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6.2.43 Ferraria Taproom

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Rua Ferraria 9, Sintra Location HERE . Open 1200 to 2000 hours, closed Tuesdays. In the heart of the old town, in a maze of narrow pedestrianised streets and steep alleys, is one of Greater Lisbon’s smallest craft beer outlets. More than a dozen punters in and around the bar makes it feel busy; downstairs, there is only room for a store room, a tiny kitchen, and one toilet (or, as folks Stateside call it, bathroom). There are lots of bottled beers available, but just five taps, which when I visited were featuring beers from Hopsin, Musa and Canil. They may do collaboration brews, but nothing is brewed on the premises - mainly because there isn’t any room for it! Prices a little higher than other nearby craft outlets, but then, this bar is right in the middle of the old town, and rents are probably higher, plus it will be difficult to deliver the product to the front door. The food menu is mainly snack-sized items, with plenty of choice. Service is good, knowledgeable, and patient when ...
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5.1.23 Tasca do Carlos (Rebelo & Afonso)

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Rua do Sol à Graça 3 Location HERE. Open 1800 to 0200 hours daily. THIS OUTLET IS CASH ONLY Down the hill to the east of Graça is this small neighbourhood tasca, where the keyword is simplicity. Nothing complicated, nothing fancy. Their speciality is Caracóis (snails). There’s usually someone, maybe a couple, tucking into a plate of snails and washing it down with a beer or glass of wine. I passed on the caracóis and instead ordered a Prego no Pão with Batatas Fritas on the side. A small container of home made hot sauce is brought out for the Prego, along with a warning to be careful with it. Heed this advice. Because it really is hot. The steak in the Prego is good, and not overdone. The chips are made from real potatoes on the premises, and are not out of a bag. Also, there is no menu on display - you have to ask. So it helps to understand a little Português. They also do shrimps, prawns, or whatever you want to call them. Not much choice for vegetarians, mind. But it’s a reflection ...
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6.2.42 Villa Craft Beer & Bread

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Calçada Rio do Porto, Sintra Location HERE . Open every day from 1100 to 2000 hours. Part of the local municipal market, with an outside terrace. Note the closing time - this appears to be A Thing in Sintra. Best approached along the Volta do Duche, then Largo Dr Gregório de Almeida, and down Calçada Pelourinho. Watch out for less than totally considerate drivers of oversized modern road vehicles at those locations where you have to step out into the road. Although there is usually a guest beer in the list of offerings, this is mostly an outlet for Rafeira, and no worse for that. The beer’s good, the food offerings from their oven (rolls with a variety of fillings, and bruschetta with choice of toppings, both including vegan options) are an excellent accompaniment, and neither is especially expensive. So much for Sintra being an overpriced tourist trap. And most customers here seem to be tourists, although most are not from the UK and USA. The staff are helpful, they can usually speak ...
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4.5.14 Museu do Ar (Museum of the Air)

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Granja do Marquês, Base Aérea 1, Sintra Location HERE . Open 1000 to 1700 hours, closed Mondays. It’s near Sintra! Get there by train to Portela de Sintra - from Rossio, Oriente, Entrecampos or Sete Rios. Then take a Carris Metropolitana bus. So make sure your Zapping card has enough credit loaded. Signposted from the bus stop on the N9 at Cruz Museu do Ar, where a plinthed aircraft gives another clue, it’s a short walk to the airbase, the entrance to the museum being just past that to the base. Aviation, aviation, aviation. Portugal had its own pioneers in the field - one reason there are so many streets named after Gago Coutinho and/or Sacadura Cabral - and this collection takes you from those early days to the present. This is where you get off the bus The museum was founded by the Portuguese Air Force in 1968, and has expanded considerably since, to include civilian aircraft - lots of historical detail on national carrier TAP Air Portugal - and content on navigation, even the devel...
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6.2.41 Oitava Colina (Cabo Ruivo)

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Avenida Infante Dom Henrique 334 Armazém 3 Location HERE . Open Thursday to Saturday, 1800 to 2300 hours. Beer Never Sleeps Not easy to find: the way in from the main road does not look like a public roadway. If approaching from the north (from Oriente, or from Cabo Ruivo Metro), arriving at Rua Centeira means you’ve gone past it. This warehouse contains the Oitava Colina brewing operation - they outgrew the space at their Graça taproom long ago - and is open just three evenings a week. The benefit of seeking out this place is that new brews are first given an outing here, rather than up at Graça. When I visited, they had just begun serving an eastern European style Pilsner called Almirante Reis, a 5.3% ABV brew using Saaz hops. It was worth the detour, and the fun of finding the place. Look out for it on your craft travels! So my visit concluded with seeing the ubiquitous Urraca Vendavel on tap, but not sampling it, because there were so many other brews to sample, some of which I’ve ...
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6.2.40 HopSin Brew Pub

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Avenida do Atlântico 1, Colares Location HERE . On the main road from Sintra to the beaches of Praia Grande and Praia das Maças is the brewery tap for one of the best-known microbreweries in the Greater Lisbon area. Inside the bar, a screen divides the seating area from the brewing operation. There is a whole slate of HopSin brews on offer, including an excellent session IPA, which is genuine session strength (4%). Food from snacks to main courses and sharing plates is also available. You can sit outside, or even upstairs, where there is a terrace. One pleasant surprise is the amount of passing trade, people who stop off on their way from or to beaches, hiking trails, or just craft beer aficionados. It’s a relaxed vibe, way away from the city and its urban sprawl. The bus stops outside the door, as does the Sintra-Atlântico tram, which in peak summer season is an open-sided “ toastrack ” car. Bus 1254 (timetable HERE ) runs between Portela de Sintra station and the beaches (CAUTION it ...
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6.2.39 Musa Aldeia da Praia

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Antiga Colonia de Ferias da CP, Avenida do Atlântico, Colares Location HERE . The site is usually referred to as Aldeia da Praia, and is on the land side of the main N375 road that leads from Sintra to Praia das Maças, Azenhas do Mar and beyond. To get here by local public transport, you’ll need a Navegante card charged with sufficient credit and used in Zapping mode. Or pay by contactless. It’s the part of Sintra that most day trippers miss, unless they’re beach and/or surf people. The Musa beer outlet is in a building that looks like it was once a windmill - or maybe it was a lighthouse, though the latter is doubtful, given the distance from the sea. Their own food counter - you order with your beer - is just across the seating area. There are lots of other food options available, including the inevitable pizza, empanadas, Thai and Japanese cuisine. Musa Cindi Lager and Psycho Pilsner sell well here, mainly because this is a place for summer months and sea breezes. If you’ve been to...
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