Lisbon User Guide

Passeio do Tejo Location HERE . Open 24 hours. Just to emphasise the work that has gone in to redevelop the area around Gare Oriente, at the north end of Parque das Nações is this riverside park, with its broad paths, greenery, boardwalks and observation decks. It confirms that Expo 98 was, mainly, an urban regeneration project. Behind the park are low-rise apartment blocks, part of a quiet residential area, well apart from all the retail opportunities near Oriente. It’s been well thought out, and so property here costs Serious Money. Another plus is that, although the Airport is close by, the orientation of the runway means the park is away from aircraft noise. Even the Ponte Vasco da Gama, which borders the area at its northern end, does not generate intrusive noise. Also, although the river is navigable at this point, and the main channel is close to the shore, there is not so much traffic. So the boardwalk observation decks are mainly to allow visitors to see the proliferation of b...

THE USUAL REMINDER Don’t slog up those hills just because the funiculars have been suspended. Minibus 51E gives an alternative to the Santa Justa lift, and an alternative to the Glória funicular; Bairrobus 19B gives an alternative to the Lavra funicular; Bairrobus 22B gives an alternative to the Bica funicular. Also, the new funicular that takes you from Rua Lagares up to Graça has been suspended. You can get up to Graça either by tram 28, or if you don’t fancy the crush, by 734 or 10B minibus. MUSEUM NEWS The Tile Museum is closed for repair work until well into next year. Target date for reopening is June 2026. TRAM 28 NEWS The 28 is still turning back at Camões, with a substitute minibus running from there to Prazeres. The 25 is a good weekday alternative - catch it in Praça do Comércio or on the Rua da Prata, just south of Praça da Figueira. Hopefully the 28 will be back on its full route in the New Year. BELÉM NEWS Torre de Belém remains closed, and will be for some months yet....

Rua Angelina Vidal 23 Location HERE . Open from 1800 to 2330 hours; closed Monday and Tuesday. Opened on the 24th October 2025, and yes, there is a link between this outlet and Outro Lado in the Old Downtown. At the top of Rua Angelina Vidal, so it qualifies as being in Graça, although that area is more usually known as Sapadores, the part of Graça where full-sized buses pass through, not just minibuses and trams. When the weather is warm and dry enough, the terrace comes into its own, with views down Rua Angelina Vidal. You can watch the trams, often carrying a crush load, while enjoying eats and drinks. The terrace will be a very important aspect of this outlet, especially as the indoor space - not unlike the Oitava Colina Taproom nearby - is small. Beers on tap mainly from Aguarela. And a noticeable push to sell more wine and cocktails. A small food menu, plus the occasional “Pop-Up Chef” bringing their own style, expertise and choices. Prices not bargain basement, but not so expens...

Rua da Rosa 266 Location HERE . Open weekdays until 1830 hours. On the corner of Rua Dom Pedro V and Rua da Rosa, at the top end of the Bairro Alto, a coffee shop with a faded but magnificent Art Nouveau interior. Also close to Principe Real. Most customers are locals and regular visitors, but tourists are picking up on the uniqueness of the interior, as well as the low prices compared to other outlets in the area. The coffee is good … no, make that somewhere between very good and excellent. A range of pastries is offered, as well as savoury snacks. Not many tables inside; there are some outside tables, but no shade when sunny, which means no cover when it rains. So don’t rock up with a large group of people and expect to be seated together, if at all. There is a no-filming policy. Respect this. And remember that it extends to taking photos. Buses 758, 773, 19B and 22B, Tram 24. [ HOME ]

Rua da Assunção 80 Location HERE . THIS OUTLET IS CASH ONLY Open from 0930 to 1800 hours; closed Sunday. Look, no queue! Same product as the outlet on Rua Madalena, but in the middle of the Baixa. So what’s not to like? Right now, before all the guidebooks get updated and tourists begin to gravitate to this location, not much. Like the Rua Madalena original, there’s little more than a hole in the wall dispensing €3-a-go bifanas which are just as good as those you buy after standing in line across the road from the Elevador Castelo. HOWEVER there is no inside space, and nor is there any seating that belongs to this business. All the seats and tables nearby belong to other food outlets. So you either eat your bifana standing up, or find a place to sit down. Which may involve some walking. Metro Baixa-Chiado (Baixa exit); Tram 12, 15, 25 and 28; Buses - any service that passes through the Baixa. [ HOME ]

Campo Grande 35B Location HERE . Open every day from noon to midnight. A similar menu to that offered by the Bairro Alto outlet for this brand: the inevitable burgers, and variations on the Francesinha theme. With the latter, you can have the extra spicy sauce on the side, or delivered with your choice of “ little French girl ”. Those choices include a vegetarian option, and a chicken one, the latter being useful for those who find original-style Francesinhas a little too chewy. Another feature familiar to those who have visited the Bairro Alto outlet is the good choice of bottled beers to go with your meal choice. Fries are available for the really hungry, with a rustic fries option too. But one feature of this outlet is that there is plenty of room to house all those punters, with very few “ reservado ” markers on tables. Reserving your table seems to be necessary at the Bairro Alto outlet; not so much here. Yes, it’s a bit out of the way, but buses, trains and Metro are not so far f...