Lisbon abounds with sleek bars – places like Lux, owned by John Malkovich, that have widescreen views over the water. But my favorite places to drink don’t have any windows at all.

Miradouro is the Portuguese word to describe a scenic viewpoint. In most cities, such spots are designated by a sign, maybe a pair of coin-operated binoculars. In Lisbon, miradouros are adorned by cafés. Like decoration on a batch of cupcakes, these spots are sprinkled atop the city’s seven hills and nestled in crannies overlooking the water. The open-air terraces serve a multitude of functions, as I discovered on a recent mirodouro crawl.

Miradouro das Portas do Sol

We arrived 'early' in the morning at the Miradouro das Portas do Sol. True to its name, the terrace had already attracted a fair number of sun seekers at 11am. A number of sofas – modified beds, really – had been placed around the patio. Bodies were draped over these, unmoving except for occasional gestures toward fruit juice. “I think what we have here is a hangover recovery center,” I noted, while also admiring the views of Alfama rooftops. We worked on our tans for a while, but then left in search of a more gastronomically-minded miradouro.

Miradouro do Adamastor

Photo by Zöe_Alexandra

The Miradouro do Adamastor offers what many argue is not the best view on the Tejo. It makes up for this by instead providing a tasty lunch spot. The Noobai café is reached by stairs winding down from western side of the miradouro. Outdoor tables and fake sunflowers are planted all over the terrace, with a DJ spinning some relaxed tunes. I chose a salad from the good-looking menu and had another icy glass of fruit juice. In the hot mid-day sun it was difficult to imagine anything else, but locals curl up here in the cold months with hot drinks and complimentary blankets.

Esplanada da Graça

After a short break for some cursory castle inspection, it was time to continue the crawl. We wound around to the Esplanada da Graça, which gazes back at the Castelo de São George. The basic café set-up here includes metal tables and cold beer. The stunning view and some classical guitar kept us happy for several rounds.

Miradouro da Santa Luzia

A bit later we headed east to the prettiest lookout in town. Decorated with ceramic tiles and brightly colored blossoms, the Miradouro da Santa Luzia was very quiet when we arrived. A few solitary old men were staring out to sea, and a young woman was reading. We sat relishing the cool air blowing in from the water and were soon so relaxed that our heads were rolling forward.

"What this one really needs is an outdoor bed,” I joked. My friend grinned, and then reminded me of the morning’s first miradouro. “Das Portas do Sol!” we cheered, and then rose to make our return. And thus the crawl came to an end exactly where we began, sprawled on outdoor sofa-beds with white sheets blowing overhead.

Read more about Noobai Café.  

Anticipation seems to play a big role in how much I enjoy a restaurant. If my hopes for a place are high – if it’s been extolled everywhere as 'amazing' and 'authentic' - the chances are good that I’ll be disappointed.

Over-hype can kill an experience, but the result, thankfully, is also true. Low (or no) expectations can magnify the pleasure of encountering something great. That was certainly the case with a recent meal at Tentações de Goa.

I sought this place out because I couldn’t in all honesty face another Portuguese meal. I loved the local cuisine in all of its greasy glory during the first six consecutive days. On the seventh night I broke down and turned to the former colony of Goa for a culinary interlude.

Photo by José Manuel Pinto

A local Lisbon friend recommended this casual restaurant “in a dark alley that isn’t as dangerous as it seems.” True to description, Tentações de Goa was located on a side street with few working lamps. The building number wasn’t there, or was too difficult to read, and passed the door several times before finally thinking “this must be the place!”

Once inside, we were greeted with a very warm welcome and the promise of cold vinho verde. We asked the friendly waitress to bring us whatever she thought was best. Soon enough we were feasting on Bojés com Chetni, Camarão Recheado, and Xacuti de Cabrito.

The Bojés were fried, the sort of fritters one finds in every Indian joint. The chutney, on the other hand, was like nothing I’d ever tasted. Bright green – nearly glowing – the paste was thick and tasted fresh, hot, and tart.

Xacuti  de Cabrito

The Camarão arrived bubbling in a low metal pan - stuffed shrimp in another gorgeous sauce. For the next course, Xacuti sauce enrobed tender cubes of baby goat. Had the sauce been covering socks, I would have happily continued eating – so good was this pungent curry.

Because we had stumbled in with no expectations, Tentações de Goa seemed doubly exciting.  The modest bill – 35€ for 2 people, including a bottle of wine – also amplified our enthusiasm. But now that I’ve raved, I suppose there’s the possibility that I’ve set you up for disappointment. At the very least, you can expect to find fresh and interesting flavors at very reasonable prices. Whether it is also, as I’ve suggested, a minor side-street miracle, remains for you to decide.

Tentações de Goa, rua S. Pedro Mártir, nº 23

Go further: Fancy Indian food? Check out Henry's guide to his favourite Indian restaurants in central London here.

Photo from Leandro's World Tour 

Lisbon is a city of hills – seven steep ones with winding streets and inspiring views. To reach the top, however, one need not ever break a sweat. Because every summit in town can be scaled by some sort of motorized transport. My favorite is the elevator.

The Elevador Santa Justa rises straight into the center-city sky. It connects the low-lying Rossio district with the hill-top Largo do Carmo. It may have been designed with practical intentions (in 1902 by a student of Gustave Eiffel), but the elevador exists today as one of the best drink spots in town.

A crowd is always cueing to enter the polished wooden cage at the base. The ride costs two subway tickets and is included in the price of a 1- or 3- day transport pass. Once inside, an old-school conductor throws a switch and soon you and 20 friends are ascending through the air.  The doors open onto a very small terrace, with drinks – both coffee and cocktails – provided by a café.

Photo from Anna Pichard

For me, this was the perfect place to have before-dinner drinks before moving on to a nearby restaurant. From our perch at the top, we watched the sky change colors before deepening into a dark backdrop for the city lights below.

While most people seem to ride or walk back down, we walked over the bridge from the terrace to the hill top. Looking back at the elevador, I thought “thank goodness these Lisboans are lazy!” They really have a knack for making public transport sexy.

Elevador Santa Justa, Lisbon 1100
 

When you are in Lisbon don’t miss Noobai Café. The café has a relaxed beach-style bar and even better – it has a rooftop terrace with stunning views of the Tejo-river and the statue of Christ that stands 100 meters tall on the opposite bank.

Watch the sunset from Noobai’s terrace while you enjoy a glass of port or the café’s famous watermelon juice. It doesn’t get more relaxed and romantic than this!

Noobai also serves delicious Mediterranean food.

Noobai Café, Miradouro do Adamastor

Read more about stunning views and cold drinks in Lisbon here.  

Author David Rich Momondo

Getting to and from the airport

 By Katrine Salomon