Lisbon has always been a cool city, but recently it has gone through a rapid phase of hipsterification. I thought I would write about some of the new (and not so new) restaurants, bars, and hotels that have popped up over the past couple of years.

Hipster Hotels & accommodation

Lisbon destination hostel – This hostel is situated inside a train station (Rossio), which is pretty cool and also pretty central.

Lisbon Short Stay Apartments Baixa – Arty hotel that’s right in the centre of Lisbon.

The Dorm (LX Factory) – Situated in the LX Factory, one of Lisbon’s main Hipster hotspots. This hostel has a fantastic selection of bars, restaurants, and boutique shops on its doorstep.

Lisbon Lounge Hostel – A smart, arty hostel with private and dorm rooms.

Brown’s Downtown – If you’re looking for a centrally-located hotel to splurge on, consider Brown’s. All rooms have iMacs, which is great if you don’t have your laptop with you.

Hipster shopping

LX Factory

The LX Factory (pronounced el-ee-sheesh just in case you have to get a taxi) is situated in the Alcântara neighbourhood of Lisbon. Formerly a collection of factories and warehouses, the buildings have been renovated and turned into bars, restaurants, and shops.

On Sundays, there’s a weekly flea market where you can pick up everything from vintage typewriters to locally-designed clothes.

• Address: Rua Rodrigues de Faria 103, 1300 – 501 Lisboa, Portugal
• When: Shops are open during daytime trading hours, flea market is on Sunday from 10 am – 7 pm

Feira da Ladra

This is one of Lisbon’s most popular markets for picking up second-hand products and antiques, and it may be Lisbon’s longest-running market as well: some historians believe it may go back as far as the 12th Century.

• Address: Campo de Santa Clara, Alfama
• When: 6 am to 5 pm, Tuesdays and Saturdays

Sapataria do Carmo

Established more than 100 years ago, Sapataria do Carmo is one of Lisbon’s leading shoe makers. Pick up a pair of hand-made shoes for a fraction of what you’d pay in most other countries. The shop itself is also beautifully-decorated, and worth visiting for that reason alone.

• Website: sapatariadocarmo.com
• Address: Largo do Carmo 26, 1200-092 Lisboa, Portugal
• When: 10 am – 8 pm (7 pm on Sundays)

Pelcor

Pelcor is a luxury clothing and accessories brand that makes products with one of Portugal’s principal exports: cork. Everything here, from aprons to hat to notepads and wallets, is made from cork.

• Website: pelcor.pt
• Address: Pátio do Tijolo, Nr. 16, 1250-096 Lisboa, Portugal
• When: Daily from 10 am – 7 pm

Luvaria Ulisses

Founded in 1925, Luvaria Ulisses deals exclusively in gloves. It’s an unusual business to still be running in this day and age, but the shop has no shortage of customers. If you’re in the market for a pair of high-quality gloves, Luvaria Ulisses is definitely the place to go.

• Website: luvariaulisses.com
• Address: Rua do Carmo, 87-A, 1200 Lisboa, Portugal
• When: Mon – Sat, 10 am – 7 pm

Retro City Lisboa

One of Lisbon’s best vintage clothing stores, with a great selection of clothing and great music as well.

• Website: facebook.com/retro-city-lisboa
• Address: Rua Maria Andrade 43, 1170-215 Lisboa, Portugal
• When: Mon – Sat, 12 – 8 pm

Hipster restaurants & places to eat

Time Out Market – One of the best food markets in Europe, the Time Out Market has pop-up stalls from some of Lisbon’s most popular restaurants.

Pop Cereal Café – Following the success of similar cafés in places like Shoreditch, Lisbon now has its own cereal café.

Chinês Clandestino – One of several secret or unlicenced Chinese restaurants that were opened in the homes of Chinese immigrants. Many have been shut down, or have applied for licences, but some still exist.

Mr. Lu – An alternative to the clandestine restaurants is Mr. Lu, once considered the 2nd best chef in Northern China.

Insólito – Good food, funky decor, and a great view of Lisbon make this a popular place to visit.

The Decadente – A trendy restaurant and bar that serves very reasonably priced Portuguese dishes.

Hipster Tours

Lisbon Street Art Tours – Lisbon has some really incredible street art, which is spaced out across the city. Several tour groups offer street art tours, with prices starting at around €21.

Pastéis de Nata cookery class – Learn how to make pastéis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts) at home.

Petiscos Tasting Tour by E-Bike – Cycle around Lisbon on an electric bicycle, stopping off at small bars and restaurants to sample petiscos (tapas).

2.5-Hour Food Tour by Segway – No need to worry about Lisbon’s big hills!

Hipster bars

The following are a few bars that are worth visiting in Lisbon. This doesn’t do the number of great Lisbon bars justice: you can just head out to the Bairro Alto or even Cais do Sodré, and you’ll find plenty of great watering holes simply by wandering around.

Park Bar

Situated on top of a multi-storey car park, Park Bar is one of Lisbon’s most unique bars. To get to it, you have to climb the often dirty and gratified stairs up to the roof of the car park where the bar is located. There are no signs to indicate there’s a bar upstairs, which makes it all the more rewarding when you get to the top.

• Website: Facebook.com/Park-Bar
• Address: Calçada do Combro, 60 1200-109 Lisbon, Portugal

A Tabacaria

Located in a former tobacconist in Cais do Sodré, this unique bar retains all of the trappings of its predecessor. The owner is a cocktail fanatic with a special affinity towards good quality rum. There’s no menu: he’ll ask you your preferences, and make something based on that – often involving rum.

• Website: Facebook.com/A-Tabacaria
• Address: Rua de Sao Paulo 75-77, Lisbon 1200-426, Portugal

Duque Brewpub

Craft beer is a relatively new phenomenon in Portugal, a country which traditionally only really served Sagres or Super Bock. Over the past few years, several microbreweries and bars stocking craft beers have sprung up – particularly in Lisbon. Duque Brewpub is one of several new microbreweries and craft beer specialists. The bar has 9 taps, serving brews from other Lisbon and Portuguese breweries, as well as more than 50 different bottled craft beers.

• Website: duquebrewpub.com
• Address: Calçada do Duque 51, 1200-156 Lisboa, Portugal

Hipster coffee shops

Recently, there’s been a new wave of hipster Coffee shops opening in Lisbon. Personally, I don’t see the need for them. Portugal makes fantastic coffee, wherever you go. Countries like the UK, Germany, and US need hipster coffee shops: it’s the only way you can be sure of getting a good cup of coffee. Portugal, on the other hand, doesn’t really. This is a country where most people drink coffee all day, and you can walk into any coffee shop and get a great cup of coffee (esp if you order a bica).

I’d encourage people to try some of Portugal’s own coffee offerings before seeking out somewhere that serves flat whites. There’s nothing better than a bica (espresso). If you’re looking for something milky, however, try a meia de leite (half milk) for something close to a flat white/cappucino or a galão for something longer. You can ask for these in any café in Portugal.

If you’re craving aeropress or chemex coffee, however, here are a few of Lisbon’s hipster offerings:

Fabrica Coffee Roasters

Fabrica Coffee Roasters have three locations in Lisbon: on Rua das Flores, Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, and a pop-up at Estação do Oriente in Parque das Nações. As well as being a coffee shop, they also sell their own coffee, craft beers, and coffee equipment.

• Address: Rua das Flores 63 1200-193 Lisboa (the most central of their locations)
• Website: fabricacoffeeroasters.com

Copenhagen Coffee Lab

A roastery and coffee wholesaler that’s originally from Denmark, but has set up another outlet in Lisbon. They offer a wide range of coffees that you won’t find on other menus: V60, Aeropress, and flat whites.

• Address: Rua Nova da Piedade 10, 1200-298 Lisboa, Portugal
• Website: copenhagencoffeelab.com

Hipster neighbourhoods

Lisbon is too small to really have big hipster neighbourhoods like Brooklyn or Kreuzberg, but a few of the most popular hipster neighbourhoods are:

LX Factory: A collection of warehouses and factories that have been renovated into restaurants, coffee shops, boutique shops, and bars.

Village underground: A very cool and Instagram-deserving coworking spot and destination for pop-ups and other creative events (the entire place is made from shipping containers and old busses). It’s located near the LX Factory, so you can easily visit both in one go.

Principe Real: One of Lisbon trendiest areas with lots of great restaurants, bars, and art galleries.

Chiado: Although Chiado is right in the city centre, and home to many large multinational shops, it’s also home to several smaller boutiques and specialist shops including Luvaria Ulisses (the shop that makes the handmade gloves).

Bairro Alto: The Bairro Alto is Lisbon’s main bar and going out area, and it is packed with bars.

Are we missing something from the list? Let us know in the comments below. 

The post The Hipster Guide to Lisbon appeared first on Portugalist.