Instead of buying gifts for ourselves this year, my husband and I decided to just blow that money on a trip to Portugal. We opted to work during the holidays, then took our vacation two weeks into January so we could spend a week exploring Lisbon and Porto.
It was the correct choice, let me tell you.
Not only is Portugal known for having delicious seafood and pastel de nata, but it is the land of wine. Guys, you thought France and Italy was the place to go for vino? You haven’t been to Portugal yet, where there are over 260 different grape varieties native to the country, and usually not seen anywhere else in the world. Come for the port and the tapas, stay for the green wine and the francesinha.
So, I figured in this week’s newsletter I would make you all sufficiently jealous with a little recap of our trip to Portugal. I already hate me too for doing this, I know.
(But you all secretly want to know, don’t you?)
Lisbon
Our week started out with five days in Lisbon. We stayed at the Palácio Ludovice in the heart of Barrio Alto, which is where you want to be if you’re up for drinking a 1-euro beer on the street at 2am—and maybe giving your bra away for free shots. But it’s also the part of the city with some of the best foods. I mean, there’s a reason the nearest metro stop is “Restauradores.” We loved it.
First stop? Pastel de nata, obviously. Specifically from Manteigaria because it’s a locals favorite. And I’m not just saying that; ask any local in Lisbon and they will agree with you. Quite satisfying, honestly.
Our days always started with the same; an espresso for him, an Americano and a pastry for me. We frequented Fabrica Coffee Roasters for our little morning jolt, and I also loved The Mill, an aussie-style café that—yes—did serve vegemite on toast.
While the priority of our list was our very curated, very well researched list of where to eat, we did need things to kill time in between. We’re not big on tourist attractions, but there are a few that I do think are worth facing the crowds, like a day trip to Sintra to see gorgeous castles, lunch at Pastéis de Belém (the original makers of pastel de nata), and shopping at LX Factory to step into Ler Devagar bookshop. For an activity without the crowds, check out the Estufa Fria.
We also decided to completely skip the elevator and got a drink at Carmo Rooftop instead. Same view, less people, and your money goes towards booze. Win, win, win.
Lunches we kept simple, but trust me, they did not lack in utter deliciousness. A must is A Valencia for piri piri chicken, fries, rice, and a 10-euro bottle of wine (not kidding). Bifana do Afonso is great for a pit-stop quick lunch as you explore the city, with greasy bifana pork sandwiches finished off with a Super Bock beer in plastic cup. Comida Independente fulfills your fantasy of eating lunch in the coolest little wine shop (no? just me?) with thick slices of homemade sourdough and tinned sardines.
For us, dinners and drinks were the real show—the reason why we traveled, to be honest. Bleary eyed and trying to stay awake, our first night we ate at Pica-Pau for classic Portugese fare, like codfish minhota style and octopus à lagareiro. If you’re the tasting menu type, the Omnivore menu with the wine pairing at BouBou’s was nothing short of exquisite. We loved Prado so much that we went twice; once to the regular restaurant (a top 50 world’s best!) and another to their mercearia for natural wine and bites. I have claimed it as one of my top 10 restaurants ever, so take that as you will.
At that point, it’s 10 p.m., and the night is only just getting started in Portugal, so we joined the fun and went out. The Red Frog is claimed to be “overrated” by the locals, but honestly? It’s named a top 50 bar in the world for a reason. Toca de Raposa has the chill vibe, and Café Klandesatino brings the party. But sometimes, it’s the bars that you stumble upon that just become your favorite, and we had a blast with the bartender at Corkies.
Porto
After five days walking an average of 20K steps a day in Lisbon, we took a train up to Porto where—can you believe it—port wine is actually not from. That’s right, don’t be fooled; port wine comes from the Douro valley, where it is produced, bottled, and sent to Porto to enjoy. Needless to say, any of the “wine cellars” there are fake. You can imagine our relief when finding out that we did not have to succumb ourselves to those tourist traps.
Instead, we did what we did best: walked, took photos, ate, and drank. Our view from our room at MoHouse was particularly stunning, so we couldn’t help but spend one of our afternoons sitting by the window watching the sunset. Drinking a 10-year dry white port, of course. Nothing short of magical.
This is the time you want to get yourself a francesinha (a traditional portguese sandwich made with a variety of meats and hams smothered in sauce and topped with an egg) at none other than the Francesinha Café. No need for a menu—you get a sandwich, fries, a drink, and that is that.
Same goes for Cervejaria Gazela, also known as “the Porto answer to the hot dog.” A skinny sandwich stuffed with sausage and cheese. Order with fries and a beer and it’s bound to be the best lunch of your life.
Your afternoon should absolutely be spent at Mercado do Bolhão. But fair warning: you may find yourself consuming a lot of meat, cheese, fish, and port, and leave with six tins of sardines. Oops.
Also, you can’t go wrong with a trip to Livraria Lello, the “world’s most beautiful bookstore.” It truly is magical. Be sure to buy a voucher to get in before you go.
We only had two nights in Porto so we went all out and scored seats at Euskalduna Studio where you enjoy 10 “moments” throughout the menu, with some “surprises” and, of course, wine to pair. At that point we had learned so much about Portugal wines and were what you might consider obnoxious to the sommelier. And by “we” I mean me. I asked a lot of questions.
They were kind enough to let us know that the incredible bread served was actually from their connected sourdough bakery, Ogi, which I absolutely went to the following morning. I bought a kanelbullar after my macchiato from Combi Coffee Roasters and enjoyed every last bite. A dream.
And of course, cocktails. Torto was highly related by a lot of local bartenders (both in Lisbon and Porto) and for good reason. To finish off the trip, we did a port tasting at Lado and enjoyed our last few glasses from the vinho verde (now my all-time favorite wine region) at Dogma.
So…do you hate me now? Did you like this? Should I write about more of our travels? Let me know! 🙃