In the best STORES, menswear comes first

It hurts to admit, but it’s true: guys win the fashion game in the Portuguese capital. My (girl-)friend and I left even the most promising stores underwhelmed and deeply confused by the mix of happy-camper-meets-boho-vibes. If you’re joined by a handsome fella, however (like we were), you’ll have fun browsing through +351, Arches or Homecore, the subsidiary of the Paris brand. Here, you might even bump into Alexandre Guarneri, the utterly charismatic founder who looks like your best case scenario at 45. And for all the girls: The best shot at scoring a chic souvenir will present itself at contemporary concept stores The Feeting Room or House of Curated. Good luck.

+351, Rua da Boavista 81C
Arches Global, Largo do Corpo Santo 14 Loja
Homecore, R. de São Bento 96
The Feeting Room, Calçada do Sacramento 26
House of Curated, Rua Presidente Arriaga 174

(Natural) WINES on the street & cocktails in the dark

When you’re the kind of person who drinks a glass of wine for lunch and feels like a follow-up by 4pm (latest), you’ll want to know where to find the best wine bars. In Lisbon, our favorites were tiny but already buzzing in the afternoon: Holy Wine is more of a hole in the wall than anything else, and you’ll likely enjoy your glass in the middle of the street. At Black Sheep, chances that you see the place from the inside are even smaller, but the waiters who are as competent as they are kind will happily let you taste multiple juices by the entrance. After dark, Toca da Raposa is the place for a night cap (or a date): It serves refined cocktails with funny names, has a beautifully brutalist interior and is so incredibly dark, you’ll have a hard time seeing the toilet.

Holy Wine, Calçada da Estrela 15
Black Sheep, Praça das Flores 62
Toca da Raposa, R. da Condessa 45

Share PLATES, but never dessert

My first piece of advice: When in doubt, opt for loose pants. Because the food in Portugal ain’t kidding, and you don’t want to miss out on anything. My second piece: never skip the sweets – especially not the Pasteis de Nata at Manteigaria (a local friend told me that this is where you get the best ones and «don’t even question me on that»), or the dark chocolate mousse with olive oil and sea salt at Taberna da Rua das Flores. But you don’t need to have a sweet tooth to enjoy Lisbon’s culinary offers to the fullest (literally): at Senhor Uva, they serve delicious veggies & wines and at Estrela da Bica, you’ll find yourself sitting in an old town alleyway, sharing plates that were recently approved by Dua Lipa. Aforementioned friend also recommended in-demand Dahlia, Michelin-starred Arkhe and Galeto, an institution in Saldanha.

Manteigaria, Rua do Loreto 2
Taberna da Rua das Flores, Rua das Flores 103
Senhor Uva, R. de Santo Amaro 66A
Estrela da Bica, Tv. do Cabral 33
Dahlia, Tv. do Carvalho 13
Arkhe, Boqueirão do Duro 46
Galeto, Av. da República 14
© Senhor Uva

Historical houses and modern interiors: STAYING in the best of both worlds

If money wasn’t one of 99 problems, there would be no doubt about where to stay in Lisbon: Santa Clara 1728, an incredible Palazzo-turned-boutique-hotel situated in the old and romantic Alfama district. As part of Silent Living’s divine hotel selection, this, too, is a highly exclusive yet incredibly tasteful hideaway. A little less luxurious, but equally charismatic is Baixa House, a well-located townhouse with thirteen apartment-style units. I would 100% book the Azulejo-tiled property again. Two other accomodations that I looked into were the minimalist guesthouse Casa C’Alma and the trendy Hotel Hotel. In Sintra, the fairytale-like mountain village 25km outside Lisbon, there’s only one place you need to know: Marqí.

Santa Clara 1728, Campo de Santa Clara 128 RC
Baixa House, R. dos Fanqueiros 81
Casa C’Alma, Praça das Flores 48 1º
Hotel Hotel, Tv. Glória 22
Marqí, Estr. do Rodízio 86
© Baixa House

The endless possibilities of COFFEE and sugar

Out of five recommendations that I received before visiting the city, at least four were coffee and brunch places. So, let’s make it quick: Hello, Kristof serves divine breakfast, lunch and pastries and offers a big selection of magazines to read while indulging in just that. Magnolia is a charming café at daytime and bistrot at nighttime, situated in a corner building and with big, open windows. Rather buzzy places for juices & bowls are Café Janis or Heim Café. Specialty coffees and Matchas are the expertise of Comoba and Café São. Last but not least, Dear Breakfast, a restaurant with locations in Bica, Chiado and Alfama, is an ode to the supposedly most important meal of the day, and serves morning foods until 5pm.

Hello, Kristof, R. do Poço dos Negros 103
Magnolia, R. do Poço dos Negros 103
Café Janis, R. Moeda 1A
Heim Café, R. Santos-O-Velho 2 e 4
Comoba, Rua da Boavista 88 92
Café São, Rua são bento 102
Dear Breakfast, various locations

One to follow: Lisbon’s most CREATIVE duo

Towards the end of the pandemic, an image popped up on my Instagram feed that instantly caught my eye: It was a collection of four cocktail glasses made of sea shells, partly filled up with colorful liquor. Posted by an anonymous account, I quickly tracked down the photo’s creators: Centá, an artist duo based in Lisbon. I learned that its founders, Lera and Viktor Komskii – were the owners of a little flower shop outside the city, specializing in eclectic bouquets and fancy cocktails. A year later, they mainly focus on floral design, food styling and creative direction, bravely arranging blossoms with bread or roses with octopus. Their cocktail glasses with thorns are another favorite, but the real star of the whole profile is the three tier butter cake which might just be the one I’ll order on my upcoming birthday.
© Centá