Alfama & Graça Lisbon – All our local tips

Perched on a hillside in the Graça neighborhood, Senhora do Monte (Our Lady of the Hill) is Lisbon’s highest lookout point and hands down the spot offering the best view of the city. With a field of vision spanning nearly 250 degrees, not even a fish-eye lens can take it all in.

I love it here. It’s peaceful and romantic and an awesome place from which to watch the sunset. Being slightly out of the way, it’s one of the city’s least used viewpoints, meaning it never gets too crowded and you can almost always find a seat on one of the benches.

There is no café but the bar at neighboring hotel Albergaria Senhora do Monte (which also serves light snacks) is open to the public. 4 floors up, the view is pretty spectacular from there, too.

A small statue of the Virgin stands on the grounds, as does a chapel dedicated to Saint Gens, an ancient bishop and martyr. Curiously, this chapel attracts some rather “fertile” visitors. As the story goes, S. Gens’ mother died in childbirth, giving rise to a tradition that relies on a reversal of that (mis)fortune, whereby pregnant women who sit on his chair (inside the chapel) are ensured a safe delivery. How’s that for taking life’s lemons and making lemonade?

It’s a short walk from Largo da Graça – trams 28 & 34.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Miradouro Senhora do Monte | Coffee & tea, Relaxing
Rua da Senhora do Monte à Graça | Alfama & Graça
24 hours daily

Pois Café is owned and run by a couple of Austrian ladies. And it shows! The pies and cakes are absolutely fantastic. The interior looks like a huge living room, filled with comfortable sofas and chairs.

A nice detail are the books and magazines. It is full of them! All clients are encouraged to leave a second hand book or magazine, so you can spend all afternoon reading and eating Apfelstrudel!

This is a great place to have lunch or just a cup of coffee. It is close to Sé and the castle, so why not stop here after walking around in this historic part of town?

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Pois Café | Bars, Coffee & tea | Sandwich € 6.00
Rua S. João da Praça 93-95 | Alfama & Graça | +351218862497
Tue – Sun 11:00 – 20:00

Located right in the middle of Alfama, at the lovely little square of São Miguel. In the summer you can sit at on the terrace, below the vine grapes. The place has an original interior decoration consisting of hundreds of black and white photos of famous people.

It’s a great place to enjoy Alfama on a hot summer night. Because let´s face it: it is not that easy to find a good restaurant in this charming neighborhood. The food is good. But I normally don’t order a main course.

Tip: stick to the starters. Order a whole bunch and share them. You’ll see it’s worth it!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Santo António de Alfama | Restaurants (International) | Dinner € 25.00
Beco de São Miguel 7 | Alfama & Graça | +351218881328
Wed – Mon 12:30 – 19:00 & 20:00 – 02:00