The Perfect Night Out In Lisbon
On our visit to Lisbon, we often remarked that it felt like a city run by young people. The modern, forward thinking restaurant scene contrasted with the historical surroundings created a cultural juxtaposition between old and new at every corner. Every night we found new places we wanted to try, whether it was a cool New York inspired pizza joint or a hip bar with great cocktails and DJs spinning vinyl.
For our perfect Lisbon weekend, we met up with friends from home and celebrated our European adventure with dinner and drinks while enjoying the exhilarating nightlife of Lisbon. Here are our recommendations so you can have the best night out in Portugal’s capital.
A great night out starts in the afternoon, and The Coffee is a premier place to grab something to give you energy, whether that’s cold brew, matcha, or one of their other unique and brilliant concoctions.
This is a place that perfectly mixes tradition with invention. The food is a mix of Portuguese, French, and Italian influences, with a lot of classics like steak tartare. The wine list consists of all natural, biodynamic wines, and we had a bottle of Orange Pet Nat that we still think about to this day. It is quite small and they only take cash so make sure to plan ahead.
Feeling indecisive? Time Out Market is a great choice for those who want choices. The online publication that spawned this market has a saying “If it’s good it goes in the magazine, if it’s great it goes in the market”. Here you can get everything from top notch burgers to traditional Portuguese classics, and amazing desserts. The bar has a range of signature and classic cocktails too, so it’s a great stop on a bar hopping tour!
This is a place that just oozes cool. DJs spin vinyl here most days of the week, and the menu has some Portuguese classics mixed with other cuisines, like the Cuban influence from which the place gets its name. The cocktails shine here and it’s a place that constantly reinvents itself, with chefs changing the menu every week.
Need some carbs to soak up some of those drinks? Vesuviano is a great place to grab a quick bite, with pizza and sandwiches being their speciality. Located in a central location we really enjoyed everything we had here, especially the bronze-cut ravioli.
For a nightcap Cinco Lounge is a perfect place to go. British mixologist Dave Palenthorne moved to Lisbon to open this place, and it is a connoisseur’s paradise… for those looking for something refined and interesting.
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