I keep beating myself up about getting behind on writing about my trips abroad, but the delay in posting has helped me hold on to these fleeting moments for just a little longer. Lisbon was probably in my top 3 favorite places we visited. I was so excited to have a relaxing weekend with my friends after a few busy, exhausting weeks. I knew close to nothing about this charming little city and I immediately fell in love with the upbeat people, the sunny weather and its spark of liveliness.
We arrived in Lisbon early on Thursday morning and taxi’d straight to Zenith, a little brunch nook in downtown Lisbon. Their menu was filled with the classics, but I opted for a fruit-topped short stack of fluffy, golden pancakes, the perfect pick-me-up after an early morning flight. After breakfast, we began our walk to the most adorable AirBnB. Now picture this, four girls lugging huge suitcases across “The City of Seven Hills”. After a walk that felt like a long, hard workout on the elliptical, we arrived at the two bedroom apartment we would call home for the weekend. The inside was light and airy; it even featured an adorable balcony off of the kitchen with views of our neighbors’ lemon trees. Our apartment building and many of the others throughout the city were decorated with intricate, colorful tiles. This unique part of Lisbon’s architecture really caught my eye.
For lunch, we sat outside in the sun eating sushi and sipping on a refreshing glass of wine. The weather was amazing, especially after spending the previous weekend in rainy, cold Ireland. I loved making our way along the water and exploring little hidden alleyways. Later in the day, we stopped at an outdoor restaurant for mojitos before jumping in a cab to the marina.
We made a last minute decision to take a sailboat tour at sunset. This was for sure a highlight of the trip. We packed some wine, cheese and crackers and sat on the front of the boat just talking and taking in the picturesque views. The sky, painted in hues of orange and pink took my breath away.
On the boat, we met two girls in their late-twenties studying in Portugal. They gave us a traditional restaurant recommendation for dinner, a small place called Cassia Santa Rita. Although it wasn’t one of our favorite meals in Lisbon, we ate like the locals, tasting different dishes of seafood, vegetables and other traditional Portuguese food.
On Friday, we started out our day at Fauna & Flora. It was at this restaurant that I had one of the best brunch bites of my time studying abroad and if you know me, you know this is a big deal. I ordered Teriycow toast, a teriyaki beef toast with poached eggs, fried onions, and microgreens. It was fantastic. The quirky, fun menu matches the fresh and garden-like interior of the restaurant. It is a must-try.
After brunch, we hoped a train to Cascais, a small beachfront town located about a half hour away from the center of Lisbon. The weather was perfect and I enjoyed just staring out the window of the train, watching the sun reflect onto the sea. I was so excited to be back on a beach, sunbathing with my friends. However, the town of Cascais is very small and there are very limited dining options. We ended up eating seafood dishes at a touristy restaurant right off the beach. I recommend going to Cascais because it is so close and so easy to get to from Lisbon, but you don’t need to spend more than a few hours here.
We spent our final day getting to know Lisbon a little bit better. We walked around the Time Out Market, a famous destination for some of the best chefs around. You can easily find a gourmet meal here and sample sushi, burgers, desserts, pasta, drinks, etc. After lunch, we laid out in the sun eating gelato, looking out at the water and listening to various bands perform for all the tourists.
Later, we decided to hop in a Tuk Tuk, a little car similar to a golf cart. For 20 dollars, our tour guide drove us through the bumpy roads to this grand look-out point where we got an unbelievable view of the entire city. I had no idea it was so big. After getting some great photographs and checking out some cool street art, we made our way back down towards the center. This took forever; we must have walked 10 miles.
After a long trek through the hills, we landed at the coolest bar. Park Bar is located on the top floor of a parking garage. The live music, whimsical drinks and cool rooftop views make for a perfect happy hour. This was a really cool scene and I highly recommend. Although we weren’t too focused on the nightlife on this trip, we heard the waterfront clubs and the Pink Street are really fun if you’re looking for something to do!
For dinner, we went to La Vita E Bella, a really good Italian restaurant. Dinner on Saturday night was kind of a mess because wait times were super long and we didn’t have much of a plan. There are so many great places to try though; definitely go in with a list of your most highly anticipated restaurants. Follow @lisbonfoodies on Instagram before you book your trip!
Lisbon was a one-of-a-kind city. Everyone we encountered, from the taxi drivers to the waiters, was so kind and willing to give recommendations. I am so excited to go explore more of this special place and this incredible country. I’ve heard amazing things about other cities within Portugal and that means I’ll just have to add them to the bucket list!
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