We bet you’ve got friends who’ve recently come back from holidays in Lisbon and can’t stop gushing about the Portuguese capital. They might be insufferable, but they’re not wrong – these days this Iberian icon is a constant merry-go-round of cool hotels, exceptional restaurants and chic shopping. Make like the 6.5-million visitors (including many South Africans) who spent time there in 2023, and go for the sun and vibes, but also give yourself the travel edge with our city hit list:
Stay:
When in Europe, we love a Locke Living aparthotel. The design is always exceptional and prices particularly good if you’re on the rand. The suites come with the services of a hotel and the basics of an apartment, like a kitchen and living space, so you can eat in (and save cash). Plus, as the Locke team put it, you’ll have enough space to “never need to invite your boss to awkwardly sit on the end of the bed”. The newest addition to the family is Locke de Santa Joana, which opened in July. It’s housed in a 17th-century convent, is right near central Avenida da Liberdade and is five minutes from a metro station. There’s a poolside restaurant and a gym. A very stylish space to call home for a couple of days. Lock de Santa Joana
Eat:
Hot young chefAntónio Galapito returned to Lisbon after a stint in London working in the kitchen of a fellow Lisboeta – the widely acclaimed Nuno Mendes. At Prado (which means meadow), the rising star puts a focus on fantastic local fare. “If it’s not in season, it’s not on the table,” says the restaurant’s team of the ingredients they source from both sea and land. Of course, this will change depending on availability, but you can expect creative dishes like marinated sardine with tomato and nasturtium capers, and Algarve clams and seaweed butter. Prado Restaurante
Drink:
Canadian Margaret Orlowski moved to Lisbon and turned her home-brewing hobby into a business called A.M.O Brewery. Her craft beers are loved by locals, as is the brand’s taproom. The latter is an excellent choice for a bit of socialising and a Witbier or Most Wanted IPA. Open from Wednesday to Saturday, after 5pm. A.M.O Brewery
Shop:
As one of the Currency crew says: “You know a non-English city gets a lot of Anglophone tourists when it can boast an English-language bookstore.” A case in point is Salted Books on Calçada do Marquês de Abrantes in the city’s Santos neighbourhood.If you want to know what the read of the summer is, owner Alexandre Holder and her team will get you up to speed. This is proper literature cool-kid territory, and Salted’s Instagram is also a great source of info and inspiration about new releases. Salted Books
