Castelo Lisbon – All our local tips

It may seem ironic that a Portuguese (that would be Paulo) travelled to Japan to learn to make a cake that the Japanese had learned from the Portuguese in the first place, but that’s exactly what happened.

To backtrack a bit: the Portuguese arrived in Japan in 1543, bringing with them many culinary customs that have since blended into Japan’s gastronomy. Such is the case with tempura (from tempero, or “seasoning”), bread (pan in Japanese, “pão” here), and pão-de-ló, a popular, semi-sweet sponge cake. In Japan, this cake soon adopted the name castella.

Whilst similar to the local dessert, castella is slightly denser and slightly sweeter, which suits my sweet tooth just fine. Plus it’s served in dainty rectangular slices, unlike pão-de-ló that’s large with a hole in the middle. Oh and did I mention it’s just delicious? The original recipe tastes like vanilla, but Paulo also makes green tea and chocolate flavoured varieties (I prefer the green tea one for its slight tartness). Between 17.00 and 19.00 is “happy hour” when you can get a slice of each and a cup of green tea for €2.00.

That cake is of course the principal selling point at Castella do Paulo, along with a long list of teas, but its other cakes and sweets are well worth a try also, from the brioches and multicoloured macaroons to the wide range of traditional Portuguese pastries. And if that weren’t enough, there are also a good range of inexpensive lunches which bridge both cultures, including stews, stir-fries, tempura and stuffed peppers. I’ve had a filling bowl rice and sashimi for only €7.00.

Yum-mee!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Castella do Paulo | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Japanese/Portuguese)
Rua da Alfandega 120 | Castelo | +351218880019
Mon – Fri 07:30 – 19:30, Sat 12:00 – 19:30

Clube Lusitano is an old-fashioned, neighborhood social club that’s most accustomed to seeing gritty local elders shoot the breeze and play a round of pool over a beer. But for a couple of hours on Tuesday nights, this club attracts a different, eclectic crowd, from intellectual to hipster to trendy, not to mention the handful of passers-by who are lured by the music flooding onto the street. This weekly gig started sometime in 2008, and has garnered quite a cult following.

Choro (or Chorinho, as it’s commonly known) means “cry” but this music, a popular Brazilian concoction sometimes referred to as the urban samba, mixes tango, polka and a good dose of African rhythm and is anything but melancholy. A live band, decked out in black-and-white head to toe, plays a heady mix of guitars, mandolin, accordion and pandeiro (type of tambourine) that gets under your skin and makes you want to move. Think you can’t dance? Relax. A caipirinha will cure that.

The main room’s high ceilings, dimly-lit wall sconces and oversized baroque mirror give off a slightly decadent feel…though I still don’t know what to make of the mirror ball dangling incongruously overhead. And as you can imagine, a room packed to capacity with human beings in fervent motion = heat. Wide open windows and ceiling fans are of little help, so be prepared to sweat in there (or slip away onto the street for a breath of fresh air).

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Lusitano Clube / Roda de Choro | Bars, Music | Entrance fee € 4.00
Rua São João da Praça, 81 | Castelo | +351218869472
Tue 22:30 – 12:30

Should you go to a fado restaurant when visiting Lisbon? And if so, which? Unfortunately there are a lot of so-called fado restaurants where the quality of the music is rather poor. (They normally compensate by intimacy however).

If you want a great night of quality fado in a beautiful setting, go to Marquês da Sé. This fado restaurant is located in a beautifully restored, 18th century building. Your host is Alexandra, one of Portugal’s most famous fado singers. (She played the role of “Amália” in the musical with the same name.)

Make reservations and get a cab, it’s not that easy to find.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Restaurante Marquês da Sé | Music, Restaurants (Portugese) | Diner & Fado € 45.00
Largo Marquês do Lavradio 1 | Castelo | +351218880234
Mon – Sat 20:00 – 02:00

The Saint George castle is the most enchanted, extraordinary and magical place in Lisbon to be.

In the 6th century, it was a roman fortification. After that, a Moorish royal residence. Then the king Afonso Henriques kicked the Moorish, royal and non-royal, out of Portugal, in 1147, and it became the Portuguese royal palace. And then the earthquake destroyed a lot of it. Along the years the castle was rebuilt, transformed, rearranged, resulting in the castle we see today.

From the castle, you have a impressive view over most of Lisbon, and the Tagus river. Every time I visit the castle, I just feel gifted for living in Lisbon and having such a fantastic spot so close by. I can stand hours staring over the city, watching the boats crossing the river, the beautiful city landscape, and figuring out what changed since the last time I was over there. Most of the castle are ruins, but nice ones. And there is the “castelejo”, a small castle inside the castle, where you can wander around the top towers and take tons of nice photos.

Inside the castle there is a nice and fancy restaurant called “Casa do Leão”, plus a pleasant esplanade cafe and a very nice giftshop. I try not to miss the concerts, plays and festivals that every year take place in the castle, normally at night, which highlights even more the beauty of the place.

I confess it’s my favorite Lisbon spot, ever! Some surprises can await you there, as it happened to me. A old lady singing Fado songs to the wind, another girl rehearsing her singing, peacocks… Whenever I go there, I reboot from all my worries and bad feelings. Magic? Probably.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Saint George’s Castle | Art & culture, Relaxing | Students discount € 5
R. de Santa Cruz do Castelo, 1100 | Castelo | +351218800620
Nov – Feb 09:00 – 18:00, Mar – Oct 09:00 – 21:00