Lisbon City Guide | Must-Visit Places for Design Lovers
Hi guys,
Welcome back to Soft Visuals blog!
Lisbon is one of my favorite cities in the world. Our first trip to Portugal was very long-awaited. In the end, this beautiful country met all our expectations and we just fell in love! I think that in Portugal everyone will find what he likes to enjoy.
Our travel priorities are to see the local nature, not to rush anywhere and feel the city vibe, to understand how the locals live, and to see the modern part of the city, including modern architecture, brands, cafes, and galleries. In this blog post, I want to offer a list of the best places to visit in Lisbon for those who love good design and appreciate the beauty in the details.
Hotels
Santa Clara 1728 Hotel
Dona Graca House
Lisboans Apartments
Nouveau Apartments
Destino Lisboa
Casa C'Alma Guesthouse
SANTA CLARA 1728
Lisbon is a special city, filled with beautiful architecture, art, and history. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited, and the Santa Clara hotel was one of my favorite parts about it. It was one of the most beautiful hotels we've ever visited, and I recommend staying here to anyone who wants a taste of what Portugal has to offer. Read more about our stay at Santa Clara.
Images are by Arina Voy
Images by Arina Voy
DONA GRACA HOUSE
Dona Graça is located in one of the most vibrant areas of Lisbon. With its intimate atmosphere, it proposes a unique experience for friends and visitors.
The house is a historic building from the early 19th century, embraced by an orange-tree garden with a swimming pool, offering a relaxed atmosphere and an idyllic refuge after your journeys around the city.
Images from Dona Graca website
THE LISBOANS APARTMENTS
A family business with a life project that is still growing. It all started in 2011, in a dream, that became a reality in 2016 with the opening of the Lisboans. A year later, Prado Restaurant followed, and, in 2018, the Wine Bar Bistrô Prado Mercearia came to life. "We don’t know what the future holds but we're certain that we’ll continue opening doors to show the best of Portuguese culture to the world”. The Lisboans want to offer authentic experiences, and organically facilitate meetings between locals and those who visit us, whether they are vacationing families, couples in love, or travelers looking for inspiration.
Images from The Lisboans website
LISBON NOUVEAU
Nouveau apartments aim to reflect the spirit of a new and trendy Lisbon, an old and traditional city with a new and vibrating life. The apartments were totally reconditioned and are fully equipped with all you need for a short or long stay. The bedrooms offer comfortable beds for invigorating nights. The bathrooms are modern and well-equipped, and the kitchens are also very modern and functional. Wi-fi and air conditioning are available for your comfort.
Images from Nouveau
DESTINO LISBOA
Destino apartments are located in the parish of Santo António, a few minutes from Avenida da Liberdade and Marquês de Pombal. The area is ideal for discovering the city center of Lisbon, but also the local life.
Images from Destino Apartments website
CASA C'ALMA
Casa C'Alma is a reflection of what we aim to offer our guests: a slow mindful living (CALMA in Portuguese) as well as a soulful (ALMA in Portuguese) place to relax, unwind and enjoy life's simple pleasures.
Photography by Rachel Pagen
Cafes & Restaurants
Empanar
Hello, Kristof
Dear Breakfast
Manifest Cafe
Curva Cafe
Marquise Cafe
Stanislav Cafe
Seagull Method Cafe
Comoba
Pasteis De Belem
Heim Cafe
Neighborhood Cafe
Hygge Cafe
Flat Cafe
Yard of Greens
The Food for Real
Topo Chiado
Break Se
Yard
Copenhagen Coffe Lab
Feira Da Ladra
Park Bar
Bar Terraco de Santa Luzia
Quiosque da Ribeira das Naus
Lumi Restaurante & Bar
EMPANAR
Empanar's mission is to feed the passion for good food, health, and well-being. They are committed to the responsibility of always generating a triple impact and believe that what we do has to be good for the community, for our producer partners as well as for the environment.
Photography by Empanar
MARQUISE
Marquise da Mobler is a nice coffee, and brunch spot in Lisbon with a beautiful conceptual design. I was so inspired by the decoration.
Other cafes and restaurants, that I recommend in Lisbon:
Hello, Kristof
Dear Breakfast
Manifest Cafe
Curva Cafe
Marquise Cafe
Stanislav Cafe
Seagull Method Cafe
Comoba
Pasteis De Belem
Heim Cafe
Neighborhood Cafe
Hygge Cafe
Flat Cafe
Yard of Greens
The Food for Real
Topo Chiado
Break Se
Yard
Copenhagen Coffe Lab
Feira Da Ladra
Park Bar
Bar Terraco de Santa Luzia
Quiosque da Ribeira das Naus
Lumi Restaurante & Bar
Museums
MAAT MUSEUM
I am in love with the stunning MAAT Museum's architecture and location. MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology is the cultural center for Lisbon. It's a museum where these three areas intertwine within a space of debate, discovery, critical thinking, and international dialogue. MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology is the new cultural center for Lisbon.
Photography by Giovanni Nardi
Shopping
Lisbon has a lot of modern, conteporary brands with their pop-up stores that are worth a visit. Here are some of my favorites ones:
Ojo Gallery
Kintu Store
Raw Care Studio
Cocoon Store
OJO GALLERY
Created by Marie de Carvalho, OJO Gallery aims to be the expression of the artist's eye in symbiosis with the eye of the one who falls in love with a particular piece - a story told through several exhibitions inspired by Portuguese regions that matter most to Mary. This is only possible thanks to the collaboration of craftsmen, young artists, and Portuguese or foreign designers who create unique pieces exclusively for the gallery.
Images by Arina Voy
KINTU STORE
Kintu Studio is essentially a project with the objective of fostering and promoting products hand-crafted by our remarkable Portugal-based artists. Kintu has established an eccentric, warm space in our capital city that explores and highlights the diverse selection of creations we have to offer.
Images by Arina Voy
COCOON STORE
Cocoon is a Creative, Mindfulness studio`& shop based in Lisbon. Cocoon creates art, textile & clay products for our own calm and flow and sells them in our Alcantara shop. Alongside work and products from both UK & Portuguese makers. Cocoon uses art and drawing as a means of meditation and to create tranquility lives. Since living very stressful past lives, and running successful businesses, our aim is to help others to create space and stillness by using art as a form of meditation and mindfulness.
Images by Arina Voy
Modern Architecture
PORTUGUESE NATIONAL PAVILION
The Pavilhão de Portugal (In English The Pavilion of Portugal ) is a building located in Alameda dos Oceanos, in Parque das Nações, a civil parish in Lisbon, Portugal. In the World's Fair in 1998 (Expo'98), the building was responsible for housing the Portuguese National representation at that event. The building's entrance area is a large square covered by an imposing pre-stressed concrete canopy, which is based on the idea of a sheet of paper placed on two bricks, opening up space to the city to accommodate the various events that space of this kind.
Photography from This is Paper
Other architecture spaces in Lisbon, that I love:
Pavilhao de Portugal
Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown
Gare do Oriente Station / Santiago Calatrava
Centro Cultural De Belém / Vittorio Gregotti, Manuel Salgado
Terracos de Braganca / Alvaro Siza Vieira
Nature & Beaches
Costa Da Caparica
Cabo Da Roca
Praia De Ursa
Adraga Beach
Praia Do Rei Cortico
Guincho Beach
CABO DA ROCA
Sintra is a town in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal. It’s one of the towns along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean with cliffs rising above it. The Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point in mainland Europe. You will find there some restaurants, or you can even eat on the terrace while watching the sunset over the ocean.
Images by Arina Voy
PRAIA DA URSA
Amazing beach! I recommend to absolutely everyone to go there. The road is winding and dangerous, but the effort is worth it for an unforgettable experience and atmosphere! But remember - be prepared for hiking, and have a bottle of water and comfortable clothes. Also, time your visit in the morning because it is dark in the evening and you can't see anything on the coast.
Images by Arina Voy
SPA & Wellness
Sisu Cascais
The Gladstone Lisboa
Open Heart Lisbo
SISU
Sisu, Cascai's first clean beauty studio, is the idea of two Brazilian sisters living apart
Mariele Leite is a master esthetician living in Cascais. Alexandra Wacksman is a creative executive in New York City. With Sisu, they are bringing their vision of natural beauty delivered in a relaxed and welcoming environment to Portugal. Sisu's goal is to become a neighborhood haven for best sellers and soon-to-be-famous organic brands. Our selection of products and services will be personal and bespoke. What we like to use, what we believe our clients will appreciate in their busy lives. We don’t claim to have all answers and we want to curate them together.
Photography from This is Paper
Lisbon City Views
The best places to enjoy Lisbon city views:
Miradouro das portas do sol Observation Deck
Miradouro do Rio Tejo
Miradouro da Graca
Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcântara
Miradouro da Nossa Senhora do Monte
Miradouro de Santa Catarina
Miradouro Sophia de Mello
Miradouro do Santa Luzia
Miradouro Jardim do Torel
I hope you enjoyed this Lisbon guide. It is a beautiful city with many beautiful shops, cafes, stores, and places.
Lisbon has a lot of water around, beautiful parks and beaches surrounding it, and friendly people.
You will definitely enjoy your stay in Lisbon!
See you next time,
Arina
