Taxi from the airport when traffic is quiet is about 10 Euros at night or when it is busy you can buy a prepaid voucher from the Lisbon Tourist Desk for a taxi for 15 euros to include all charges they take you to the taxi.
Day tickets are available from Metro Stations €4 the first time you buy them then the card can be recharged for €3.50 daily, it covers bus, tram, metro, lift, elevators and ferries - incredible value
Hotel Metrople, Rossio Square, old fashioned well run hotel in very central location, room rate includes buffet breakfast - very helpful and friendly staff €€-€€€
Hotel International Rua da Betesega 3 Tel 346 6401 Very Central, All facilities room rate incl breakfast €
Hotel Lisboa Tejo, Poco do Borratem 4 very smart newish hotel but old tiles and woodwork front rooms recommended €€
An alternative is an apartment and www.lisbon-apartments.com - part of a reputable group that also have apartments in Barcelona & Seville have recenetly started in Lisbon they have great places including some in the Bairro Alta €to €€
A new apartments site www.friendlyrentals.com has some very good apartments and the company comes recommended by frreinds who have used them in other cities.
Charcutaria, Rua do Alecrim 47A, smart slightly formal restaurant specialising in Alentejo Cooking, fabulous pork dishes and great puddings, excellent slightly pricey wine list €€
Brasserie de L’Entrocote Rua do Alecrim 117-121 in theChiado. The format is salad starter, then the best steak, chips and sauce. Modern Trendy and a bit different its very good and popular with some excellent wines €€
Toma La Da Ca, Travessa do Sequeiro 38 - small modern place but traditional Portuguese cooking - excellent food and service - very popular €-€€
Olivier, Rua do Texeira 35 - fabulous food, menu €35 gives you 5 cold starters, then 4 hot starters, sorbet and a choice of 4 main dishes - desset extra - very reasonable wine list - booking a ust, service excellent not too formal €€€
Un de Maio Rua de Atalaia 8 Very busy Tasca with an excellent menu very reasonable €
A Primavera do Jeronimo Travessa da Espera 34 Old fashioned tiled restaurant , average food but not as pushy as some places in the area €€
Rosa da Rua, Rua da Rosa 265 at the far end of the Bairro Alta going towards Rato modern almost fushion Portuguese cooking €€
Resturante Alfaia Travess da Queimada 18 - 24 busy long established place but possibly not as good as it used to be can be pushy on the more expensive fish, but food still OK if others are full €€
Bota Alta Travess da Queimada 37 very popular traditional Portugese cooking often queues more expensive than above €€ to €€€
Pap Acorda very popoular and trendy has been going for a long time Rua da Atalaia 57 possibly a bit over the top €€€
Casada Mo Rua Condes de Monsanto Between Praca da Figueira and Rua de Madalena Very smart modern restaurant good service and food very reasonably priced €€
Restaurante Cervejaria Baleal Rua Da Madalena 265/277 great local eatery fantastic fish and seafood very reasonable. First went years ago and have been back since and its still as good try two doors up which is part of the same place, at lunchtime they have a fabulous selection of daily dishes meat and fish € to €€
Martinho da Arcada Praco do Commercio Good to sit out for a beer and watch the trams has an expensive restaurant but also do an excellent set lunch in the bar and outside € to €€€
Churrasqueira O Cofre Rua dos Ballhoeiras very reasonable fish & meat tables outside good service € to €€
Rua das Portas de Santo Antao is a whole street mainly of ‘expensive’ seafood places but other cheap haunts including the tiniest ‘Gin Ginha’ Bar and nearby is a cheap chicken place a Lisbon institution Rei do Frangos in Travessa de Bom Jardin between Restuaradores and the above street
The Restaurant on the 28 Tram Route obviously not it’s name. After the Miradoura (view)near the castle, stay on the tram as it then hurtles down the narrowest street stops at lights and goes left up hill, at the junction of the up/down corner is a restaurant on the right at the corner a great local eatery. It is called “Tuna” but still not sure about the street name € to €€
Malmequer Bemmequer Rua da Sao Miguel 23 food and service excellent very reasonable €€
Maria da Fonte, Rua de San Pedro, just near Largo de Chafariz de Dentro, if you want to hear some Fado while having dinner and not pay a fortune then this place is not bad, small restaurant with three singers, food is fine nothing exciting €€
Barracoa de Alfama, Rua de San Pedro 18, Excellent value restaurant for lunch not sure if that is the name outside but check the street number, there is a tiny bar on the next corner specialising in Ginjinha the local cherry liquer
Lapa - Restaurant Nariz de Vinho Tinto, Rua da Conde 75 In the top range but still reasonably priced booking a must €€ to €€€
Campo Orique Restaurant Stop do Bairro, Rua Tenente Ferreira Durao 55A Great local restaurant, incredible value, get there early or queue tram 28 €
Campo Orique O Correio, Rua Domingos Sequeira 41 On the 28 tram route, a great seafood and grilled fish place waiters can be a bit pushy but quality excellent €€
Praca de Flores (between Sao Bento, Rato & Bairro Alta This is a fabulous square with some great restaurants, try Porco Preto just off the square Rua Marcos Portugal 5 a modern very smart restaurant specialising in wild pork a great place, food excellent, lovely extra starter €€
Rato - Just by Jardim do Amoreiras O Papagaio Rua Joao Penha 30 A local Tasca Bar which does great food at incredibly reasonable prices gets packed with various office workers. Stick to the dishes of the day - a real find ! €
Rato - Heading up hill on the Rua Artilharia Um 16 Mezzaluna a very smart modern Italian restauarant upmarket but food very good, booking required, service very smooth , but can be a little indifferent if there is a problem €€€
Doca Jardim do Tabao Jardim do Marisco very buzzy seafood restaurant reasonably priced there are other bars in the same complex but the area is not as busy as the Docas by the bridge but it is only a couple of stops from Praca do Commercio and lovely views up the hill to the Alfama as well as the river
Santos is worth a visit for some smart modern bars and some good new modern restaurants
Santos - Cop'3, Largo Vitorino Damasio No 3 - very modern restauarnt, excellent menu and wine list - youn friendly staff - probably worth booking €€
Santos - Omnia - Largo de Santos 9 - another new place with an excellent looking tasting menu - very pleasant English owner/manager - not tried but the place looks good
Doca 6- Doca Santa Amaro Under the Pont Abril 25 Suspension bridge is a trendy area loads with of bars and restaurants. This was one of the few recommended for dinner and has modern Portuguese cooking. There are lots that are OK but don’t stand out however during the day the whole area is buzzy and nice to sit out
Trafaria - take the ferry across the Tagus from Belem to this small fishing village which has a great selection of seafood and fish restaurants, one of the nicest is Restaurant O Caldeiradas, Rua Jose Antonio Rocha, on the front, you can see it from the ferry terminal - lots of different fish dishes €€
Chaido Café A Brasiliera Rua Garrett
Rossio Café Suica & Café Nicola
Bars loads in the Bairro Alta & Docas , The Port Institute (Rua Sao Pedro de Alcantara in the Bairro Alta is worth a visit but they are not particularly welcoming just down from it is an old fashioned bar “Estadio” (No 11) worth a visit one of the few left.
Also in the Bairro Alta Porta Largas , Arroz Doce, Janela d’Atalaia, all in Rua da Atalai , Alfaia Garrafeira, Rua Diario de Noticias a wine bar with meats & cheeses. Bar Maria Caxuxa in Rua Barroca smart modern bar with a slightly older crowd also Green Door Bar in Rua Loreto ( the main road) opposite Café India tiny cheap bar very friendly
The drink of the moment is "Morangoshko" or something like that - raspberry or strawberry puree with vodka - fabuous !
Pavilhao Chines Rua Dom Pedro V, 89 Best Decor - Ring Bell for entry James Bond movie style pool room in the back
Enoteca Chafariz do Vino , Chafariz da Mae D’Agua (below Principe Real) wine bar and restaurant difficult to find but worth it
At night the liveliest areas are Bairro Alta and in summer the Docas areas which have to be reached by Public Transport or Taxis (Cheap)
Some of the most fun things to do in Lisbon are using the various modes of transport
Firstly take the best tram ride in the place the 28 up to near the Castelo de San Jorge then wander through the Alfama also try the new tram 15 to Belem
The newly extended metro is excellent some stations are like galleries/museums with works or art.
The three Elevadors the best known isGloria from Ave Liberdad to Bairro Alta essential to start a night out, The second one De Bica from the Bairro Alta down to the river front and the third hidden one, from the castle side of the Av Liberdad (Largo du Anunciado) Elevador da Lavra. As you wander back down to Rossio there are some great cheap local restaurants.
For the best value transport take the ferry from nr Praca do Commercio or Cais do Sodre to Cacilhas for about they run every 10 mins have a drink and a snack in one of the many places (there is one at the start of the road running along the waterfront looks expensive but isn’t) the ferry back is wonderful for the views. Other ferries go to Barreiro longer crossing about 30 mins but with an outside deck and refreshments on board.
Also Trafaria from Belem - see under restaurants.
Go up the Elevador San Justa you can now use the walkway to the Bairro Alta there is a café up the top if you don’t mind heights the view is fantastic to see
Estufas Fria & Quente under the Parque Eduardo V11 at the top of Av Liberdad cheap hidden gem of greenhouses pools flamingos tropical and cold gardens great value
Other more obvious sites are the Castle, Alfama and the Saturday Flea Market at the nearby Campo Santa Clara
Gulbenkian Museum is worth a visit if a bit difficuly to find a huge variety of exhibits and lovely setting. Make sure you know which bus to get with all the hills it looks much easier to get to than it actually is
Belem and its various museums and monuments and its famous cake shop Antiga Casas do Pastels in Rua de Belem
Expo Site great new metro link lots to see a huge aquarium and very futuristic buildings
Museu da Agua various locations one near Rato with exhibitions and a great view from the roof
