Lisbon City Guide

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Check out our recommendations for the Portuguese capital and send us your ideas and suggestions below.

SEE: To get a sense of the history and tradition of Fado, head for the Museo do Fado, which will tell you everything you'll ever need to know about one of the world's richest musical cultures. Then wander through Alfama; an old-fashioned maze of streets dating back to Moorish times that is exactly the sort of neighborhood from which Fado emerged in the early 19th century. Continue climbing to the cinematic Castelo de Sao Jorge for some of the best views over the city. Baixa is the ceremonial showpiece of Lisbon, an elegant, spacious district re-built after the earthquake of 1755 in accordance with orderly neo-classicalism of the age. Underneath it though you can visit the Nucleo Arqueologico, the ruins of a first century Roman spa. For a taste of Lisbon's maritime heritage, head for Belem on the banks of the Tagus, from where Vasco da Gama once set sail and now an architectural museum to the riches of the age of the discovery. Art lovers also shouldn't miss the Museu Gulbenkian, home to one of Europe's great unheralded collections. As a city of hills and water, Lisbon has its share of spectacular bridges. The most spectacular is Ponte 25 de Abril, designed by the same architect as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, though it's no fun during rush hour.

BE SEEN: Lisbon's liveliest nightlife is located in the Bairro Alto (Upper City) neighborhood, located just east of Baixa on top of one of the city's hills and the perfect place to sip a caiphirinha while savoring a panoramic view over the Tagus. Popular bars include Estadio, Pavilhao Chines and Clube da Esquina, as well as Fado favorite Tasca do Chico and the plush charms of the Instituto do Vinho do Porto. Many of the city's best Fado tavernas are in the Alfama, home to Clube de Fado and the exclusive Senhor Vinho, which often feature's Portugal's best Fado musicians and is where Mariza started singing. For a wider range of music, including jazz and Brazilian, check out Speakeasy, one of the growing number of bars and clubs in the riverside Docas. The revitalised area is also home to Lux, Lisbon's hippest club, which is run by the same people behind the city's original superclub, Fragil in Bairro Alto, an institution since the 1980s. Kremlin in Madragoa provides the atmospheric, if slightly surreal, experience of partying in a former monastery.

EAT: Traditional Portuguese fare usually consists of seafood -- sardinhas assadas (charcoal-gripped sardines) and arroz de marisco (seafood rice) being local specialities -- accompanied by Fado music, and, as with nightlife, Bairro Alto and the Alfama are the obvious starting points. Adega do Ribatejo in the former and O Beco in the latter set themselves apart from the tourist taps. Even among the other seafood feasts on offer in Bairro Alto, 1º de Maio stands out and is always packed out with locals while Gambrinus offers a slightly more upmarket alternative. Red-blooded carnivores should head for the Brazilian-themed Sul, where diners get to grill their own steaks on hot plates at their table. Other South American-themed options include the fashionable La Moneda and Cafe a Brasileira, once frequented by the poet Fernando Pessoa whose statue now mingles with diners on the terrace. Casa do Leao is one of the most atmospheric dineries in the city, set in the grounds of Castelo de Sao Jorge with high quality cuisine to match. Finally, for a gourmet blowout amid the Lisbon's glam and gourgeous, book yourself a table at Bairro Alto's appetizingly hip Pap'Acorda.

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