Bairro Alto Lisbon – All our local tips

ore like a “Hat Warehouse” actually. If you like hats, visit this nice little store right in the middle of Rua da Rosa.

Being located in trendy bairro Alto, we are of course not talking about old lady hats! Here it’s all trendy. You can find all sorts of hats: male or female, expensive or affordable, gangster or Cinderella.

The owners have set up shop only in 2008 and are eager to make the store a success. Service is therefore really great and people are friendly.

Take your hat off before entering!

It seems that business is OK, since they already opened a second store a little bit further up the street. This store is more dedicated to accessories.

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A Fábrica dos Chapéus | Shopping
Rua da Rosa 139 | Bairro Alto | +351913086880
Mon -Thu 11:00 – 21:00, Fri – Sat: 11:00 – 22:00

Let´s say I have a birthday dinner somewhere in Bairro Alto. And I had the busiest day and hadn’t have any time to buy a present. No problem, now we have Bairro Arte to solve our lack of gift-shops during nightlife.

Bairro Arte, besides being a gift shop, is also an art gallery. It’s an art gallery like any other, but as any other art gallery it’s unique by nature. Nevertheless, one thing Bairro Arte can’t be called is a simple gift-shop, for each thing they sell is very exclusive and original. I feel like being in a shop in Barcelona when enter the shop, because the stuff they sell is creative and colorful as Barcelona itself. For example, they have marble tiles with nice and fun paintings, giant kangaroos statues for our living room, puffs in shape of balls, trendy bags and many things more.

The building where Bairro Arte is installed is a very nice example itself of Lisbon old architecture and a well-restored building. And it has a very picturesque and outstanding chimney. The entrance is in the middle of the building, which divides the room for the shop and the room for the art gallery. I always take more time on the shop side. Shame on me!

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Bairro Arte | Art & culture, Shopping | Free
Rua das Salgadeiras, 5 | Bairro Alto | +351910571594
Mon – Fri 16:00 – 01:00, Sat – Mon 14:00 – 01:00

This is a nice and warm bodega in Bairro Alto, right in front of Maria Caxuxa’s bar. But different from this one, Bairru’s is more of a wine bar, a place where I go with my friends to sit, chat and have some wine or sangria.

Since I usually don’t drink that much, a couple of glasses is fine for me - it’s a good thing they sell wine by the glass. Of course, if we are more than three on the table, a bottle is much better. And of course they sell bottles too.

As companion to good wine and good friends, they play some very good Portuguese music. And the staff is chatty and friendly too, which makes the place even cozier.

After dining out in Bairro Alto, this is the place to go just after.

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Bairru’s Bodega | Bars | Glass of wine € 3.50
Rua da Barroca, nº 2 | Bairro Alto | +351213469060
17:00 – 02:00 daily

I am a man of relatively simple tastes, give me good conversation, a cold beer and good music and I will be happy. Now Bairro Alto is chock full of excellent bars which undoubtedly offer the first two but I have always felt that with a few exceptions (usually venues for live music) people don’t really go there to listen to music but I like my indie music, I just can’t help myself.

Indie music and Bairro Alto is a very simple equation – Café Suave. Located at the beginnings of Bairro Alto, avoiding the need to circumvent the crowds, this place offers a decent area inside to grab a seat and possibly even move your body along to the music, if that is your kind of thing.

DJs to look out for there are Fernando and Sophia who play a great mixture of indie music, from new hits to the classics, and they also seem to be having the most fun there so there are no sulky DJs in Suave!

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Café Suave | Bars, Music
R. Diário de Noticias 2 | Bairro Alto
22:00 – 02:00 daily

Since most restaurants in Bairro Alto are small and the demand for a table is high in the weekends, you can normally spot a good restaurant by the line in front of it.

Judging by this measure o Cantinho de Bem-Estar (”Little corner of well-being”, more nor less..) is one of the top dogs. And it is!

I have to admit that in my 8 years in Lisbon I finally managed to go there last November! Like I said, they are always full and they don’t take reservations.

The place is really small and you would walk by it in a sec. But please turn around and wait in line, it’s worth your while!

The food is typical Portuguese, served in generous dosages. One dosage suffice for 2, but I normally can’t resist and order one just for me!

Don’t expect fancy service, tables or menus! Basic menu, friendly (but busy) service and great food. Try to go during weekdays, in order to get a table.

The last 2 times I ordered the veal (Lombinhos de Vitela), great!

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Cantinho do Bem-Estar | Restaurants (Portuguese) | Average meal € 19.00
Rua do Norte 46 | Bairro Alto | +351213464265
Tue – Sun 12:00 – 14:30 & 19:15 – 23:30

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.

Maybe that is why, when everybody has left Bairro Alto for the clubs at around 03h00, Capela is just getting fuller and fuller! Late dinner at Império dos Sentidos or Pap’Açorda (both are located next door) and then off to Capela. My ideal Friday night!

NEWSFLASH: Lisbon’s evil mayor has decided to move closing hours from 04h00 to 02h00! In the weekends (Sat & Fri) closing hour is at 3h00. I am still getting used to it and so is Capela’s owner, Pedro. Although he already started serving tapas early in the evening in order to attract more people and the beer got cheaper!!

Well, we will probably have to start our pilgrimage a bit earlier

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

A friend of mine refers to Esperança as his local canteen, despite living some 15 km away. But to many Lisboners, Bairro Alto, the neighborhood with most bars per capita, is a favourite meeting point, even if it’s not quite “home” by definition. Given this sense of familiarity, my friend’s remark is spot on.

This restaurant is a winner by virtue of location alone, but that would be selling it short. The décor and layout – dark wood tables centered around a bar – is nice and unpretentious, managing to comfortably accommodate larger groups of up to, say, eight, whilst being intimate enough for a cozy dinner for two (dim lighting and candles – check).

The fact that it serves Italian food almost seems to have come as an afterthought, but it does get my nod of approval. You’ll find the obligatory antipasti, salads, risottos, pastas and thin-crust pizzas (28 to be exact, I counted), and I am particularly fond of the beef carpaccio and a pizza that’s drizzled in truffle oil. The staff is friendly and the bill is too, leaving you with plenty of cash to spend at the innumerous watering holes a stone’s throw away.

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Esperança | Restaurants (Italian) | € 20
Rua do Norte, 95 | Bairro Alto | +351213432027
Mon – Fri 19:30 – 00:30, Sat – Sun 13:00 – 16:00 & 19:30 – 00:30

I came across Heidi quite by accident on the chilliest of Lisbon nights, when a hot glass of glühwein really hit the spot. With only a Swiss flag hanging outside to betray its provenance, a visit to Heidi is disconcerting to say the least. One moment you’re standing on a gritty Bairro Alto street and the next you’re nestled in a cozy, Alpine cottage!

Fashioned in a manner that I can best describe as Chalet-ho!, this little bar comes complete with wood paneling, a grassy wall lining sprouting teeny flowers (edelweiss?), a tree trunk table and a myriad of quirky objets which Heidi herself may have used to entice Peter away from his goats. And, lest the concept still remains dubious, the DJ spins from a balcony of carved pine balusters identical to that of a typical Swiss cottage, and a large-scale mountain landscape spans one of the walls. If all this doesn’t provoke the urge slap on some lederhosen and yodel, I don’t know what will.

Owners Marc and Sindi are warm and welcoming. Old hands at the nightlife business in Switzerland and France, they fell in love with Lisbon and decided to bring a bit of Alpine cheer to this fair city. With a third, female element in tow – a Heidi of sorts – the bar opened in October 2009, and stays open every night of the week.

Cheese and cold meat “tapas” are also available for nibbles.

Allez hop!

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Heidi Bar | Bars, Music | Glühwein € 3.50
Rua da Barroca 129 | Bairro Alto
Mon – Thu 18:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sat 18:00 – 02:45, Sun 21:00 – 02:45

This hotel is one of the latest additions of luxury hotels in downtown Lisbon. It’s location could not be better: right at the Praça Luis Camões.

Just like Hotel Chiado, the real price for me is the top-floor terrace. Comfortable sofas and chairs, heating and a great view.

Come at night, and have a drink here before dinner. The terrace is heated, so it’s comfortable all year round.

Expect to see a lot of (well-off) foreigners and no Portuguese at all. Prices are as expected: expensive. Best to just take a deep sigh and enjoy the view.

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Hotel Bairro Alto | Bars | Beer & view € 4.00
Praça Luís de Camões 8 | Bairro Alto | +351213408288
Summer 12:30 – 00:00 daily | Winter 12:30 – 22:00 daily

Problem: how to choose a restaurant in Bairro Alto among the huge offer of over-prized tourist trap serving” fado and traditional food” and more modern, but often disappointing, new offerings?

That’s an easy one! Go to Império dos Sentidos. Trendy setting. Monthly rotating art-exhibitions on the walls. Right in the middle of Bairro Alto, the ideal launch-platform for a great night out. One of the few good restaurants in BA that will serve you after midnight.

The food is a mixture of Portuguese and Italian cuisine. Ah, and don’t forget the champagne sangria…

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Império dos Sentidos | Restaurants (Port. & Italian) | Dinner € 25.00
Rua da Atalaia 35-37 | Bairro Alto | +351213431822
Tue – Sun 19:30 – 02:00

I secretly want to be a rock star. I wish I were Debbie Harry. But alas, in the roulette of life I wasn’t prized with a singing voice or particularly keen musical ability, and the only thing I share with Debs is the colour of my hair. Still, music is in my blood, and I do enjoy sweating out the frustrations of my shattered dream to good beats on a dance floor. This is one such place.

First and foremost, the music kicks ass. As Lisbon’s first real alternative bar and dance club, it opened its doors in the late 80s to wide praise. Since then, an ever-growing nighttime landscape has given rise to a crop of bars of a similar mindset, although Incógnito is not only still around but remains a Mecca for excellent alt-rock and retro pop beats to stroke those indie sensibilities.

The place is split into 3 levels – the ground floor has some seating (including a groovy, red eco-leather sofa) and curiously odd art-house movie clips are projected on one wall; a narrow mezzanine houses the main bar, and both overlook the dance floor on the basement level.

It gets packed in there, especially after bars shut in Bairro Alto at 02:00, and a line usually forms at the entrance. Official closing time is 04:00, though it’s closer to 05:00 on weekends. And be warned, smoking is allowed and the air does get thick in there by the middle of the night.

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Incógnito | Bars, Music
Rua dos Poiais de São Bento 37 | Bairro Alto | +351213908755
Wed – Sat 23:00 – 04:00

This design store is located in the Hotel Bairro Alto, near Praça de Camões. The have another store inside the Ritz Four Season hotel.

It hosts some very interesting items, all of them are made in Portugal by Portuguese artists and most of them are inspired in traditional local themes. You can find here, for instance, modern interpretations of Virgin Maria and Santo António statues. Or reinterpretations of the classic Portuguese Gallo de Barcelos. Go here to get a different souvenir from Portugal, one that shows that Lisbon is becoming more and more a creative hub.

The prices are very accessible and the interior of the shop is beautiful.

I already have a very original piggy-bank decorating my apartment!

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JIMMY Styleshop | Art & culture, Shopping | A Santo António statue € 20.00
Rua das Flores | Bairro Alto | +351918984695
Mon – Sat 10:30 – 19:30

Imagine an old Parisian café, with little wrought-iron tables, old leather armchairs and vintage black and white pictures hanging on the walls.

Now you can transfer this image into Lisbon’s Bairro Alto, and add a touch of 21st century modernity – wi-fi internet connection, Chill Out or Bossa Nova ambient music, some seriously delicious meals and snacks, which mix Italian, French and Spanish ingredients – and you have Les Mauvais Garçons!

When we first found this spot it was love at first site – this is one of the cosiest bistrôs in town! In the same space you can find groups of friends having after-work drinks, couples in a romantic date and mysterious loners reading a book or surfing the web.

In its crowdest periods (usually before diner), it can be quite noisy as its different influences bring people from all over the world there – sometimes it can seem like the Tower of Babel!

But most of the times this is a top spot to go to, with a nice wine selection, famous appetizers and desserts and a trendy atmosphere!

Vee’s favourites – Amazing Desserts.

Rita’s favourites – Vintage leather armchairs, bruschettas and pan tomaquet (crusty bread with a spicy tomato sauce)

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Les Mauvais Garçons | Bars, Snacks | Wine € 2.50
Rua da Rosa 39 | Bairro Alto | +351213433212
12:00 – 00:00 daily

When I have foreign guests to entertain, I often opt for this restaurant. The reasons are plentiful. Located in the middle of Bairro Alto, the restaurant is housed in a beautifully restored wine-cellar.

The food is typical Portuguese and of high quality. Try the fish and seafood. Find out why Portuguese have fetish for codfish. Service is great.

They serve food until late in the evening, so it’s a nice place for night owls.

If you plan to go here in the weekend, your patience will be tested every now and then. It has happened that I had to wait quit long for my table, although I had a reservation. Fortunately the restaurant has a nice bar to have a drink while you wait.

And wait for the dessert trolley. Yum!

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Lisboa à Noite | Restaurants (Portuguese) | Main dish € 15.00
Rua das Gáveas 69/71 | Bairro Alto | +351213468557
Mon – Sat 19:30 – 01:00

Located right at the top of Bairro Alto, your perserverence in tracking this shop down ill certainly be rewarded if you are a fan of the more avant garde forms of electronica and indie music.

Sharing its premises in Lisbon with a lovely boutique clothing shop (no suggestion here that it gives the girls something to do whilst the guys browse records!) Máteria Prima offers the very best of the slightly weird and wonderful of the music world – from classics (like Aphex Twin and Autechre) to latest releases (The xx and Atlas Sound).

As well as having a great selection of vinyl and cds, which the shopkeepers are only too happy to let you sample before you buy, the shop has a great catalogue of Portuguese and foreign music and art magazines.

If your wallet (or luggage) isn’t going to extend to a bit of music shopping Máteria Prima is also an excellent place to find out the latest in concerts, clubs and art and the shop is also stocked full of the latest flyers.

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Máteria Prima | Music, Shopping
Rua da Rosa 197 | Bairro Alto
Mon – Fri 14:00 – 20:00, Sat 14:00 – 21:00

I admit I am a lazy cook and have more than a couple of gastronomic faux pas’ to account for, my fondness for meals that limit their preparation to just adding water being one of them. That said, if perhaps incoherently, I do love good food and gourmet stores have me drooling.

This mercearia (grocer’s in Portuguese) is a case in point. Everything here is exquisite (and much made nationally). There are delicious biscuits and hand-made bon bons, freshly baked bread, oils and vinegars, traditional jams and jellies, herbs and spices, olives, coffees and teas, patés, sausages and cheeses. There’s a pretty good wine selection too. Mmmmmm…..

And to take indulgence out of the kitchen and into your bathroom, a gorgeous selection of aromatic soaps, creams and soaking salts are available also.

I’m a sucker for good presentation, and this store retains a touch of tradition within a modern, stylish space. Everything here is so well organized and nicely packaged that it’s a feast for the eyes as well.

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Mercearia da Atalaia | Shopping
Rua da Atalaia, 64A | Bairro Alto | +351213421104
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 21:00

Sitting comfortably in a cozy corner just off the Santa Catarina/Adamastor lookout, Noo Bai is an understatedly cool place for brunching, lunching or a lazy afternoon bite, but popular on warm evenings too.

With a nice view over rooftops and the river beyond, tables on the terrace fill up fast. Indoors isn’t too shabby either, and with a colourful, 50s retro/thrift-shop/living-room look, it’s a homey and relaxed area to hole up in, especially on a rainy day.

The oversized menus display a great selection of light dishes, from salads, sandwiches and bruschettas to savoury nibbles, fruit plates and desserts. Wash those down with healthy fresh-squeezed juices, milkshakes, coffee or tea or, if you’re into something stronger, flip over the menu for a full page of options that include sangria, caipirinhas and mojitos among the lot (indeed, when it comes to drinks of the brewed, fermented and distilled variety, this place doesn’t mess around).

On Sundays in August and September, Noo Bai turns its cool up a notch with guest DJs spinning awesome urban beats (check the website for schedules).

Kids are not only welcome, they have their own toy-filled play corner to keep them entertained while mums and dads enjoy down time.

Wi-Fi 3€/hr, or a free hour for each 5€ consumed.

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Noo Bai Cafe | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (International) | Salads € 6.50
R. de Santa Catarina | Bairro Alto | +351213465014
Mon – Thu 12:00 – 21:00, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 00:00, Sun 12:00 – 20:00

I am perhaps a little biased when it comes to writing about O Século because it was here that I held my first club nights in Lisbon.

O Século is one of those rare places in Lisbon that is not quite a bar in the Bairro Alto style yet it still keeps that cosy feel. There are places to sit and eat and somewhere to dance as well as comfy seats to lounge afterwards. O Século is a space which allows people to display their talents in the fields of music, film or art.

During the day the space serves light snacks and drinks but after dark O Século is the perfect place for a party.

Turning up to O Século on the spur of the moment means that you could find yourself in the midst of live music, an art exhibition opening, a kizomba party or, if you’re lucky, my very own BurnTheJukebox night.

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O Século | Bars, Music
Rua do Século, 80 | Bairro Alto | +351213243759
Until 02:00 daily

Now this is a really nice place to eat! If you want a little bit more style and great food, this your ideal starting point for a night out in Bairro Alto! Or during a normal weekday if you want.

Rosa de Rua has some great arguments in its favour. First of all, the decoration is great. The mixture between modern and old makes you feel right at home. The service is great and the people are really friendly. And last but not least: the food.

The menu features traditional Portuguese dishes and dishes inspired by former Portuguese colonies, especially Goa (India). Try the chicken breast with Farinheira or the squid. It is better to make a reservation, especially during the weekend.

I heard that they also serve a great Lunch during the week, a fixed-price buffet. Haven’t tried it myself. If you do, let me know what you think!

Note from the author: it seems that the owners have changed concept a bit: they now only serve a fixed buffet at night for just €10. A bit strange, since ti does not match the setting and is attracting  a different kind of crowd. Maybe it’s the recession kicking in, let’s see if this phase will pass..

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Restaurante Rua da Rosa | Restaurants (Portuguese / Indian) | Meal € 25.00
Rua da Rosa 265 | Bairro Alto | +351213432195
Tue – Sun 11:00 – 23:30