The Lisbon Connection » DJ

Lisbon’s famous nightlife: Bar Portas Largas Bairro Alto & gay crowd

Julie Kruijs — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:58:58 +0000

A good place to start a night in Bairro Alto, one of Europe’s hottest an cheapest nigthspots, is Portas Largas, Rua da Atalaia 105, as it opens his doors early, at about 17:00 already. The official name means ‘Wide Doors’, but this place is also known as ‘Record’ because it’s in the same building as the newspaper with this name. Everyone gets a warm welcome, especially the gay crowd. Unfortunately nowadays many dealers are hanging around offering you hasj or coke outside on the street.

Portas Largas, March 2009.

Lisbon Gay Guide - Overview of gay clubs, discos and parties with address and maps.

Picture: Rene van Gijn

Looking for a vacation apartment to stay in this street?

June 2009, Rua da Atalaia

Whether you’re gay or straight: you’ re welcome! Portas Largas is an extremely popular bar with a friendly crew. People from all over the world meet here drinking Caipirinha’s , (€4) coctails or beer (€3 ), served in plastic cups to make it easier carrying for drinking in the street.

Inside the bar on a Saturday night in April. The ambiance is laid back and relaxed.

Portas Largas is a distinguished place in Bairro Alto. On Saturdays they have live (and good) music and the rest of the week there’s a DJ.

The building is a converted old Portuguse tasca (tavern), with many original details like the azulejos (Portuguese tiles) on the walls.

Portas Largas, Rua Atalaia 105, Lisbon. Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 20:00 – 02:00; Sundays 21:00 – 02:00

Website I Love Bairro Alto, great information!

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Bicaense lounge Bar Lisbon, a great spot for dancing near Bairro Alto & champaign

Julie Kruijs — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:19:36 +0000

Cool lounge bar in Lisbon with a laid-back vibe. Bicaense is very popular with a youthful and stylish, Portuguese crowd. Located on a rather steep street, Rua da Bica Duarte Belo, 38-42, Santa Catarina, climbed by the famous Bica funicular. Bairro Alto, nearby, is a fantastic area to explore the vibrant and alternative nightlife in Lisbon.

The Bicaense bar is split into two rooms, the first is a smoking permitted lounge area.

Cheers! Laura’ s (second right) midnight birthday surprise: champaign.

Caipirinhas and champaign: we had a great time that night!

In the second room the resident DJs pumping out hip house to really get people in the mood for dancing.

DJ Paulo

This bar is a great spot to hit before visiting Lisbon’s clubs like the legendary ’Blues Cafe’ (open till 04:00 am), Rua Cintura do Puerto do Lisboa 3-4, Docas de Alcantâra, or world famous club Lux , Website

In case the bar is too crowded: you can always take your drinks outside!

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Bairro Alto at night: ‘A Capela’ famous bar in Lisbon & owner DJ Pedro Silva, very goodlooking

Julie Kruijs — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:55:46 +0000

Rua da Atalaia, Bairro Alto Lisbon, June 27, 02:00, 2009

Bairro Alto in Lisbon is posssibly one of the best spots in Europe for a night out! Wander through the lanes of bars, fado houses and clubs – every night hundreds of people are drinking mojitos and cheap beer out of plastic cups, listening to everything from samba to African rhythms, but mainly electro and techno.

‘A Capela’ is one of the most popular bars in Lisbon’s heart of funky bars and restaurants. Of what was once a chapel (Capela) only some stones remain.

Owner and DJ Pedro Silva, very nice and very goodlooking! Club and wine bar ‘A Capela, Rua Atalaia, 45 Lisbon. Open 18:00 – 02:00 daily.

Everyday in A Capela there’s a different DJ, mainly electronic music but very eclectic and super competent. Check it on Pedro’s myspace website

Besides: Pedro Silva ’s charming and cosy old house in Alfama is for rent, near São Jorge’s Castle in Lisbon.

Bairro Alto, Rua da Atalaia, June 2009. June is the month of the Festas dos Santos Populares (Feast Days of the Popular Saints, a mix of religion and sex). The Lisbon nights are filled with lively festivities that take over the city’s historical center.

Bairro Alto, August 2009. Picture: René van Gijn

Picture: René van Gijn

I love Bairro Alto

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Favorite places in Lisbon: Cafe Noobai & amazing views over the river Tejo!

Julie Kruijs — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:38:10 +0000

Certainly one of the favorite places of many Lisbon locals and visitors of the city. The entrance of Cafe Noobai is located on Miradoura (viewpoint) de Santa Catarina, also known as Adamastor.

This bar and restaurant is certainly worth a visit because of the wonderful view over the Tejo river side, the relaxed ambience and the nice people. You will find yourself coming back to this place every day after the first visit.

You can bring your laptop, there’s a wifi connection you can use and there’s salad’s, sandwiches and soups, special teas and fresh juices. And of course caipirinha’s. Noobai is excellent to cool off after a hot summer’s day. In winter you can sit with a fleece blanket on the terrace.

The name Noobai comes from ‘Nu bai’ which means ‘we go’ in the creole dialect from Cabo Verde. The owners of the place are Susana and Edy and many regular visitors are friends. Sometimes on Sundays there are DJ’s playing relaxed tunes on the terrace.

info@noobaicafe.com www.noobaicafe.com Miradouro do Adamastor (Sta. Catarina) Lisboa Telf.: 21 346 50 14 Timetable: 12 am > 12 pm. Opened daily.

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Clubs: World famous club in Lisbon Lux Fragil

Julie Kruijs — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:35:08 +0000

Many experts say this is one of the best clubs in Europe. A three floor building on a unique location along the river Tejo, near train station Santa Apolónia.

After his succes with the Bairro Alto club Fragil, Manuel Reis used his experiences in creating this trendy hotspot together with associate John Malkovitch (yes, you are right, the actor). This club is certainly still one of the top clubs in town, but the glory days were the opening year 1999 up until about 5 years ago (I’m sorry, but we have to be honest). Still worth a visit though, not in the last place for the top musical attractions you will find here. The view from the gigantic balcony also remains unbeatable.

The place is divided in three floors. On ground floor you will find the club area, a rectangle and dark room with two bars and a stage. First floor is a bar and lounge, with a smaller open space in the middle for dancing. But go to the balcony first and take your time to enjoy the riverview. The decoration of the bar/ lounge changes at least every half year (my personal favourite was the era that the whol place was filled with enourmous beenbags and ‘pouffes’). The second floor is a roofterrace, only open in summer.

Lux fragil open it’s doors for clubbers usually around midnight, but the best time to arrive is from 3.00 till 5.00. As most bars in Bairro Alto close around 2:00 am, all barowners, DJ’s and nightflies choose where to go. Doors close at 5:00. But the club stays open till about 08:00 or 09:00.
There’s many concerts in Lux as well, starting earlier. For an agenda of the clubnights and the concerts visit the luxfragil website.

Resident DJ’s

All major DJ’s from Europe play in Lux, but there are a few Portuguese stars that made their way to the top behind the desks in Lux fragil.

Probably the most famous of them all is DJ Vibe. Check out some of his mixes on his myspace page. Or take a look at his website. He’s one of the residents in Lux and of course a well-known producer. I found a good biography for you as well.

Rui Vargas is no doubt one of the Lux fragil dinosaurs. You can see him in Lux almost every week.

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