Words by Liz Schaffer & Photographs by Daisy Wingate-Saul
There are countless reasons to visit Lisbon. The pastel de nata, booming art scene, wedding-cake architecture, glimmering beaches, killer book and magazine stores (hello Under The Cover) and game-changing food scene. And if you’re ready to run away (or back) to this jewel of a city, read on for some destination hotels, not-to-be-missed restaurants and places to venture when you want to get away from it all.
First up - a luxe Lisbon base. You’ll find the history-packed Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel perched atop one of Lisbon’s seven hills between Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real. One of the few buildings to survive the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, this bolthole began life as a private residence, and while the sunshine yellow facade and original details like stone archways, stucco ceilings and 18th-century tiles will have you thinking of a different era, the decor feels fresh and contemporary. Jewel tones and bold wallpapers are balanced by mid-century inspired furnishings, and the space proves that playfulness and elegance make for dreamy bedfellows.
Kick off an evening of refined revelry with one of the hotel’s daily wine tastings; this is a country with around 300 native grape varieties, and diverse production methods, so wine introductions are always welcome. Once you’re thoroughly acquainted with Vinho Verde (a variety that grows in the north and comes with hints of green apple and lime), float through to dinner at Federico Restaurant. Filling the hotel’s greenery-draped, enclosed courtyard, the fare fuses Portuguese and French flavours, and is expertly paired with classic tipples and custom wine cocktails. This is a venue that celebrates the importance of storytelling. Dishes are accompanied by tales about the ingredients and techniques involved, and are served by a team devoted to food and wine, elevating an already phenomenal meal.
Draw out the culinary adventure by strolling to Praça das Flores, a leafy square encircled by bars and restaurants, to toast the night at Magnolia or Black Sheep. For something heartier, look to The Decadente. This restaurant - which is part of Independente Príncipe Real Hotel - is found in the former Swiss Embassy, and the original architecture provides a charming backdrop for a meal that combines superb Portuguese produce and organic, low-intervention wines with Asian flavours and flair. Equal parts unexpected and comforting, dinner here will transport you, conjuring memories not just of past meals, but of other far-flung places and experiences. The labneh, granola and rose had me thinking of Tokyo, the fried chicken with coriander and piri piri sauce comes with just the right amount of heat, while the cucumber, lime and vanilla granita (which has been on the menu since the restaurant opened) is one of the freshest confections around.
A Home For Creativity
Portuguese getaways should always include a road trip - this country may be relatively small, but its landscape changes fast. If the mountains call, then drive north to Cerdeira. Abandoned for decades and restored over a ten-year period, this historic village contains ten schist houses arranged around a staggeringly steep central path and built from stone, clay and wood - the same materials used when they were first constructed centuries ago. This preservation project is helmed by artist Kerstin Thomas, who rediscovered Cerdeira by chance while hiking in 1988 and was immediately enamoured. She set up her studio (then without electricity, water or access roads), began exhibiting work from friends and fellow artists, and opened the village to the world in 2012. Day trippers are drawn to the cafe and gallery, while creatives come for the Arts and Crafts School’s workshops, retreats and residencies.
With room for just ten students, one teacher and two apprentices, these are intimate experiences, and while you can try your hand at woodworking and basketry, ceramics remains a huge part of the culture. Cerdeira is home to the Iberian Peninsula’s only Japanese-style, smokeless kiln (there are just ten in the world), which was built by master potter Masakazu Kusakabe in 2015. The aim of any class - whether it’s a single day lesson or a 10-day smokeless kiln workshop - is to gain knowledge and learn the techniques needed to carry your art forward.
Even if you’re not visiting to improve your craft, a stay in one of Cerdeira’s houses (which have all been decorated by different artists) will have you wondering if you’ve travelled to another world, one that encourages a far slower pace. Nestled in the Serra da Lousã, a network of walking trails begin at your door, and following one to Candal (another of the 12 schist villages scattered across these mountains), I passed moss-cloaked ruins, wild boar footprints and babbling rivers, and found my mind drifting to all those who had wandered these paths before me. This is a creative, restorative haven if ever there was one.
Wine, Water & Tradition
You’ll have a very different holiday at the tile-filled Hotel Casa Palmela. Built in 1640 and in the same family since 1826, this historic home turned luxury country escape comes with pathways through its vineyards and cork forest (best explored on horse or by foot), two outdoor pools, veggie patches, picnic spots aplenty, and a restaurant that specialises in elevated, hyper-seasonal, home-cooked food. And the location is sublime. Encircled by verdant peaks, the hotel sits within Parque Natural da Arrábida, a nature reserve that feels wild and remote, despite only being a 45-minute drive from Lisbon. Renowned for its Mediterranean vegetation, 36-kilometre-long mountain range and limestone formations, it was the reserve’s protected coastline that bewitched me; the water here is so pristine that a family of 28 (normally-nomadic) bottlenose dolphins have moved in full-time.
If you want to do nothing but sip wine by the pool, Casa Palmela has you covered. But if you’re keen to do everything - coasteering, hiking, e-biking over the mountains, roaming through the 16th-century, pearl-white Convent of Arrábida, indulging in a tasting and tour at José Maria da Fonseca, a winery that dates back to 1834 - they can make that happen too. Casa Palmela has partnered with Once Upon A Day, a tour company offering a range of tailor-made experiences that allow guests to dive into Arrábida.
My own guided excursion began with a tour of Setúbal's Mercado do Livramento, a historic market where fishermen once traded their catch for vegetables rather than Euros. It brims with everything from fruit stalls run by locals with small plots, to bare-bones bars where fishermen still gather at the end of their day, and stands serving freshly-shucked oysters and paper cups full of dry, sparkling wine.
And then I took to the water, sailing to a shifting sand island off Tróia for a private picnic. While the spread and space was good for the soul, the boat ride itself did wonders for my sense of history. Shaped by Moorish and Roman inhabitants over the centuries, Arrábida is dotted with reclaimed monasteries, limestone caves, communal fishing cottages, castles and villas. Human history is written onto this natural canvas, and having a guide explain its architectural subtleties changes the way you see this paradise.
I ended the day by getting creative at São Simão Arte, an azulejos (tile) workshop where the manufacturing method is almost identical to the one used in the 15th-century. After familiarising myself with the art form, I tried my hand at painting my own tile - and although my creation was nowhere near as polished as those produced by São Simão’s artisans, the process felt wonderfully meditative and I was left with a very personal keepsake.
The Farewell
My sojourn ended back in Lisbon with a stay at Mateus Hotel, where the 13 chic, contemporary and compact rooms (and the two-bedroom penthouse) are inspired by Japanese interior design and Mateus rose, a wine that tastes like summer. Breakfast and drinks are served in the ground floor bar, all light wood and terrazzo-style flooring, while events take place in the penthouse. The Stage is Always Set, for example, is a monthly gathering where live music, canapés and wine flows.
The best way to explore Lisbon is to simply wend your way along its serpentine, cobbled streets at whim. Pick a lunch spot like Miss Can, a restaurant that works wonders with Portuguese canned fish, and let yourself get lost en route, marvelling as much at everyday life as big hitters like Castelo de São Jorge and Jerónimos Monastery. This is exactly what I did on my final day: I wandered by the water in Cacilhas (famed for its gorgeous Lisbon views), found a table on the stone pier at Ponto Final to watch the light fade, and then caught a ferry back across the Tagus River for dinner at Isco Casa de Petisco, a culinary gem a two-minute walk from Mateus Hotel. Serving classic Portuguese dishes done incredibly well, this is an intimate restaurant (think stone walls and mismatched wooden chairs) that will have you feeling right at home. It was a perfect ending - flavour-packed, warm and somehow both polished and relaxed. Few restaurants, and even fewer cities, seem so effortlessly cool.
