The Oest Files: September 2014

ROOFTOP BARS:

Barrio Alto Hotel: take the lift to the top floor and then walk the last floor. Small and often busy (you can't book) but a great view
Park: Walk up through the carpark (Calcada do Combro) to the top floor and it opens out to a wonderful rooftop garden with a cracking view
Insolito: also a restaurant - lovely view overlooking the city, towards the Castello
Not actually a rooftop: Miradouro Sao Pedro Alcantara. - but a park with a fantastic view over the city. Grab some beers / wine and sit out here

BARS:

Best area is Cais do Sodré for bars. I like Pensao Amor. Also there are a couple of discos there which you can then go to. People generally stay outside having drinks.
Just walk around Barrio Alto and Alfama - no shortage of bars
Panorama Bar: Top of the Sheraton - smashing view. Actually the food is quite good - quite expensive

FAVOURITE RESTAURANTS:

Cervejaria Ramiro Best seafood in the world, great price, take a cab to get there
Belcanto Michelin star, Chiado
O Talho Modern Alentejo, Avenida Liberdade
Cantinho do Avillez Informal place from a Michelin-star chef, Chiado
MiniBar Modern take on an american bistro with a Michelin Star-esque heritage / Portuguese spin
Café Lisboa From the Belcanto guy. Typical Lisbon food in a semi-laid-back-semi-formal setting in the Sao Luis opera house café, Chiado
Sea Me Very good fish place, on the expensive side, Chiado
Restaurante Cabaça Hot stone steak - cheap and cheerful and a great way to start a night in Barrio Alto
Café Buenos Aires Excellent steak in a relaxed family style quaint restaurant
Chafariz do vinhoChafariz do Vinho Wine and tapas in an aquaduct
Zebras do Combro restaurante Simple, fast and good Portuguese food

THINGS TO EAT

Pastel de Nata - eat like them like there will be none tomorrow
Bacalhau (cod fish): Pataniscas de bacalhau, bolinhos de bacalhau, bacalhau a gomes de sá, bacalhau a braz, bacalhau a ze do pipo
Seafood, seafood, seafood
Cabrito (Lamb)
Cozido á Portuguesa (heavy)
Whenever it says Alentejo and Black Pig in the same sentence, eat it (best if the sentence also includes the word "pig cheek"
Tripas á moda do Porto (heavy - tripes)
Ameijoas a Bolhao Pato (clams) and Carne de Porco a Alentejana (pork with clams)
Percebes: Gooseneck barnacles - just like sucking from the ocean
Cheese: Queijo da Serra and Queijo de Azeitão

And don't forget to drink ginjinha at all the little bars dotted around the city.

THINGS TO DO

In Lisbon: there are few 'sights' per se to see. Best to wander down Avenide Liberdade, the long boulevard, down the hill into the city. There are plenty of downtown streets to wander down. Praça do Comércio is the main square at the foreshore that is quite nice and a good spot to sit in the sun to eat and drink. The other areas for exploring are Barrio Alto and Alfama - plenty of restaurants, bars and old stuff to look at
Belem is a tram ride from Lisbon centre. Its the home of the famous portuguese tarts that the masses line up for. There is the big monastery and a museam of contemporary art. A walk along the harbour at Belem up to the Torre de Belem is quite nice.
Sintra is worth a visit for a touristy day trip - the castles are quite quaint amongst the rolling hills. Although the traffic gets jammed up in Sintra it is a very beautiful part of Portugal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/travel/how-i-fell-for-lisbon.html?_r=0 gives a good feel for the city.

The best english speaking website for clubs / food etc:
http://www.golisbon.com/

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