September 10, 2017

The City of Seven Hills

Location: Lisbon

Eating Through Lisbon in 24 Hours.

A trip to Lisbon with É always calls for a date day with food, followed by sunny walks along slippery cobbled stones; a happy one too, if you know how to laugh at yourself after each clumsy step forward (or should I say, backward). Having visited 14 districts (out of 18) and 30 towns / cities throughout the nation, Lisbon still remains as my favourite city. If the fact that the first Time Out Market is established in Lisbon doesn’t say enough about the eating part, I wouldn’t know how else to convince you! More than just where to nosh, I am also filling in things to see and do during your tummy rest time in this one-day Lisbon city guide, interlaced by quaint facts you might have never heard of otherwise. Needless to say, the best way to digest all that food is by walking (20 minutes after meal). Here’s what to expect:

BREAKFAST

A typical Portuguese breakfast consists of: a coffee, a toastie with queijo (cheese) or a sweet pastry of your choice. You may gladly have both too. From afar, it looks like a spread of sunshine:

Don’t expect to find nasi lemak, prata, dim sum or congee ANYWHERE – don’t even try.

If you bask at the Algarve beaches during summer, you will see men selling Bola de Berlim (Berlin Ball) instead of ice-cream. It’s a pretty odd choice if you ask me, because it is outright h-o-t and most likely, the last thing you would wish for is a huge ball of pastry filled with custard, sprinkled with sand. So I decided to try my first bola at the pastelaria instead.

While sipping your gãlao, make sure to have a look around. You will find yourself being a part of a small ‘breakfast club’ where conversations bounce or golden citizens simply enjoying their books in silence. It is all part of the Portuguese breakfast experience.

Pastelaria Califa

Address : Estr. of Benfica 463, 1500-049 Lisbon, Portugal.

Hours: Everyday from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

DO

Explore baixa (Lisbon downtown) by foot before taking your first elevator ride at Ascensor da Bica (see below).

This elevator takes you from Cais do Sodré (where you can find the pink road*) downhill by the river, to Chiado – Camões at the top.

*Why is the road pink?

In the old days, Cais do Sodré used to be a steamy prostitution area. With a bar by the name Pensão do Amor (Love Pension), says it all.

Today, the area has been remodelled into a cool and hip hanging out area. Painting the road pink is one of the efforts. It might not be a hooker territory anymore, but the strip shows remain. So if you fancy watching old horrible hookers doing pole dancing for a laugh, you know where to go.

If for whatever reasons you don’t want to take the elevator (perhaps you want to avoid squeezing with tourists, burn more calories or get lost in this beautiful city), walking uphill is not a bad option. In fact, it’s what we always do.

LUNCH

Now that you’ve made it to the top, reward yourself with a heavy lunch at Adega do Tagarro.

Suggested menu:

• Pataniscas (dumplings)
• Jaquinzinhos (fish which bones you can eat)
• Arroz Feijão (bean rice)
• A litre of vinho verde à pressão (compressed green wine)

You should feel stuffed and sleepy like a fat king, but that’s okay because you only die of hunger.

Adega do Tagarro

Address: R. Luz Soriano 21, 1200-012 Lisboa, Portugal

Hours: 12 – 11 p.m., closed on Sundays.

Phone: +351 21 346 4620

SEE AND DO

Drag your heavy feet and floppy eyelids to Largo do Carmo (Carmo Square) to feel alive again as Convento Carmo charms you with its elegance. Destroyed on all-saints-day in 1755 by one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history leaving it as an open air convent, this beautiful ruin looks as if it was built that way.

Awaiting you is your second elevator ride because Lisbon is nicknamed ‘City of Seven Hills’ for – the obvious reason. Take Elevador de Santa Justa down to Rossio, where you can window shop or bring home unique souvenirs.

{How can laundry look so pretty?}

DRINK

Work those glutes back up to Miradouro do Adamastor (Adamastor lookout point), where you can enjoy a tango (beer tainted with gooseberry juice) overlooking the sunbathing city. This was my favorite highlight of the day.

Meet Adamastor Adamonster, who represents Monster of The Sea, which the Portuguese had to face when they were discovering Malacca sea routes.

DINNER

We ended our date day with food at one of É’s favourite restaurants in the city. Sea Me is also a fish market, so imagine how fresh the seafood is! Choose from the seafood treasure cove below what your heart desires, and the chefs will cook it to perfection for you:

Suggested menu:

• An assortment of oysters
• Linguado (fish)
• A bottle of Filipa Pato sparkling rosé

Sea Me

Address: Rua do Loreto 21, 1200-036 Lisboa, Portugal.

Hours: Open everyday with different hours;

• Mon – Thurs: 12.30 – 3.30 p.m., 7.30 p.m. – 12 a.m.
• Fri: 12.30 – 3.30 p.m., 7.30 p.m. – 1 a.m.
• Sat: 12.30 p.m. – 1 a.m.
• Sun: 12.30 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Contact: +351 21 346 1564 Call to reserve.

 

Whether you are a more hardcore foodie or simply have more days to spend in the city of sun light, dig this Lisbon Food Trail.