Over the course of the week in Portugal, we dropped back from the rest of the group to see the real side of Lisboa – hanging out in ghettos, doing shots with the locals, and spending evenings dancing to live music in tiny squares. I quickly found myself fitting in with the locals – and here’s how.

WHERE TO EAT

Cafetaria Doce Da Madalena Lda is absolutely the best gem of a cafe in the whole of Lisbon. It is so randomly located that you’ll struggle to find it on Google maps, but the hunt will be worth it when you’re surrounded by jazzy live music, the most gorgeous cakes ever, locals congregating on the local square, and the cutest little outdoor staircase ever which leads to the world’s smallest bookstore. Sitting back on the steps and eating  pastel de Tentúgal whilst you take everything in will have you quickly falling in love with the place.

A Pousadinha is an adorable off-the-beaten-track bakery aimed at both pie fanatics and typical pastry weebs alike. They present the goods in classy little boxes which make you look as though you’ve just spent $400 on some fancy ass snacks, with the smell wafting through the cardboard and out onto the street being absolutely divine.

The Therapist is hands down the edgiest place I’ve ever been to; being a super cool, super unique, super interesting spot where you can stop for some gorgeous vegan food before gorging yourself in spa treatments and massages. Their menu is specialised to work towards aiding four main things: “mind, power, immunity, and detox.” Their menu is colour-coded to suit these four concepts, so that you can personalise exactly what it is that you want to gain from your meal. The whole place is mega wholesome, and the fact that they offer cheap procedures such as acupuncture and Indian head massages is something I rarely expect from a cafe. Awesome.

where to have the city all to yourself

The LX Factory is definitely one of the first places that educated Lisboa explorers flock towards – but they usually confine their visits to be between 9am and 5pm. Showcasing the best atmosphere in the whole city, the LX Factory is made up of a plethora of bars and restaurants and cute little artsy areas. One of the best things to do is grab a few drinks, catch a show, graffiti some walls, and dance throughout the night to a local band under the moonlight.

Martim Moniz is Lisbon’s very own Chinatown, and is made up of tiny streets featuring a delicate and harmonious balance of pedestrians, wobbly tuk tuks, pale blue trams, and fancy BMWs. Some of the cheapest food stuffs can be found here, and the run-down location means that tourists don’t tend to linger for very long.

The ghetto was the number one place that my travel companion and I kept getting drawn to – and you know that you’re not going to run into any other non-locais, as there’s nothing that scares off first-world tourists quite like poverty. Whilst it may not be an entirely safe pastime to wander around places like Anjos and Intendente at night, during the day they’re pretty awesome. Walk through the abandoned buildings and two-step drug dealers, and you’ll realise that it’s actually a really interesting place.

Hidden towns to visit

Sobreiro is one of those places that very few people know about. Located in the absolutely stunning town of Mafra (home to a really beautiful national place), it boasts an incredible history. The main attraction that tends to lead people to the town is its old traditional Portuguese village; where you can visit the quaint blue and white houses, a pretty little windmill and water pump system, and the old bars which are still up and running. The rest of the place is made up of charming farmhouses and tiny local-run stores where the locals remember you every time you go back. Magical.

Ericeira is officially the only seaside Portuguese town you need to visit – it’s absolutely gorgeous and the atmosphere is so laid back and pretty that it’s hard to not fall in love with the place instantly. With brightly painted houses and flower shops, it’s a Brighton-esque utopia.

Sintra is one of the top tourist hubs in Portugal – but you don’t need to stay on the beaten track. Stray away from the severely overpriced and touristy tuk tuks, you’ll be sure to wander into an authentic side of the city in no time. Walking the whole place by foot, you’ll walk past old palaces, castles, and run-down cottages. Very pretty.

Alfama Old Town is the sort of place that tourists adore during daylight, but tend to stay away from when the sun goes down – which is a massive shame as this old town only really comes alive at night. When the Feira Da Ladra ends (the thieves’ market – something you definitely have to go to), the real side of the province comes to light – with good music, good drink, and good company. If you need a place to stay in Lisbon, then there are plenty of options available online to choose from. Taking a look at travel blogs that share their own experiences of the area and their recommendations worth looking at.

And so, that summarises the absolute best places to stay off the beaten track in Lisbon, Portugal. What could be better than going to a place to find that you have it all to yourself, sunsets and farmhouses included, and thus end up seeing the real side of the city? These are the places that only the locals and long term residents in the Portugal golden visa program spend their time.

Have you guys ever been to any of these spots in Lisbon, or want to recommend a place or two that you consider to be off the beaten track? Let me know in the comments below!

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Eduardo martinho livros

I’m jumping straight into this post with my absolute favourite place in the whole of Lisbon – Eduardo Martinho Livros. My travel companion and I were on our way to the local market when we stumbled across this gem – where we simply couldn’t resist perusing their outside stalls full of old novels and vintage postcards. After discovering several handwritten letters between lovers from many wars ago in one of the baskets, we wandered into the main shop – which unexpectedly led to us spending hours inside the shop, sharing stories and music suggestions. Eduardo, the owner, offered us a couple shots of the classic sugary Portuguese liquor Ginja, and we spent the sunny afternoon just hanging out in the cosy little store. Kicking back with some Sinatra humming in the background and with gorgeous old novels surrounding us, it’s the sort of place you can’t help but fall in love with – and it definitely became a highlight of the whole trip. Why not pop by and say hi?

Livraria Simão

As one of the smallest bookstores in the world, it came as a massive surprise to find out that Livraria Simão stores around 4,000 books. The space was originally occupied by a tobacco shop, but Carneiro, the owner, turned this space into a curious little bookstore. Despite its size, it’s the sort of place you could loiter for a good while, pondering through antique volumes of Saramago, Camões, Queirós, and, of course, Pessoa. Featuring both popular titles and more obscure volumes, the majority of the editions for sale are second-hand, meaning that it doesn’t cost much to simultaneously blag yourself a gorgeous book and also support a (both physically and literally) small business. Another great thing about this place? The owner is tucked away about 14 inches into the store, so if you have any questions then you’re never too far from the answer.

Círculo dos letras

One of the least known places in Lisbon, Círculo dos Letras is a stunning little place in the heart of the city. The store is filled with an extensive collection of literature, with every title being super quirky and interesting – and decently priced. The walls are adorned with pretty artwork, and it’s very cute and well-organised, with seats dotted across the store to sit down and read. The books themselves are entirely random volumes, with novels such as The Art of Bonsai being sat next to a Guide to Jiuzhaigou, tucked beside a book by Ant Middleton. The livraria is such a well-kept secret that it doesn’t even have a website – but follow the Rua Voz do Operário 62 and it’ll draw you right to it!

móveis convento

Whilst located just out of the capital in an absolutely gorgeous town called Mafra, Móveis Convento is a place you absolutely cannot miss visiting. Filled with the most gorgeous antiques (I’m talking intricately painted chests from the Mogul period, and hand-painted golden bowls from underground cities), everything looks like it should be worth millions but instead is on sale for a mere couple of euros. The absolute best part of this place is the little corner where there’s hundreds of old books stacked precariously upon one other, as despite the fact that it’s not a place that specialises in being a livraria, they still possess hoards of gorgeous novels. They sell just about anything to fill your quirky kitsch needs, and along with vintage Portuguese volumes, you can also pick up an Egyptian-style Tiffany or a painting from 1600’s Japan. I can promise that you’ll fall in love instantly.

Bertrand livraria chiado

Any self-respecting bibliophile absolutely has to find themselves at this livraria – simply because of the fact that it’s the longest running bookstore in the world. The Bertrand Livraria in Chiado is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being just that, and purchasing a book here will earn you an official stamp. Made up of several wide-arched concaves joining each section, the inside of the store is super pretty, and the outside is covered in the most beautiful tiles in the city (and we all know how the alfacinhas feel about their azulejos!). After perusing the titles, you can walk down to the end of the bookshop and chill at their cafe – where you’re sure to find the best hot coco in Portugal.

Menina e moca

The first place I visited after stepping foot on Portuguese soil was the gorgeous Menina e Moca, a lovely little bar-cum-bookstore-cum-hangout. I fell in love with everything about the place immediately, from the little indoor leather seats where you are entirely surrounded by literature, to the outside space where you can bask in the sun with a mojito as you look up to read the poetry floating on a wire above your head. The absolute best part about the place, however, is the vast selection of poetry on offer, meaning that you can really lose yourself in the true essence of Lisbon. Apparently they also host epic-sounding events here – so why not visit and tell me all about them?

Livraria sá da Costa

If you’re looking for someplace adorable where you can peruse old leather-bound books with gorgeous spines, baskets full of vintage maps, and wooden hand-carved figurines placed in front of museum-worthy paintings, you’ve certainly come to the right place. Everything about this livraria just screams “organised mess,” and in doing so, immediately welcomes you into cosy, home-like surroundings. Beside gorgeous collectable books, you’ll also find old-fashioned globes and glass cases filled with antique collectors’ novels from the 18th century. For such a stunning place filled with so much poetry and wonderful Portuguese literature, it’s no wonder that it’s located just up the road from the famous Pessoa statue – so why not take a photo with him and one of his novels you’ve purchased from this bookstore?

Ler devegar

Officially the largest bookstore I have ever visited, Ler Devegar is one of the coolest places in the world ever. It’s the sort of place you could spend literal years in, devouring novel after novel without any chance of tiring of them. The building itself is super pretty, located right in the heart of the LX Factory – the hippest, loudest, and best part of the city. The walls are covered in art pieces, and there’s a bar space where you can sit down and have a few drinks whilst taking it all in. There’s a wide variety of languages available, with Portuguese unsurprisingly dominating, but with many other popular languages in stock. Intertwined with the old printing press, the whole place is swathed in history and beauty, and it’s one place you simply cannot miss out on visiting in Lisbon.

Under the cover

Officially the most effortlessly cool livraria in the whole of Lisbon – it houses the sort of chic aesthetic that my 15 year old self spent a ridiculously amount of time trying to attain. From the second you walk in you are  immediately surrounded by glossy copies of journals about tea and almanacs about travel and volumes about art. Located right next to the Gulbenkian Foundation – my favourite museum in the city – it really exudes the essence of this cultural hub. Outside, there’s a cool mirror where you get to witness how happy you look outside the store, and inside is a full-length mirror where you can glance over at yourself holding one of their books and see just how good it looks on you. Their magazines cover pretty much every topic imaginable – from food, travel, art, fashion, and photography, to architecture, culture and music – and everything in between. They offer some absolutely stunning international magazines, and also sell their own merch – the perfect way to show off the fact that you’re both a alfacinha and a massive high-standard bibliophile, probably with a fancy coffee table full of similar indie volumes.

And so, that summarises the absolute best bookstores in the whole of Lisbon – the sort of places your bucket list looks empty without. Have you guys ever visited any of these stores, or plan on doing so? Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

*Although you can thank me, if you really want to. Maybe in the form of book recommendations?

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