The location, right next to the river Tagus, is an ideal place to take just a coffee or a beer after a walk in the center of Lisbon, a typical Portuguese lunch or a romantic night and dinner for 2….

The very old wooden building of the restaurant has a long history.  It was built in 1904, used by the Fiscal Guards (Guarda Fiscal) as an observation post to watch the ‘contrabando’ (smugglers) who arrived by boat from overseas.

Inside the restaurant you can see a picture of the original building.

Three times a fire destroyed parts of the building. In the 30’s it was rebuilt and during the second World War, it was used for operations in support of Jewish people, trying to catch a boat to America. (Portugal was a neutral country).

José Carlos Viejas, the owner of Restaurant ‘Guarda Rio‘ since 1994, and the very friendly waiter Carlos Antunes.

My lunch; a delicious grilled dorado (also known as dolphin-fish) 9 euro, a glass of white wine (um copo de vinho branco) 2,00, small bottle of water (agua) 1:00.

José Carlos Viejas: “in 1994 I bought this place. Due to the fire that destroyed the building it was rebuilt from scratch, going to host a nice coffee house/restaurant with two floors and large windows to show how beautiful the Tagus is”.

September 2008

There are 2 terraces just above river level, one is covered.

Restaurant Marisqueira Guarda Rio
Rua da Cintura Armazem 22, Cais do Sodré, Lisbon
Antigo Pavilhão da Guarda Fiscal
Thursday, Friday and Saturday open from 11:00h/02:00h
Monday – Wednesday from 11:00/ 24:00h
Sunday from 19:00

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Here you can enjoy the restaurant, the nightclub (Fridays and Saturdays, 1am to 5am) and the bars, where ambience music alternates with live music shows. There are four bars (smoking and non-smoking) and lounge areas with large comfortable chairs.

Downstairs, the enormous place is divided into a smoking and a non-smoking lounge area (20-25 people in each area), also offering the possibility for a romantic dinner. If you wish you can have dinner upstairs, there’s also a cosy bar and an elegant lounge for dining.

The crew is very professional and dynamic. Dulcineia Miranda (r). The bars of BluesCafé offer a comfortable and cosy atmosphere. A glass of house wine €2, beer €3 to €5.

On Fridays and Saturdays disco opens at 01.00 until 05.00 am. The musical choice includes the commercial hits of the moment, disco, Latin and the eighties. More… Blues‘ interior is richly decorated with mahogany and palm trees (some of which reach almost the ceiling). There’s an outdoor terrace overlooking the yacht harbour of Lisbon.

Angelia Oliveira

The international recognised cuisine offers next to various dishes, 5 menus (one vegetarian) €42 – €49, Portuguese wines from different regions €5,50 – €98 a bottle and, for a special occasion, champaign (Moet et Chandon) €70 – €250 (Dom Perignon Vintage).

We enjoyed clams and mussels ceviche €11,75, Coquilles St. Jacques €9,25, ‘Voodoo’ chicken’ €10,50 and veal sirloin steak with rose pepper sauce €16,50.

The white house wine is a Portuguese gem: Lisa, produced on the slopes of Serra da Arrábida, Sado region, €9,50 a bottle.

One of the delicious desserts (Portugese: sobremesas): paper-thin crispy pastry with strawberries and ice cream €5,50.

June 2009. The Dutch Portuguese Chamber of Commerce monthly business drink

The yacht harbour of Lisbon. Blues Cafe, part of a row of former warehouses, on the leftside.

Blues, Rua Cintura Porto Armz H Nave 3, 1200 Lisbon.
blues@bluescafe.pt
Restaurant open from 20:00pm – 01:00am
Bar: 20:00 – 04:00 am
Closed Sunday and Monday. Tel. 00351 213957085

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Definitely one of the coolest bars of the city! You can get there from Rua da Costa do Castelo, the neighborhood of The Castle of St. Jorge (Castelo de São Jorge).

Sergio Curto: ‘O Terraço’ opened about two years ago, the building belongs to the government. We also serve some snacks, toast and ‘2 plates of the day’. Opening times: daily from 12:00 – 24:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 – 01:00.’  Caipirinha: € 4, Mojito € 5 , a secret recipe

Update September ‘09: ‘O Terraco’ , one of Lisbon’s beloved terrace cafés, has just closed and in a few months a new restaurant will take its place. More….

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Walking from Praça do Comércio in the direction to Alfama, you will get to Rua dos Bacalhoeiros. The famous 28 tram (electrico) passes here on its way to the Santa Apolonia station.

This part of the street is really beautiful. The small restaurants with a terrace outside are popular; even in wintertime when the sun is shining you can enjoy a beer or have lunch outside.

My favorite terrace, just near ‘Casa dos Bicos’ is ‘Adega do Atum (tummy)’, a small restaurant with a few tables on the pavement at the front, close to the road near the Tagus river. The waiters are very friendly and not too agressive. They serve excellent traditional fish and meat meals and have the Portuguese Sagres beer on tap (imperial). Try ‘Salade de Atum’ (€ 7 ) for lunch!

Casa dos Bicos (House of the pointed stones). This Palace was built in the early 16th century, a notable part of Lisbon’s heritage and one of the few examples with traces of the 15th C. architecture. The residence was built by the Albuquerque family. From 1981 to 1982, Casa dos Bicos was the site of excavations, many archaelogical findings were unearthed (ceramic and glass pieces a.o.). The upper two floors were destroyed by the earthquake in 1755 and were only rebuilt in the 1980s. Worth a visit!

You will find various tourist shops in this street. Silva & Feijó, Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 117/118 on the other side of Casa dos Bicos, sells a.o. wines and typical Portuguese handicrafts.

Lunchtime in Lisbon. This part of the street is filled with lots of restaurants, from traditional Portuguese to Chinese. A Churrasqueira is a restaurant serving grilled meat or fish, many offering as much as you can eat: the waiters move around the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto your plate. Frango de Churrasco with piri piri (a kind of salty roasted chicken spiced with hot red chili sauce) is very popular.

Restaurant Churrasqueira Santo António. Carlos Marcalo, Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 133, invites you to try their ‘espetada‘, a typical Portuguese dish made of large chunks of fish or beef rubbed in garlic and salt with vegetables such as onions and bell peppers. 

Luís Vieira.

Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery), nr 34. Wonderful very old preserved-fish store with hundreds of colourful tins of the Portuguese favorite fish. This shop opened 80 years ago, nothing has changed.

Rua do do Comércio , “The shit of today will fertilize the morning…” building drawing, just around the corner of Rua dos Bacalhoeiros and Rua da Madalena.   More……

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Rua Garett, June 2008. On the background cafe ‘A Brasileira’ terrace. You will see young locals here just socialising or window shopping.

The most famous street of Lisbon, that mixes traditional chic and modern commercial shops, is also beloved by tourists.

Cafe ‘A Brasileira’ (Rua Garrett 120) is famous for having had the enigmatic poet Fernando Pessoa  (1888-1935) among his customers. Pessoa still has his table in bronze on the terrace (the work of sculptor Lagoa Henriques). The man has no idea he’s mobbed by lots of tourists, all day long! Even today this coffeehouse is popular with writers. The downstairs seating area is a favourite with locals for a set lunch of traditional Portuguese specialties. The cafe once was the setting for tertulías literárias (lively discussion groups) in which debate would often culminate in chair throwing, cup smashing and brawls.

‘A Brasileira’ (’The Brazilian woman’), opened in 1905 as a shop selling genuine Brazilian coffee. It was the first shop to sell the ‘bica’, a small cup of strong coffee, similar to espresso.

The interior of ’A Brasileira’ is grandiose: decorated in Art Deco style, with a green-and-gold entrance, mirrored walls, brass fittings, and a long oak bar.

However: bad service and inattentive staff  for tourists. It’s a very popular tourist destination, and prices are high.

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Laid out in 1860 with lots of exotic plants, the garden hosts a handicraft- and ecological products bazaar on specific days of the week.

After shopping people like to take a break here. Rua dom Pedro V  is one of the most interesting streets of Lisbon to walk around. There’s lots of boutiques, traditional antique shops, art galleries and colorful historical buildings.

Beautiful trees and terraces to drink your bica (espresso). The atmosphere is very relaxed..This park is an extension of Bairro Alto,  a gay-friendly place in which plenty of bars and clubs are in easy reach.  More about gay clubs and bars in the neighborhood

Beautiful small kiosk.  More examples of Moorish kiosks  near beautiful viewpoints, favorite tourist attractions, some recommended restaurants and how to get there

Rua dom Pedro V, # 26 : Arabesque Ribeiro da Cunha Palace, dating from 1877, now housing a university department.

Gallery Fabrico Infinito, a very fancy art gallery in Principe Real in Rua dom Pedro V, # 74

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Rua dom Pedro V, May 2008.

Take the time to observe them, like in Rua Dom Pedro V in Principe Real (which means Real Prince) area, near Bairro Alto. a wonderful avenue for shopping. There’s lots of boutiques, traditional antique shops and art galleries.

Fabrico Infinito is a very fancy new art gallery in Principe Real in Rua dom Pedro V, 74. Beautiful chandeliers!

Owners: Marcela Brunken, born in Brasilia. Marcela lived and worked in Germany for a few years; and Tanja Baur, from Germany. The gallery is open from 11:00 – 19:00 daily, except Sundays and Mondays.

In tea room “Exotico & Classico’ in the garden you feel like a princess in a fairy tale!

They serve simply amazing cakes and tea and much more…

The bill?  A tea (cha) and a muffin de Cenour (home made) 4,70 euro.

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Cais do Sodré, boat to Cacilhas (near the railway station)

Cacilhas is a picturesque neighborhood in the banks of the river best known by its Cervejarias (traditional beer houses) also offering shellfish, seafood, and fresh fish.

Restaurant/Cervejaria “Farol” (lighthouse) is just by the ferry-terminal, the food is finger licking good! We enjoyed a fresh dourada (sea bream)

From restaurant ‘Farol’ you can walk along the river to the elevator of the famous Cristo Rei statue and enjoy the wonderful view on downtown Lisbon.

After passing some abandoned and ruinous warehouses and 2 restaurants, ‘Attire-te-ao-rio’, which means ‘throw yourself into the river’, and restaurant Ponto Final, you can go by elevator to reach the Cristo Rei statue.

Restaurant ‘Attire-te-ao-rio’, a Brasilian restaurant and a perfect romantic location for a great dinner overlooking Lisbon by night.

Restaurant ‘Ponto Final’

Excellent menu, amazing view, especially while the sun is fading.

Elevator to reach the Cristo Rei Statue.

A sweeping view of the city and Ponte 25 de Abril (25th of April Bridge) from the top of the 82m (270ft) high pedestal (by elevator). This enormous monument is built in 1959 in thanks to God for having spared Portugal during World War II, inspired by the famous statue in Rio de Janeiro. ‘God opens his arms to the city’. View from Cristo Rei Movie

You can go back to the Cacilhas ferry terminal by bus # 101 (0,8 euro).

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Amidst all these special products you can sit down and have something to eat. The cafe is famous for the sandwiches, salads and teas. Opened from Monday till Saturday (10h00 – 20h00).

The shop is located in downtown Lisbon (Baixa) at Rua da Assunção 22, and is open from Monday till Saturday (10h.00 – 20h00). New outlet store  just around the corner, Rua Douradores 119

The terrace outside the shop is very popular, located right in the center of the city.

Visit their website

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Walking on, up Calçada de St. Andre you will cross a remarkable shoeshop (on number 41 a). Anyone under the impression that only women are fond of fashionable women’s shoes and have their cuboards stuffed with hundreds of pairs is proven wrong by Senhor Raimundo Ferão. He collects women’s shoes for almost all his life, but only new pairs from the era 1940-1970. Sometimes he sells a pair, but his store is more like a museum and to be fair: the shoes are a bit dusty. Raimundo Ferão is considering closing his shop, but it would be a shame if his collection would be lost.

Raimundo Ferão in his shoeshop, Calçada de St. Andre #41 a

Then you turn left and continue your voyage up the steep street Calçada da Graça. Just before arriving on Largo da Graça, you will find Miradouro da Graça on your left hand sight. You can’t miss it.

Sit down, have a bica (coffee) and enjoy the wonderful view over the city, the 25th April Brigde and the Cristo Rei Monument

Near this viewpoint you’ll find the Graça Church, built in 1271 with Baroque interior and 17th century tiles

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