Coolest neighborhoods in Lisbon

Lisbon has so many beautiful and fun things to offer. It has beautiful architecture, it has nice winding streets and you can enjoy shopping and eating. But what are the nicest neighborhoods in Lisbon? Where should you go for the quintessential Lisbon experience? Where do you go for the best cocktails or the famous Pastéis de nata?😍 In this article we share our favorites with you 😊
These are all neighborhoods where we recommend staying overnight. They are safe, cozy and close to Lisbon attractions. The ideal starting points for your trip to Lisbon 🙂

• The Bairro Alto neighborhood
• Alfama: our favorite neighbourhood!
• Hip neighborhood Belém
• Baixa, the most modern area of Lisbon
• The heart of Lisbon: Chiado
• Best viewpoints: Graça

The Bairro Alto neighborhood

The Bairro Alto district is the upper city of Lisbon. Bairro Alto also means upper town it is one of the most famous and popular neighborhoods in Lisbon. The nice thing about this neighborhood is that it is partly car-free. This results in picturesque narrow streets and a very cozy feeling. Bairro Alto is also known for the nightlife in Lisbon. At night everyone comes out and fills the streets with music and people.

Bairro Alto is a nice neighborhood to eat out. You will find many cheap restaurants here with a small menu, the Tascas 😊 A popular drink is caipirinha. And if I may give you a tip: find a restaurant where you can experience local fado.

Highlights in Bairro Alto: Pink Street, rooftop bar Park, Ascendor da Bica

Alfama: our favorite neighbourhood!

Alfama is the oldest district of Lisbon and is located on one of the 7 hills of Lisbon. Alfama is a kind of maze with narrow streets, beautiful Azulejos, stairs, curves and beautiful viewpoints ❤️ In addition, Alfama has many sights that you can visit, so it is an ideal neighborhood to stay during your city trip to Lisbon.

In this district you really taste the atmosphere of medieval Lisbon 😍 Here the houses have beautiful and colorful Azulejos and you will find the Fado museum here. Fado is traditional Portuguese music. You must have listened to it once during your trip to Lisbon. There are several restaurants where you can eat while enjoying Fado. A well-known place is, for example, Clube de Fado. Here you can eat while enjoying Fado, but the prices are a bit on the high side.

Another nice place is Sr. Fado de Alfama. This is so small that you can enjoy Portuguese food and live fado music in a living room atmosphere.

If you want to travel through Alfama you can use the famous tram 28. You can use this tram as a hop on hop off. With the Lisboa Card you travel all day for free with this tram, you use the lifts and you have access to many sights in Lisbon.
If you are in Alfama, for example, it is nice to take tram 28 to the  Castelo de São Jorge. From the castle you have a beautiful view. Another cool viewpoint is Miradouro de Santa Luzia 😍

Insider tip: In Alfama there are still old washing places where people used to do the laundry together 😊 In Portuguese they call it a lavadouro publico. One of them is open to the public. This one can be found in Beco do Mexias, a super narrow alley, so just search. You are allowed to take pictures, but it is nice to give the lady who is there a small contribution.

Highlights in Alfama: the Castle of São Jorge, Pantheon Santa Engracia, viewpoint Portas do Sol, viewpoint de Santa Luzia, Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora, the Fado museum and the Tile museum – Azulejo museum.

Trendy neighborhood Belém

Belém is a neighborhood that is a bit further from the center of Lisbon, but still one of the nicest neighborhoods in Lisbon. It is easily accessible by metro. Here you can see major sights of Lisbon such as the Monastery of Jerónimos and the Tower of Belém 😊 You will also find the LX Factory here. This is an old factory site where you can now see trendy restaurants, art galleries, design shops, terraces, old trams and street art. The restaurant Rio Maravilha has a large roof terrace with which you have a spectacular view of the famous Ponte 25 de Abril bridge from the LX factory!

Insider tip: Close to the Tower of Belém, you will find Confeitaria de Belém where you can get Pasteis de nata. You must have tasted such a cake when you are in Lisbon! 😍 Another good place is the Pastéis de Belém shop. The famous cream tarts Pasteis de nata were made in this bakery for the first time. This is about a 20 minute walk from the tower (or you can take the tram).

📍Pastéis de Belém, Rua de Belém, 84 -92
📍Confeitaria de Belém, Av. Brasilia, 1400-038

Tip: do you want to make a day trip to Belém by public transport? And will you also visit the Tower and the Monastery? Then it may be cheaper to take a Lisboa Card. You purchase this once and then you can travel unlimited with public transport all day long and you have free access to sights. I wrote this article in which I explain how this card is cheaper than buying everything separately.

You can also discover Belém with an organized bike tour. The bike tour starts in Parque Eduardo VII. Accompanied by a guide, you will cycle along the Tagus to all the sights of Belém. Order your bike tour tickets here via getyourguide.nl 🙂

Baixa, the most modern area of Lisbon

The Baixa district is the most modern area of Lisbon. That’s because a large part of this neighborhood was completely destroyed during an earthquake in 1755. Everything had to be rebuilt again. As a result, this part of Lisbon is more modern than other parts. And you can see that in the way it was built. In the Baixa district, the streets are straighter and wider and the squares larger than in, for example, the old Alfama district.

It is a neighborhood where you can enjoy shopping in the streets Rua Augusta or Rua da Prata. Tip: visit the Pollux department store on Rua dos Fanqueiros. You can shop extensively here, but on the top floor you will find a cafe with a beautiful view over Baixa 😏

Baixa, together with the Rossio district, is called the lower city of Lisbon. This is because these neighborhoods are located lower on the river. You can easily get to the Alfama district from Baixa with the lift  Elevador Castelo. You can find this lift on the Rua dos Fanqueiros. It is hidden in old restored buildings 😊 With the lift Ascensor da Gloria you go to the Bairro Alto district.

Sights in Baixa are: the Santa Justa elevator , the square Paraca do Comercio, Parque Eduardo VII and the De Arco da Rua Augusta.

The heart of Lisbon: Chiado

Chiado is a small neighborhood, near the Baixa district. A large part of this neighborhood was badly damaged during a fire in 1988. After the fire, the neighborhood has been restored, after which it has become one of the nicer neighborhoods in Lissbaon. You have many nice restaurants here and you can enjoy shopping 🙂 Nice shopping streets are Rua do Carmo and Rua Garrett. You will mainly find luxury shops here.

Tip: Rua Garrett is also home to Lisbon’s oldest and most famous café: Café a Brasileira. Be sure to visit this cafe for its impressive interior, which has remained the same over the years. They also have a cozy terrace outside. Nice to have a drink. Keep in mind that it has become quite a tourist spot.
The old candle shop Caza das Vellas Loreto is also nice to visit.

The biggest attraction in Chiado is the Carmo Monastery. During the earthquake of 1755 this monastery was badly damaged and was never rebuilt. As a result, it no longer has a roof, for example. That makes it very special. It is actually a church with daylight.

Other places of interest in the Chiado district: Ascendor da Bica, Santa-Justa elevator

Tip: you can eat very tasty Italian ice cream in Chiado at Gelato Davvero🍦

Best viewpoints: Graça

The Graça district borders Alfama but is a bit more unknown. Nevertheless, it is an interesting neighborhood to visit as it is located on the highest mountain. As a result, this district has the most beautiful viewpoints (Miradouros) in Lisbon 😊 Namely miradouro de Graça and miradouro de Senhora da Monte.

My favorite vantage point is Miradouro da Graça 😍 It is close to the famous Castelo de São Jorge. From this point you have a wonderful panoramic view of the city and on Castelo de São Jorge itself. It is a vantage point that fills up with young people from Lisbon at sunset, where you can enjoy live music and have a drink in the cafeteria (with affordable prices).

📌Tip: it is quite a climb to get here. If climbing hills isn’t your thing, here’s a little help: at Rua Dos Fanqueiros, you can take the Elevador Castelo. Get off at the Rua da Madalena stop. There, look for the Pingo Doce Chão do Loureiro supermarket and take the next elevator there. This will take you to the upper part of Alfama and from there you can go to Castelo S.Jorge or to the various viewpoints with a little less effort 😅

You can also order a tuk tuk.

Other beautiful viewpoints in the Garça district are: Miradouro do Monte Agudo and Miradouro da Nossa Senhora do Monte. The latter is the highest vantage point there is in Lisbon.

The following applies to all vantage points: around sunset they are the most beautiful ❤️

Do you want to read more about Lisbon?

– Renting an electric scooter in Lisbon
– Lisboa Card – save money during your trip to Lisbon
– Tram 28