4 exposition rooms, 2 bookstores, 3 shops, a bar, a restaurant, a terrace…. all this is Fábrica Braço de Prata. And I think I still forgot half of it.

This cultural venue is located on the former location of an armaments factory. Swords to ploughs one may say! It’s a bit out of the way (located near the docks, between Santa Apolónia and Expo) and not that known actually.

It’s a very accessible and fun way to sniff some culture. The crowd is young and dynamic. Due to the variety of rooms and bars, there is always something interesting going on. From time to time (in the warm months) there’s a tent outside for concerts.

Listen to a Bossa Nova concerts, see an exposition or just have a drink. Check out the agenda online!

There is also a nice bookstore inside the building.

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Fábrica Braço de Prata | Art & culture, Bars, Music | everything € 5.00
Rua da Fábrica de Material de Guerra | Riverside | +351967435743
Ticket office: Wed – Sat 20:00 – 02:00, Sun 16:00 – 22:00

So many bars in Bairro Alto, why go to Capela? Owner and resident-DJ Pedro is one of the main embassadors of Elektropop in Lisbon. Music never comes second place in Capela.

Prepare yourself for a kaleidoscope of people and styles and just let go! It looks a bit trashy, but you will get used to it.

When most bars are winding down late at night, Capela keeps just getting better. And since the place is rather small and narrow, you are guaranteed to meet lots of people.

Great combo: late dinner at Império dos Sentidos (next door) and then off to Capela.

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Capela | Bars, Music | Bacardi Limon € 4.00
Rua da Atalaia 45 | Bairro Alto | +351213470072
20:00 – 02:00 daily

Since I am not Portuguese, I usually would not care about visiting a foreign country association in Lisbon, other than my own (Brazilian). But out of the blue my friends invited me to have lunch in this Cape Verdean restaurant and I accepted, and thank God I did, because only now I found out this treasure in the heart of Lisbon!

The place is located on the top of a commercial building, so if you don’t know exactly where it is, you cannot even notice. Once you get there, by elevator, you enter in a wide room, with really nice views over the city.

The place is rather simple, but, believe me, quite packed. So it’s better to make a reservation beforehand. The food is gorgeous and very tasty. The staff is very kind and efficient. Try the famous “Cachupa” (low cooked stew of corn, beans, and meat), or a tempting chicken creole or, like I did, a wonderful onion tuna steak, along with rice and beans.

If you dare, go there on a Thursday, and you will witness good live Cape Verdean music, the famous “Morna“, and a lot of people dancing happily while you have your delicious lunch. I know, sounds very strange, but it’s a perfect unique experience!

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Cape Verdean Association | Music, Restaurants (Cape-verdean) | Meal & drinks € 10
Rua Duque de Palmela N º 2 – 8º | Liberdade | +351213531932
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 14:30

This is the only place in Europe that I actually order a hot-dog. Not that I think the others are disgusting or something like that, but this hot-dog made by HOTDOG LOVERS is the only one worth eating, in my humble opinion. They are giant, they are well filled, they are delicious! And most of all, you can eat your hot-dog delighting the most famous avenue in Lisbon.

They sell four types of hot-dogs, the normal one (very good!), the complete one (with cabbage), the chilli and the vegetarian. All of them in a special bread, filled with special sauces, fries and lots of cheese. Oh, and the sausage.

Other than the food, this spot is really cool during the weekend, at night. A lot of music and people on the street, open air. Really cool!

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Hotdog Lovers | Bars, Music, Snacks | Hotdog & drink € 5
Av. da Liberdade, posto 2 | Avenidas
Mon – Wed 10:00 – 23:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 02:00

Although LOSTin is the continuation of the LOSTin India shop, the Bar and restaurant is a star itself, an oasis inside one of the hippest neighbourhoods in Lisbon, along with the best view possible over the city.

LOSTin is an Indian snack-like restaurant. And what does that mean? It means it serves meals like toasts, wraps and sandwiches, but with a Indian flavour in it. It’s all exquisitely delicious. I have tasted the scrambled eggs with farinheira (a peculiar Portuguese sausage), the ham toast with cheese and onion jam and the Portobello mushrooms. They were all delicious with that indian-oriental taste which is perfect for my palate. I was also told that their vegetarian hamburger is a must, which I haven’t tried yet. For drinking I suggest their lemonade, a perfect specimen of this drink.

Still the best of LOSTin is the a gorgeous view over downtown and Lisbon castle, under the shadows of beautiful trees. It’s a perfect place to hide away from all the city stress, for a gathering with friends and just to have a time on your own.

On weekends nights there is always a gig or performance to make things even more spicy. For rainy and cold days they have prepared a nice Indian decorated interior room, with the same great view and mood.

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LOSTin – Esplanada Bar | Bars, Music, Snacks, Restaurants (Indian/Port.) | Meal € 15
Rua D.Pedro V, 56 | Príncipe Real | +351917759282
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 00:00

If there is a place where all types of people gather it’s Lux. It’s the most democratic place to go clubbing, since it has 3 floors, all playing different types of music.

The top floor is an open area with a Wine Bar which always varies in the décor. The perfect timing is when the sun rises above the river – breathtaking! The middle floor – the Bar is where people gather to have a drink and talk, or just chill on one of the many beds that are laying around.

This area also has a great balcony facing the river where people hang out if not too cold or rainy. The bottom floor – Disco is where the hard partying really happens. Here all DJ’s show their best tunes. Every time we go there it’s a completely different night! Lux has the ability to reinvent itself every week, so this is why it has been a success for so many years. Check their website for the weekly program.

It is located in the west downtown area, near the Central Station of Santa Apolónia, making it a really easy to reach spot (it is also served by the blue Metro line). If you wish to dinner nearby, you can try Casanova (check the Casanova article) for the most delicious pizzas in town.

Rita’s favourites: Any Saturday night is always fun!

Vee’s favourites: Any night when Dezperados play.

Tip: when clubbing on a Saturday be sure to enter before 02:00, otherwise you’ll risk some serious queueing!

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Lux Frágil | Bars, Music | Entrance (include two drinks) € 12.00
Av. Infante D. Henrique | Riverside | +351218820890
Tue – Sat 22:00 – 06:00

Choosing a place to go out at night is getting harder and harder in Lisbon… and that’s good news: Right near the Saldanha Square, two blocks away from the Marquês de Pombal Square in the heart of residential Lisbon, there’s Arte & Manha. Opened almost one year ago, Arte & Manha is not a bar nor a restaurant, seems like a small culture factory where one can experience a different night.

There’s live music from Fado to Hip Hop, Jazz, Samba, Bossanova and even Latin and African nights. The restaurant serves great food with exotic flavors and different origins. There’s lots of workshops and classes to try on, from cooking to dancing, and the place invites you to try a morning tea, a mid-afternoon casual meal or to dance all night long.

Arte & Manha is open from 08:00 until 04:00, everyday except Tuesday and the place changes from dusk ’till dawn. It’s cozy, trendy and brings back Lisbon night.

The new culture factory of Lisbon, located in a place that once was a Chinese shop is huge, with 400m2 and has two main stages in different floors. The bar is usually very crowded and there is a strong reason – The place is alive and kicking with a busy agenda and it has easily become my favorite spot to go out at night – Lisbon night is alive and kicking!

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Arte & Manha | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Snacks | Entrance € 5.00
Avenida Duque de Loulé, 22 B | Avenidas | +351218258532
Wed – Mon 08:00 – 04:00