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LISBON, MADRID PORTO
- Thread starter Anubis
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Dennis
100+ Posts
Hi:
Re Porto: Lots of hints on previous posts and trip reports. However, you may wish to consider:
1. taking the tram along the river to the Douro's mouth for a walk in the park along the Atlantic
2. a short cruise between the bridges - or a whole day's excursion up the river with a return by train
3. a visit to the municipal market. Inexpensive food places.
4. day trip to either Braga or Guimaraes - inexpensive on regional trains. Braga for the church with all the steps on most Portugal brochures and a pleasant town centre. Guimaraes proclaims itself "the birthplace of Portugal" and has many buildings of historical importance.
5. on Sundays, there's pet (mostly birds) market just a couple blocks south east of Clerigos Tower
6 have a coffee at the Majestic Café and enjoy the surroundings; browse for a book at the Lello bookstore (note I'm told that now one may have to book a time - at a cost!)
7. walk across the top of the Luis 1 bridge for the views
8. have an elegant dinner at the Bolsa; skip paying for a tour.
Have a great time. Are there particular aspects regarding travel in Madrid and Lisbon that you would like assistance with.
Dennis
Re Porto: Lots of hints on previous posts and trip reports. However, you may wish to consider:
1. taking the tram along the river to the Douro's mouth for a walk in the park along the Atlantic
2. a short cruise between the bridges - or a whole day's excursion up the river with a return by train
3. a visit to the municipal market. Inexpensive food places.
4. day trip to either Braga or Guimaraes - inexpensive on regional trains. Braga for the church with all the steps on most Portugal brochures and a pleasant town centre. Guimaraes proclaims itself "the birthplace of Portugal" and has many buildings of historical importance.
5. on Sundays, there's pet (mostly birds) market just a couple blocks south east of Clerigos Tower
6 have a coffee at the Majestic Café and enjoy the surroundings; browse for a book at the Lello bookstore (note I'm told that now one may have to book a time - at a cost!)
7. walk across the top of the Luis 1 bridge for the views
8. have an elegant dinner at the Bolsa; skip paying for a tour.
Have a great time. Are there particular aspects regarding travel in Madrid and Lisbon that you would like assistance with.
Dennis
Dennis
100+ Posts
Arthur:
We usually rent an apartment and enjoy shopping at local markets for food. Also as pensioners, we are on a limited budget so generally our recommendations are on the economical side and lean heavily towards bar food. With those factors and the fact cooks, staff and owners changeas caveats here goes:
In Madrid
1. exit the south-east corner of the Plaza Mayor. There are lots of speciality tapas bars. My favourite is Meson del Champignon.
2. near Plaza del Angel: La Fragua de Volcano. We enjoyed the tapas here. (tortillas and albondigas). They also serve up paella as rationes but we didn't have any.
3. near the Prado in the "Letras" area: Cerveceria Cervantes. A lively place with good variety of tapas. Terramundi. specializing in Galician food. Inexpensive, yet varied "el menu". If on offer, try the pimentos de Pardon .
In Lisbon:
We have limited experience with restaurants here. Just north of the Opera House on a pedestrianized street, there are scads of places with touts outside cajoling would-be diners. Because of the competition if you find a place to your liking and you are comfortable in doing so (my wife cringes when I do!) you may be able to cadge a free drink or dessert if you ask.
In Porto:
As mentioned previously, we found for a dress-up occasion, dinner at the Bolsa to be great, a good fixed menu in splendid surroundings.
Although the food can be iffy, an evening at a place along the river's edge viewing the port lodges is a pleasant time. The wine is always good!
As an aside, my vote for best Paella goes to a little roadside bar restaurant in Galicia!
Dennis
We usually rent an apartment and enjoy shopping at local markets for food. Also as pensioners, we are on a limited budget so generally our recommendations are on the economical side and lean heavily towards bar food. With those factors and the fact cooks, staff and owners changeas caveats here goes:
In Madrid
1. exit the south-east corner of the Plaza Mayor. There are lots of speciality tapas bars. My favourite is Meson del Champignon.
2. near Plaza del Angel: La Fragua de Volcano. We enjoyed the tapas here. (tortillas and albondigas). They also serve up paella as rationes but we didn't have any.
3. near the Prado in the "Letras" area: Cerveceria Cervantes. A lively place with good variety of tapas. Terramundi. specializing in Galician food. Inexpensive, yet varied "el menu". If on offer, try the pimentos de Pardon .
In Lisbon:
We have limited experience with restaurants here. Just north of the Opera House on a pedestrianized street, there are scads of places with touts outside cajoling would-be diners. Because of the competition if you find a place to your liking and you are comfortable in doing so (my wife cringes when I do!) you may be able to cadge a free drink or dessert if you ask.
In Porto:
As mentioned previously, we found for a dress-up occasion, dinner at the Bolsa to be great, a good fixed menu in splendid surroundings.
Although the food can be iffy, an evening at a place along the river's edge viewing the port lodges is a pleasant time. The wine is always good!
As an aside, my vote for best Paella goes to a little roadside bar restaurant in Galicia!
Dennis
veronicafrance
100+ Posts
I'm another cheap restaurant fan! Lisbon is getting really overrun with tourists resulting in some rip-off prices (we weren't impressed with trendy Sea-Me for example). A friend took us to a little neighbourhood restaurant in Principe Real, Adega Dom Luis. It's opposite the British Council. We liked it so much that we went twice in a week and the second time just let the owner choose what to serve us. He used to live in Angola so he does some lovely spicy dishes. Such nice people.
I'll be there. Thanks.
Jan55612
100+ Posts
Here is a cut and paste from an earlier post about Lisboa restaurants:
Lisbon Food
Obviously you will find lots of seafood in Lisboa. Other than seafood and pasteis da nata, you will also find eggs used in many ways. Also, don’t miss eating petiscos in Lisboa.
Mercado da Riberia http://www.timeoutmarket.com/en/
This is a large indoor market with lots of bar and restaurant food stalls and many tables. Pick one and sit at the bar or take your food to a table. A good place to have a glass of wine and/or some food, particularly if it isn’t at a usual meal time and you are hungry.
Pigmeu https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
(Take the tram)
All pork and quite good. http://www.sintra-portugal.com/index.htmlWe had lunch here with our friend Kathryn Rawlings, who I met through Slow Travel. She had retired to the Lisboa area and lives in Cascais, on the Atlantic coast, a few minutes train ride outside of Lisboa.
Frade Dos Mares http://www.fradedosmares.com/pt/restaurante.html
Our absolute favorite. We had dinner here three times in a month.
BA Wine Bar https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Good Wine Bar. Must reserve several days in advance. In the Bairro Alto as the name suggests.
Descobre (Belem) http://www.descobre.com.pt
In Belem, so if going there to see cultural sites, have lunch here. Very good food.
Casa Nepalese https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Not far from the Gulbenkian museums. We had a couple of great lunches here.
Bistro 100 Maneiras https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Well reviewed in a variety of places. We had a lovely meal, but if I had to pick between this restaurant and Frade Dos Mares, the latter would win every time. Bistro 100 Maneiras is also more expensive.
Pharmacia https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Near the Miradouro de Santa Caterina. This was close to our apartment, so we booked for our first night.
Restaurante Leopold https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Very creative tasting menu. We enjoyed this place very much. Near the Castelo de S. Jorge.
Taqueria Pistola y Corazon https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Seriously great shrimp tacos! I loved this place. Not fancy, but very good.
Landeau Chocolate https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Very, very good chocolate cake. We went a couple of times and split a piece and had coffee. More than one location.
Manteigaria https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Pasteis da nata are so very good. Everyone raves about the ones made in Belem, but this place was close to our apartment and OMG I ate too many! Try to eat them on the spot with a coffee. Best when hot, still good when warm, and okay when cold.
Pasteis de Belem https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
The bakery everyone makes a pilgrimage to in Belem. On the way to the monastery. Go inside and sit at any empty table and order a coffee (or wine) and a pasteis or two.
Jose Avillez restaurants http://www.joseavillez.pt/en/belcanto-2
This well known chef-creator has several restaurants in Lisboa. We went to the Cantinho do Avillez for lunch one day. It was good and filled with local businessmen and women.
In Porto, I liked Cantinho do Avillez cantinhodoavillez.pt, Traca www.restaurantetraca.com, Cantina 32 www.cantina32.com, and Tapabento www.tapabento.com.
For Madris, I liked Lakasa, Casa Revuelta, Vintoteca Moratin, Vinoteca Barbachera, and Piccolo Diavolo, to name a few. We took a food tour the first night, which was fun and introduced us to a number of tapas bars. Vinoteca Barbachera is great for eating something when it isn't really at a meal time.
Have fun!
Lisbon Food
Obviously you will find lots of seafood in Lisboa. Other than seafood and pasteis da nata, you will also find eggs used in many ways. Also, don’t miss eating petiscos in Lisboa.
Mercado da Riberia http://www.timeoutmarket.com/en/
This is a large indoor market with lots of bar and restaurant food stalls and many tables. Pick one and sit at the bar or take your food to a table. A good place to have a glass of wine and/or some food, particularly if it isn’t at a usual meal time and you are hungry.
Pigmeu https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
(Take the tram)
All pork and quite good. http://www.sintra-portugal.com/index.htmlWe had lunch here with our friend Kathryn Rawlings, who I met through Slow Travel. She had retired to the Lisboa area and lives in Cascais, on the Atlantic coast, a few minutes train ride outside of Lisboa.
Frade Dos Mares http://www.fradedosmares.com/pt/restaurante.html
Our absolute favorite. We had dinner here three times in a month.
BA Wine Bar https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Good Wine Bar. Must reserve several days in advance. In the Bairro Alto as the name suggests.
Descobre (Belem) http://www.descobre.com.pt
In Belem, so if going there to see cultural sites, have lunch here. Very good food.
Casa Nepalese https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Not far from the Gulbenkian museums. We had a couple of great lunches here.
Bistro 100 Maneiras https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Well reviewed in a variety of places. We had a lovely meal, but if I had to pick between this restaurant and Frade Dos Mares, the latter would win every time. Bistro 100 Maneiras is also more expensive.
Pharmacia https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Near the Miradouro de Santa Caterina. This was close to our apartment, so we booked for our first night.
Restaurante Leopold https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Very creative tasting menu. We enjoyed this place very much. Near the Castelo de S. Jorge.
Taqueria Pistola y Corazon https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Seriously great shrimp tacos! I loved this place. Not fancy, but very good.
Landeau Chocolate https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Very, very good chocolate cake. We went a couple of times and split a piece and had coffee. More than one location.
Manteigaria https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
Pasteis da nata are so very good. Everyone raves about the ones made in Belem, but this place was close to our apartment and OMG I ate too many! Try to eat them on the spot with a coffee. Best when hot, still good when warm, and okay when cold.
Pasteis de Belem https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
The bakery everyone makes a pilgrimage to in Belem. On the way to the monastery. Go inside and sit at any empty table and order a coffee (or wine) and a pasteis or two.
Jose Avillez restaurants http://www.joseavillez.pt/en/belcanto-2
This well known chef-creator has several restaurants in Lisboa. We went to the Cantinho do Avillez for lunch one day. It was good and filled with local businessmen and women.
In Porto, I liked Cantinho do Avillez cantinhodoavillez.pt, Traca www.restaurantetraca.com, Cantina 32 www.cantina32.com, and Tapabento www.tapabento.com.
For Madris, I liked Lakasa, Casa Revuelta, Vintoteca Moratin, Vinoteca Barbachera, and Piccolo Diavolo, to name a few. We took a food tour the first night, which was fun and introduced us to a number of tapas bars. Vinoteca Barbachera is great for eating something when it isn't really at a meal time.
Have fun!