Where to eat and drink
In Rossio, around Light Blue APARTMENTS
- Verde Minho · Calçada de Sant'Ana, 17
Charcoal-grilled fish and meat, in a small restaurant where locals go for dinner. Generous portions, honest prices. Fills up quickly, try to go early. Website - Floresta de Santana · Calçada de Sant'Ana, 18
Family-run, homemade food, and a small terrace for sunny days. Modest, generous plates, and serves until late. Cash only. - Cerqueira · Calçada de Sant'Ana, 49
It has been a neighborhood tasca (tavern) all its life and remains so: same furniture, same spirit, but with a kitchen that has earned high praise. It keeps house classics, like the codfish pastry (pastel de bacalhau). - A Tijelinha · Calçada de Sant'Ana, 62
Unpretentious tasca: grilled and fried food, fast and cheap. The breaded cutlets (panados) are what everyone orders.
In Alfama, around Light Green APARTMENTS
- Alpendre · Rua Augusto Rosa, 32-34
Right behind the Cathedral (Sé). Traditional Portuguese pot-cooking, unpretentious, with well-deserved famous seafood rice. Rustic, informal, and always with a line at the door. Website
Fado and other stops
Fado
- Tasca da Bela · Rua dos Remédios, 190
Fado from Wednesday to Sunday, in a small house where you enter like arriving at a family home. Set menu with dinner and show, starting around 9 PM. No cards accepted. Website - Mesa de Frades · Rua dos Remédios, 139A
An old 18th-century chapel lined with original tiles, where fado is sung every night. It was a tavern before being a fado house, and renowned singers and the new generation pass through. Website
Other locations
- Ramiro · Av. Alm. Reis 1 H, 1150-007 Lisbon
Cervejaria Ramiro is famous for its seafood. The food is delicious and well-prepared. The environment can be noisy but it's one of the most well-known places in Lisbon. Website - A Ginjinha · Largo de São Domingos, 8
The oldest one, opened in 1840, right in front of the São Domingos Church. Website - Ginjinha Sem Rival · Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, 7
Opened at the end of the 19th century and still in the same family, with the original architecture. Opens at 8 AM, there's no set time or excuse needed for a ginjinha. Also try the Eduardino: a liqueur invented by a Coliseum clown who was a regular, and whose face has been on the label since 1908. Facebook
Vegetarian and vegan
- Ao 26 Vegan Food Project · Rua Vítor Cordon, 26 (Chiado)
Vegan cuisine that reinvents Portuguese classics, like bifana, francesinha, pica-pau, all meat-free. If you want to taste Portugal without animal products, this is it. Website - Organi Chiado · Calçada Nova de São Francisco, 2 (Chiado)
100% vegan, with local and seasonal products, no refined sugars. Has been voted the best in Lisbon. The terrace is on the steps and is worth it for the location alone. Website - Honest Greens · R. de Santo António da Sé 14, 1100-500 Lisbon
A restaurant chain spread across Lisbon. Vegetarian, sustainable food at accessible prices. Website - A minha avó · Av. António Augusto de Aguiar 74B, 1050-016 Lisbon
The food stands out for its creativity, with vegan dishes that reinvent Portuguese tradition, like bitoque and croquettes. They are very friendly and attentive, making it a memorable experience. Instagram - Al Sanpietrino Trattoria · Beco da Lapa 31, 1100-331 Lisbon
Fully vegan Italian restaurant. Website - Vegan Nata · R. da Misericórdia 9, 1200-208 Lisbon
The Pastel de Nata that tastes the same, but Vegan. It was the 1st Vegan Pastel de Nata in the world certified by V-label. Website
Gluten-free
In the historic center, there are no safe options for those with celiac disease, but there are three in Lisbon worth the trip, all certified by the Portuguese Celiac Association.
- Rice Me · Rua Carlos Testa, 18A (São Sebastião)
100% gluten-free restaurant, with rice as the base. Also has lactose-free and vegan dishes. Website - Rice Me Deli · Av. António Augusto de Aguiar, 124
Cafeteria and pastry shop, all gluten-free. It's one of the few places in Lisbon where a celiac can eat a pastel de nata. Website - Despensa N.6 · Av. Sacadura Cabral, 6A (Roma)
Artisanal bakery and pastry shop, gluten-free and refined sugar-free. Bread made every day, and vegan options. Website
Where to buy seafood
- Sal Marisco & Co · Av. Guerra Junqueiro 21D, 1000-200 Lisbon
Seafood shop in Lisbon, here you can find several options, either already prepared or to cook. In the shop, they help prepare the seafood if customers wish. Website
Lisbon at night
- Bairro Alto, the classic. Narrow streets where you drink with a glass in hand, at the doors of bars, until dawn. You don't choose a bar, you choose the street. A 15-minute walk from Rossio.
- Cais do Sodré, Rua Nova do Carvalho, the old port area, today full of bars and music. Walkable from Rossio, going downhill.
- Lux Frágil, the most famous nightclub in Lisbon, next to Cais da Pedra in Santa Apolónia, with a terrace over the river. Close to Light Green Apartments. Website
For the little ones
- Oceanário: the great Lisbon aquarium, in Parque das Nações. Metro at Oriente station. Website
- Pavilhão do Conhecimento: science museum where children can touch everything. Next to the Oceanário, so you can combine both in the same day. Website
- Aquário Vasco da Gama: in Algés, the oldest aquarium in the country. Smaller and quieter than the Oceanário, and cheaper. On the Cascais train line. Website
- Jardim Zoológico: metro at Jardim Zoológico station. Website
And don't forget the pool at home, which is usually what they like the most.
Tours from home
- Belém: Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, Monument to the Discoveries, Coach Museum.
From Light Blue Apartments: Tram 15E departs from Praça da Figueira, a two-minute walk away. About 30 minutes.
From Light Green Apartments: Catch the same 15E at Terreiro do Paço or Cais do Sodré. - Sintra: palaces, forest, and mountains.
From Light Blue Apartments: Train at Rossio Station, right at the door. About 40 minutes.
From Light Green Apartments: Go to Rossio and catch the same train. - Cascais and Estoril Beaches: Train at Cais do Sodré, Cascais line. The trip is along the sea and is worth it on its own.
- Costa da Caparica: the South Bank beach. Ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas, and then a bus. Or a direct bus from Cais do Sodré.
- Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation: museum and garden, one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in Lisbon. Metro at São Sebastião or Praça de Espanha.
Other tips
Parking
We do not have a parking space on the property, and street parking is limited and paid. There are several public parking lots nearby: the closest are Martim Moniz and Praça da Figueira, where there are usually spots, although they don't accept reservations. If you prefer to book in advance, you can do so through Telpark, at the Restauradores or Campo Mártires da Pátria parking lots. In the Alfama area, the closest parking lot is Campo das Cebolas.
- Near Light Blue Apartments: Telpark
- Near Light Green Apartments: EMEL Campo das Cebolas
Supermarkets
- Near Light Blue Apartments: Continente Bom Dia, under Hotel Mundial.
- Near Light Green Apartments: Amanhecer, Rua dos Correeiros, 8, and Meu Super, Rua dos Fanqueiros, 140.
Water consumption
Tap water in Lisbon is drinkable, so you can fill your reusable bottle from the taps in the apartments.
If you need help
In case of emergency, dial 112: it works on any phone and answers in several languages. For health situations requiring a visit to the health center, contact the SNS 24 Line, which answers in Portuguese and English: +351 808 24 24 24.
- Hospital: Hospital de São José, Rua José António Serrano. 24-hour emergency room, and the closest to both houses.
- Pharmacy near Light Blue Apartments: Farmácia Azevedo e Filhos, Praça Dom Pedro IV, 31, right in Rossio. Outside normal hours, there is always an on-duty pharmacy in the city; this information is posted on the door of any pharmacy.
- Pharmacy near Light Green Apartments: Farmácia do Rio, at the Terreiro do Paço River Terminal.
- Police: PSP, Rua do Arsenal, 2 (next to Praça do Comércio). Open 24 hours.
Taxis and transport
The simplest way to travel by car in Lisbon is via apps: Bolt, Uber, and FreeNow. On Uber and Bolt, you can schedule a trip. You can also request a taxi or transfer. On Lisboa Taxi you can schedule rides and they are available 24 hours. Phone and WhatsApp: +351 911 108 289 · Website
From the airport to the center takes about 15 to 20 minutes by car, depending on traffic. We are always reachable. If anything happens, call us; we can also call a taxi for you.