Where to eat, drink and go out in Lisbon: 24 picks for study-abroad students, with student-vetted picks marked and prices in dollars.
Dessert · Chiado
The pastel de nata counter most guides rank first: tarts come out warm all day, eaten standing with an espresso.
Best for: the best pastel de nata, a cheap sweet stop, a quick breakfast
Price: $ — roughly $1.50 a tart
Best time: any time
Market · Cais do Sodré
A big food hall of stalls from well-known Lisbon kitchens under one roof. Loud, busy and easy for a group where everyone wants something different.
Best for: group lunch, trying lots of Portuguese food at once, before a Cais do Sodré night
Best time: lunch or early dinner
Restaurant · Chiado
An old-school counter on Praça Luís de Camões known for bifanas, the garlicky pork sandwich Lisbon runs on.
Best for: a cheap bifana, a fast lunch, eating like a local
Price: $ — roughly $3 a bifana
Best time: lunch or late snack
Breakfast · all over the city
A Lisbon bakery-café chain with branches everywhere: toast, pastries and coffee for very little.
Best for: a cheap breakfast near wherever you slept
Price: $ — roughly $5 per person
Best time: morning
Restaurant · Intendente
The famous seafood beer hall: garlic prawns, clams, and a steak sandwich to finish.
Best for: a big seafood night
Booking: No reservations; expect a queue and take a number.
Best time: dinner
Restaurant · Mouraria
A classic tasca with huge shared plates of traditional Portuguese food.
Best for: an authentic lunch
Best time: lunch
Restaurant · Chiado
A small modern tavern doing Lisbon petiscos with a chalkboard menu.
Best for: a modern Portuguese meal
Booking: No reservations; arrive early.
Best time: lunch or early dinner
Dessert · Belém
The original pastel de nata bakery, baking from a secret recipe since 1837. Eat them warm with cinnamon.
Best for: the original custard tart
Best time: with the Belém sights
Sight · Belém
The great Manueline monastery in Belém. The church is free; the ticket is for the carved two-storey cloister, which is the reason to go.
Best for: the one big Lisbon sight, a Belém morning with pastries after
Price: $ — roughly $21 for the cloister; the church is free
Booking: Book a timed ticket online; walk-up queues can pass an hour in season.
Best time: morning
Sight · Belém
The small riverside fortress on every Lisbon postcard. Most of the value is the outside and the waterfront walk.
Best for: photos, pairing with Jerónimos
Best time: morning, paired with Jerónimos
Viewpoint · Alfama
Castle walls on the highest hill of the old town, with the best panorama over the roofs and the river.
Best for: the view, sunset, an Alfama wander
Price: $ — roughly $17
Best time: late afternoon into sunset
Viewpoint · Santa Catarina / Bica
A free hilltop terrace over the river and the bridge where people gather with a drink as the sun goes down.
Best for: a free sunset, a pregame before Bairro Alto
Best time: sunset
Activity · Sintra (outside Lisbon)
Palaces and castles in forested hills, a short train ride from Rossio station. The most popular day out from Lisbon.
Best for: a day out of the city, the Pena Palace photos
Booking: Book palace tickets (Pena especially) online ahead; the hill buses and queues fill up.
Best time: full day, leave early
Area · Alcântara
An old industrial complex turned into shops, a huge bookshop, cafés and bars under the bridge.
Best for: a creative afternoon, the Sunday market
Best time: Sunday market or evening
Area · Bairro Alto
A grid of tiny bars where everyone drinks in the street. Cheap, loud and the classic student night in Lisbon.
Best for: bar-hopping on a budget, a big group, a first night
Best time: from about 10 PM
Area · Cais do Sodré
A short pink-painted street of bars and small clubs (Pensão Amor, Music Box). Touristy, but easy and lively.
Best for: a night that moves from bars to dancing without a taxi
Best time: late evening into the night
Club · Santa Apolónia (riverside)
Lisbon's best-known club, a riverside warehouse with a roof terrace where the big electronic DJs play.
Best for: a serious club night, electronic music
Price: $$ — roughly $17–29 entry
Best time: after 1 AM
Rooftop · Bairro Alto / Santa Catarina
A rooftop bar on top of a multi-storey car park, with river views and a DJ. Entry is free; the lift is hidden inside the car park.
Best for: a sunset drink before Bairro Alto
Price: $ — cocktails roughly $9–12
Best time: sunset
Bar · Cais do Sodré (Pink Street)
A former brothel turned plush, red-velvet bar with burlesque decor and small rooms.
Best for: a memorable first drink on Pink Street
Best time: late evening
Club · Cais do Sodré (under the arch on Pink Street)
A small club and live-music room under the Pink Street arch: concerts, then DJs till late.
Best for: live music then dancing
Best time: after 1 AM
Club · Praça do Comércio
A house and techno club inside a former government ministry on the main square.
Best for: a proper electronic night
Best time: after 1 AM, Fri–Sat
Club · Santos
One of the city's longest-running after-hours clubs; the night ends here.
Best for: the after-party
Best time: very late
Cocktail bar · Príncipe Real
A long-standing cocktail lounge with a huge creative menu.
Best for: a special cocktail
Best time: evening
Bar · Rossio
A tiny counter that has poured shots of ginjinha, the sour-cherry liqueur, since 1840. Drink it standing in the square.
Best for: a one-euro-ish local tradition
Best time: any time