkey Mash

Photo Credit: Tiago Maya

One of the top five cocktails of my life came courtesy of Monkey Mash, a “Tropical Modernity in Bar,” housed in former nightclub in Praça da Alegria. That Monkey Mash, which features the first Lab bar in the Iberian peninsula with a very advanced technological component combined with art and monkeys in a single space whose main objective is the consumption of fresh, fruity, tropical and exotic drinks, providing a cool and uncomplicated environment, is named among the World’s 50 Best Bars should, thus, come as no surprise. The “Mash Mash” — galangal and passionfruit kombucha, togarashi, tequila, and mezcal is a symphony, and owners Paulo Gomez and Emanuel Minêz its maestros. Bravo!

 Praça da Alegria 66B, 1250-004 

Red Frog

Photo Credit: Tiago Maya

The team behind Monkey Mash first opened Red Frog, a speakeasy right next door. This, too, is a 50 Best Bar, inspired by the great masters of the past who were governed by philosophies that are still unique today. It’s accessible by ringing a bell underneath a red frog that’s set on the wall, an old-fashioned yet sexy room that’s intimate, gorgeous, and hard as hell to get into. You’ll find incredible twists on classic cocktails, and lots of unusual offerings, like the Popcorn ‘N Oil which includes popcorn falernum.

Praça da Alegria 66b, 1250-00

Rossio Gastrobar

Photo Credit: Rossio Gastrobar

Above all else, Rossio Gastrobar is a bar, and one with stellar fare to boot. The concept here is built around respect for the produce and the seasons, with high-quality produce (80-90% of which is Portuguese-grown), with a menu of shareable items, vegetarian options, and interesting combinations, like a Japanese-inspired katsu sandwich with crunchy Iberian pork presa, red onion, and coriander pickle. Located on the seventh floor of one the Altis Avenida hotel, it also offers a superb view of the river and the historic center of Lisbon. Architects Cristina Santos e Silva and Ana Menezes Cardoso have made the outdoor area key here, with tables topped with kambala wood and iron feet or topped with Indian green marble with brushed brass feet .Inside, the physical and visual barriers have been surpassed with the transparency of the glass and geometric pattern of the stone on the floor, while Gold Dolomite marble stands out for its extensive black iron grill. It’s a great spot to see the sun set in style.

R. 1º de Dezembro 118, 1200-360

Alma

 

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Anyone who knows haute cuisine is familiar with the Michelin starred Alma, a decadent delight in the heart of the Chiado district, located in an 18C building that was once a warehouse for the famous Bertrand bookshop, the oldest in the world. This fine dining eatery serves up its signature innovative cuisine, courtesy of chef Henrique Sá Pessoa informally, but with a sophisticated ambience. It’s a must.

R. Anchieta 15, 1200-224

Belcanto

Photo Credit: Nuno Correia

At Belcanto, José Avillez offers revisited Portuguese cuisine in a sophisticated and comfortable setting that takes us on a journey in time, from Chiado’s old romantic feel to the future in a prime location within the beautiful São Carlos Square, next to São Carlos National Theater. Along with the à la carte dishes, Belcanto offers two tasting menus, planned as a complete and integrated experience, in which a story is told in several chapters: The Evolution Menu and The Belcanto Menu. Each with its own itinerary, offering a unique journey. There’s also the Chef’s Table, which recently earned two Michelin stars, a special space with its own unique tasting menu, accompanied by a special wine selection suggested by the sommelier Nádia Desidério.

R. Serpa Pinto 10A, 1200-026

Eleven Restaurant

Photo Credit: Eleven Restaurant 

Eleven Restaurant is a unique restaurant that is considered the top addresses for gourmet cuisine in Lisbon, which makes sense given that its chef, Joachim Koerper, previously helmed Girasol, a two Michelin-star restaurant in Spain. The gastronomic concept of Eleven is deeply linked to  Koerper’s desire to recreate traditional recipes and find new ways to use the ingredients available from the local markets. Eleven’s ambiance is both cosmopolitan and comfortable, located at the very top of Lisbon, on Rua Marquês de Fronteira, overlooking the Tagus river and the old city, with a romantic evening ambiance that includes drapes, candles, soft lights, and music with a heavy focus on art, as well.

Rua Marquês Fronteira Jardim Amália Rodrigues, Parque Eduardo VII, 1070-051

Loco

Photo Credit: Alexandre Silva

Chef Alexandre Silva is the tour-de-force behind LOCO, a restaurant which focuses on micro-seasons, national cuisine, and experimentation. It is gastronomy at its finest, with one menu and menu only — and 16 courses at that, with Portuguese favorites and innovations alike. The wine list contains exclusively Portuguese wines from small, as well as a menu of craft beers and herbal liqueurs.

R. Navegantes nº53-B, 1200-73

WHERE TO PLAY

Photo Credit: Four Seasons Lisbon

Honestly, the highlights of Lisbon (for me) were discovering its culture through food and drink, but there’s also a variety of attractions that are signature to the city. Significant local landmarks include Torre de Belém, a great tower at the mouth of the Tagus River that has existed since the 16th century. A tram ride is always fun for those who enjoy them; if just riding one, Tram 28 through the old Alfama district is a great bet. On that note, Alfama — Lisbon’s old town — is a wonderful way to while away several hours, wandering past iconic spots like the Lisbon Cathedral, letting yourself get lost in history and the city’s timeless cobblestone streets.