After having spent one day in Lisbon this summer, I (Christianne) had the pleasure of going there again, however this time for 3 days. My best friend Sandra is studying there for a semester so of course I had to visit her! During these 3 days I soaked up the sun (20 degrees mid-November!), indulged on the pastéis de nata, and explored the city while enjoying some nice ‘insider’ tips which of course I will share with you!

Since the city is quite small, or at least the city center and highlights are in close proximity, you can get a really good feel of it in only a few days. The first day we did a nice walk, starting in Bairro Alto and making our way down to Praca Luis de Camoes to get the best Pasteis (accordying to Sandra and she must know!) at Manteigaria, to Praca Rossio and down the pedestrian street Rua Augusta to Praca de Comercio. From there on, we walked up to Alfama. We had a quick stop at Miradoura das Portas do Sol which has a restaurant with a beautiful view, and after we had enough of the cute little streets and houses (which is hard to get tired of) we made our way to the river Taag, to walk along it towards the Time Out foodhall. From there we walked up to Miradouro de Santa Catarina, where we enjoyed some beers (only €1.50!) and good music while watching the sun set. This is really a must do when in Lisbon, it doesn’t get more beautiful, relaxed and local than that.

At night we went out so the next day we slept in and didn’t do much more than having a huge brunch, walking around some more and taking the boat. We wanted to take the boat to Almada but we weren’t paying much attention and so the ferry took us a completely different way. Almada is supposed to be a cute little village and the ferry will only cost you a few euros so it’s perfect as a half-day activity. If you are really enthousiastic you can also walk up to the Jesus statue.

On the third day we took the train (more like a metro to me, but he) to Belem where we walked along the river Taag to the Statue of the Discoveries, the Belem tower, and back along the monastery, of course passing by Pasteis de Belem since they are the original maker of the delicious little egg tarts. From there, we took a cab to LX factory and enjoyed the industrial vibe and sun at the rooftop terrace of Rio Maravilha.

Now I’m hearing you think, were Pasteis the only thing you ate while in Lisbon? Of course not, I’m saving my favorite activity for last :-). Next are some of the places where we had something to eat and/or drink and that I can definitely recommend

• Time Out: touristic but perfect to have a quick bite due to its location and the quality of the food is high though not expensive.
• Nicolau: very instagramworthy, all-day breakfast, good value for what you pay, and outside terrace. Need I say more?
• The Mill: all-day breakfast and lunch. Go for the sandwhich with avocado and piri piri, it’s amazing. They definitely do not save on the avocado which is a big plus for me! It’s also a good place to do some working.
• Ironic: cute little place near the Ascensor da Bica. Since they have an outside terrace, you’ll have unlimited views of the trams going up and down. Best part? Their menu is a notebook in which you can sketch anything you want. The best ones are printed on tote bags!
• Decadente: Portugese restaurant that uses in-season and local ingredients in a creative way. The food is good and it’s not expensive. Their tuna steak is amazing, as well as their sweet potato side dish. They also have a bar that serves special cocktails!

What are your favorites things to do/see/eat in Lisbon? Or what are you planning on doing? Share it with us in the comments below!