An Autumn Weekend in Lisbon
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Lisbon had been pinned on my mental bucket list for so long I was starting to think I’d never get there, but finally there was an opportunity to spend a few days exploring the hilly streets and riverside vistas that kept popping up on my Instagram feed.
We flew into the city not long after sunrise on a Thursday morning, and despite a longer route (thanks French ATC) and a horrendously long queue at Lisbon Airport (if you know you know), we were checking into our hotel by lunchtime.
For part one of our stay we had a room reserved at Memmo Alfama, part of the boutique Design Hotels portfolio, located in what I think is the most beautiful part of Lisbon.
Our room was fairly small but modern, designed with calming neutral tones, and housed an impressive mosaic shower space. There was also a small step-on balcony with views spanning across the city and Tagus river – a good spot to watch the cruise ships arrive and eventually sail away.
The hotel itself felt small and friendly, the perfect size for a couple of days to enjoy the facilities between stints of exploring the city.
After a quick bag drop we ventured out and got stuck into being a Lisbon tourist, getting intentionally lost while sightseeing under the scorching early October sun.
First on the agenda was trying a proper pastel de nata, aka the dreamy little custard tarts, which we bought from Manteigaria and devoured after dusting it with a sachet of cinnamon. No other pastel de nata ever lived up to this one.
After lunch at Bueno y Guapo and a lot of incline walking, we made our way back to the hotel ahead of the early sunset so we could celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary with tapas and drinks on the rooftop.
The next day we found ourselves back on the rooftop for breakfast, ordering cappuccinos and a few hot small plates to eat alongside the self-serve buffet as the city came to life below us.
We set out to explore a new part of the city in the morning, grabbing a delicious lunch at The Folks, and returned to the hotel to laze on the sun loungers that overlooked the river with a book in hand.
Despite our best efforts to enjoy a sunset drink, the wind was really picking up, so we went in search of a restaurant once the colours of the sunset began to fade and settled on a simple pizzeria called Romana Alfama.
Today we were checking out of Memmo Alfama and heading to a new spot in the Cais do Sodre district called Dare Lisbon River.
One of two Dare Lisbon hotels, the other called House, this spot felt more like your typical city hotel hidden amongst the surrounding buildings. Our room on the third floor was filled with natural light and a big comfy bed to sink into later on, with views looking out across the Time Out Market below and the river beyond.
We experienced a warm welcome on arrival with a ton of great recommendations from the reception team, digested in their communal dining space with a cup of coffee.
First we hopped on the 15E tram and headed to our furthest point, Belém, to try another custard tart from their famous Pastéis de Belém shop (I found this one a bit too crispy) and see the architecture and monuments along the waterfront.
Our next stop on the tram route was the LX Factory, a vibrant area filled with shops, market stalls and quirky restaurants. We ate proper Portuguese piri piri chicken at Chickinho.
For the evening, we boarded a quick ferry over to Almada and joined the hundreds who’d rocked up with their wine picnics to watch the sun dip behind the ocean line with the iconic bridge becoming a silhouette in the process.
There were a couple of popular seafood restaurants here but they were rammed, so we caught the ferry back to Lisbon and ate at a local Mexican called Murals Cantina close to the nightlife of Pink Street.
Our final day was almost a full one, so we started it with what we do best – breakfast. I’ll admit I did miss the outdoor, poolside views of Memmo Alfama, but the spread of food was pleasant and the tranquillity of the dining area was needed after a busy few days.
Today was all about tram spotting, cafe hopping and shopping. We visited the botanical gardens as it was free to enter due to a public holiday, picked up a couple of traditional Portuguese-inspired tile coasters for our home, and took a short tram ride back down towards the hotel.
Lunch was a tasty but simple one at Honest Greens, which felt like the salad equivalent to Nando’s in the UK.
Finally we found ourselves at the Java rooftop bar for a mocktail, before it was time to grab our luggage and get a car to the airport. Bolt is so cheap in Lisbon, and Uber isn’t much more, so I’d definitely recommend travelling that way for ease.
See more from my Lisbon trip on my Instagram Highlight.
