http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon Lisbon Spotted by Locals Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:32:35 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en First, a warning: this is not a restaurant for those who are on diet. Second warning: expect to eat more than you actually can, because it is humanly impossible, especially for me, to hold myself back from trying every delicious recipe they serve at this restaurant. The recipes are mostly from a specific region from Brazil, [...]]]> http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/tempero-de-minas This is the first restaurant I would suggest for someone who wants to try original Portuguese food. It’s a regional restaurant; most of the food they serve is typical from the biggest Portugal region, Alentejo (which can be translated as “Beyond the Tagus”). I have travelled around Alentejo a lot, and their food is really great. But every [...]]]> http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/trempe You know the feeling. It starts with a little twinge, builds up to a nagging desire – should I or shouldn’t I? – and eventually escalates to a craving you just can’t shake. You want it, and fast. No doubt, most pleasure is had from taking things slow and savouring each morsel of the moment. [...]]]> http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/noori These days, it’s hard to steer completely clear of IKEA and the like, but a few choice pieces amidst your Lacks and Bjurstas do wonders to divert attention from Blah to Fab! Enter Oficina à Lapa, an interior-decorating store with a boutique feel that brings out the decorating junkie in me. And whilst you’re unlikely [...]]]> http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/oficina-lapa-concept-store After a good day of visiting museums, there’s nothing better than this hidden gem. It’s not a very big Patisserie, but the décor and the people are lovely, and invite you to a very well spent afternoon. Everything they offer is made there, so it has this grandmother’s food vibe. If you just came from Museu [...]]]> http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/cha-da-lapa There’s been a buzz about this store since it opened last September, but I had mixed notions of what to find. Clothing? Toiletries? Artwork? Books? Furniture? Jewelry? Booze? Try all of the above…and then some. Bearing in mind we all have – surprise – moods, this place specializes in diversity and houses such an array [...]]]> http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/mood This place must be hiding beneath a cloak of invisibility since it’s been open a whole year and has still barely registered a beep on the city’s radar of sleek go-to spots. Then again, if city buzz is what you’re after, then you won’t find it here. Housed in the recently renovated São Roque Museum, [...]]]> http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/cafetaria-museu-sao-roque If my memory serves, 20 years back there was one Japanese restaurant in the Lisbon area, and the main draw was watching the chef’s acrobatic grilling techniques, which included doing dangerous-looking things with big knives. I’m not even sure if they had sushi, and I suspect most customers would have approached the raw fish with [...]]]> http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/assuka 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. [...]]]> http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/miradouro-senhora-do-monte If Mother Nature wore jewelry, Margarida Pimentel is where she’d shop. Organic and abstract, this designer’s beautiful, 3-dimensional morsels of movement and flow are the kind of stand-alone jewelry that make a statement without saying a word. Each piece is superbly crafted entirely by hand and is either one-of-a-kind or of limited edition. All are made [...]]]> http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/galeria-margarida-pimentel