In Love with Lisbon: Part II
Four days in and we were disappointed in ourselves that we had yet to try pastéis de nata. These custard filled, flaky pastry tarts are famous in Portugal but actually originated at the Jerónimos Monastery before the eighteenth century. It was quite common for monasteries and convents to use leftover egg yolks to make sweet treats, which they would then distribute and sell. In the aftermath of the Liberal Revolution of 1820, following the dissolution of many religious orders, the monks at the Jerónimos Monastery started selling pastéis de nata at a nearby sugar refinery to generate revenue. Whilst the monastery was closed in 1834, their recipe lived on.
We had breakfast at Manteigaria. One pastel de nata each and a cappuccino remedied the fact we had yet to try this delightful Portuguese pastry.
After our Portuguese tarts we headed for some more exploring on foot, observing the Palácio de São Bento (Portuguese parliament) from Travessa da Arrochela and the tiled buildings of Baixo and Bairro Alto. We could not get enough of the tiles, we were particularly attracted to the yellow and blue combinations.
We stopped for lunch at Marquise, a gorgeous café-cum-design store in the Príncipe Real neighbourhood. We loved the vibe and aesthetic of this place and the food certainly ensured it was style and substance. Our dessert was gelato from Nannarella, which was a few doors down from lunch. We chose mango, raspberry and lemon sorbet, a refreshing sugar hit in the 30°c heat.
We then spent our afternoon at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. This is a magnificent collection of art housed in a Brutalist building. The collector, Calouste Gulbenkian, amassed over 6,000 pieces from all over the world, dating from antiquity to the early twentieth century. It is an incredibly impressive personal collection. We gravitated towards the paintings. There were works by Van Dyck, Rubens, Rembrandt, Turner, Gainsborough, George Romney, Thomas Lawrence, Francesco Guardi, Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir…among many other great names. Our favourite paintings were the Vase with Roses and La Table Garnie by Henri Fantin-Latour; Quillebeuf, Mouth of the Seine by Turner and Fishing Boats at Honfleur by Claude Monet. There was also a great, immersive exhibition of Alberto Giacometti sculptures. The gallery’s gardens are also a lovely place for a moment of relaxation. We had a cold drink whilst people watching and soaking in the atmosphere of live music.
Dinner that evening was something special. We dined at Palacio do Grilo, a shabby (but seriously chic) chateau in Lisbon’s Beato district. The original chateau was built by D. Pedro de Bragança, the first Duke of Lafões. He called it his ‘dream of stone’ where every room had a different purpose and design. We are sure the Duke would have been proud of what it is today, a theatre full of surprises, beautiful furniture and art…all whilst you eat. During our dinner we were treated to a number of spectacles by a group of talented artists. The performance reached a crescendo in the garden, and a rapturous applause broke out during the performance’s finale. Palacio do Grilo felt like a surreal fever dream but one you were happy not to wake up from.
After dinner we wandered around the chateau’s grounds, cocktail in hand, and enjoyed the atmosphere of the Gala Cricri, an elevated nightclub dedicated to live music, dancing and art.
After a memorable meal at Palacio do Grilo, we resumed our Lisbon food explorations on Sunday morning with a delicious brunch at Dear Breakfast. Dear Breakfast takes reservations for weekend sittings, something we would recommend. We booked for 10:30am at their Chiado location and were lucky enough to not only skip the long line but also get seated with the best view, a window seat where we could watch all the passing trams.
After breakfast we hopped on a train to Queluz-Belas to visit the National Palace of Queluz. This eighteenth century palace is a fantastic example of Rococo architecture. It was conceived as a summer retreat for Pedro of Braganza, who later married Queen Maria I. Queluz’s architecture is characteristic of an extravagant period of Portuguese culture, which followed the discovery of Brazilian gold in 1690. The interior of the palace is exquisite, if rather flamboyant. Do not forget to look up, the ceilings are just as ornate and beautifully decorated.
There is something quite whimsical about the palace and the gardens. There was hardly anyone there when we visited, which made the whole visit even more spectacular as you could really absorb every little detail without distractions. It is known as the Versailles of Portugal, and it is easy to see why.
Our penultimate dinner was at Leonetta, a great Italian with an impressive gallery wall. If you have ever been to a Big Mamma restaurant, Leonetta provides a similar experience.
On our final day in Lisbon, we got the train to the gorgeous seaside town of Cascais. Cascais’s beauty surprised us. Pastel-hued streets were decorated with bougainvillea and a handful of the country’s famous azulejos.
We walked along the seafront, passing the Castro Guimarães Museum and the Santa Marta Lighthouse on our way to Boca do Inferno, a sea arch with the rather ominous translated name, Hell’s Mouth. We saw this impressive natural formation on a calm summer’s day, but the name is thanks to the crashing, violent waves of the Atlantic during winter storms. We then walked back along the seafront and, to cool down, went for a paddle in the sea at Praia da Ribeira. After a number of days of sweltering heat, it was a wonderful feeling dipping our toes into the cool Atlantic Ocean. Arran was even brave enough to put his shoulders under. Before heading back to Lisbon, we had coffee at a café in the Cidadela Art District, which is a courtyard of small galleries, art studios and independent shops. Part of wish we’d booked a few nights here as we were really taken by the town’s charm.
We returned to Lisbon for dinner at Valdo Gatti. Situated in the bohemian Bairro Alto neighbourhood, Valdo Gatti offers fantastic sourdough pizzas, a perfect tiramisu, and a chic but casual atmosphere. We shared the mortadella e pistachio and marinara with anchovies pizzas, which we accompanied with an artisanal, local beer. We concluded the evening with a glass of Portuguese espumante wine and a tiramisu. We would highly recommend this place.
We soaked in the last of Lisbon’s atmosphere with our final walk back to our apartment, passing the Praça do Comércio, Arco da Rua Augusta and our final view of Tram 28.
The trams, hills and Ponte 25 de Abril make Lisbon feel a little like the San Francisco of Europe, or rather that San Francisco is the Lisbon of North America. Another stand out was just how friendly and warm the people of Portugal were. We had a number of touching interactions with locals, and this really added to the charming atmosphere of the place.
Tchau Lisboa! Now onto Porto.
If you missed Part I of the Lisbon blog, you can catch up here.