My self-confessed love for Lisbon isn’t new to anyone, and admittedly, I confess I have been sticking to a comfortable routine on my monthly visits? Why? I hear you ask – because I miss these places and always want to go back!
Nonetheless, it was time to try something new and on a recent trip to Portugal’s capital city and my hometown, Mr. O and I did just that!
Where to sleep? I love the Sheraton, but recently new hotels have been opening up and I decided to try not one, but two!
The chosen one for the first night? The Altis Avenida, bang on Avenida da Liberdade and Praça dos Restauradores. 5-star (of course) and reminiscent of its theatre heritage – the hotel building is back to back with Lisbon’s main theatre – Teatro D. Maria II.
For dinner, we tried and loved Bocca, where Chef Alexandre Silva works mainly with portuguese seasonal products and his menus feature foods of the country’s diverse regions. We thought that the menu was incredibly creative, the service very attentive and the food.. delicious!
It is worth mentioning about its incredible wine selection (100 wines by the glass), chosen by the sommelier, Ricardo Morais. Never tried Portuguese wine? You are missing out! Sadly, thanks to the economic climate, Bocca closed down in 2012. I could have changed this post, but I really didn’t want to ignore this place. It deserves a mention here.
Saturday
We woke up bright and early to this view – seriously! We were delighted with this hotel and the simple but hearthy breakfast.
One of the advantages of being in Avenida da Liberdade is, of course, the shopping. I have been known to indulge every now and then, but this time I wanted to treat Mr. O. He was very sad when Labrador closed down, but delighted that Wickett Jones took its place. We loved the shop, the clothes and the stairs (which we are copying!)
Time to check out and check into our new hotel – not ideal.. but I was promised it would be worth it…say hello to the Altis Belém!
Located near Belem, in the south-west of Lisbon – bang on River Tejo, it is on an idyllic location – it’s like you are on holiday in Lisbon. Look at the view of our room.
I think we just stayed the whole afternoon at the spa and at our balcony enjoying a bottle of champagne and the view – do you really need more? I don’t!
Time for dinner.. and cocktails! I stayed true to my promise and tried yet another new place – Pedro e o Lobo, also known for its cocktails, which I highly recommend!
Again, creative Portuguese cuisine at its best, and certainly worth a visit? My favourite out of the 2? Ask me!
Sunday
Not much time on Sunday as we slept til 12pm, something that doesn’t normally happen, but I couldn’t resist the beds! We had a lovely brunch at the hotel – and we really didn’t want to leave!
We just had a little bit of time to stop at El Corte Inglés, Lisbon’s only department store (which I love) and buy some interesting things.
As they say, good things come to an end 🙂 but there will always be Lisbon, right? Looking forward to my next trip in July!
Mrs. O