Fine Pastries and Fado Music Rule the Night in Lisbon

Lisbon at dusk is pretty much picture perfect. (Photo: Getty Images)

Don’t wear your heels to Alfama, the charismatic, medieval dockside neighborhood of Portugal’s capital, Lisbon. The cobblestone streets are so steep you might tumble headfirst into the Tagus River, once the bustling home port of Portugal’s vast, seafaring trade empire.

But what you lack in height you’ll make up for in experience, because this historical city is packed with culture. I suggest you spend a day sightseeing and then devote your Thursday evening to strolling through Alfama’s winding, lamplit streets, with pit stops along the way. Here’s where to go.

4 p.m. Cap off the afternoon’s sightseeing with coffee and nata — Portugal’s signature pastry, a custard tart—on the Rua Augusta. This dignified boulevard of shops and restaurants connects two picturesque and busy squares, the riverside Praca do Comercio and the Praca Dom Pedro IV. You’ll often encounter traditional singers and musicians here. There are also two guys who dress up as statues of Mozart, plus one dude who walks around in a Zorro costume, complete with horse. Enjoy.

Upgrade your pastry game with the nata, a local favorite in Lisbon. (Photo: Marc Hanauer/Flickr)

5 p.m. It’s a couple of hours before sunset, which is the perfect time to make your way into Alfama, the next neighborhood over from the Rua Augusta. Once home to crews and stevedores for ships that long ago stopped sailing, Alfama remains a working-class neighborhood. It is a hillside maze of alleys and centuries-old houses, many of which predate the devastating earthquake of 1755, which destroyed much of the rest of the city. Note that most of Alfama’s streets are too narrow for taxis, so if you hail a cab, expect to be dropped a few (steep, winding, and very confusing) blocks away from your destination.

The most picturesque way to get there is the number 28 tram, a tourist favorite for its route passing several Alfama landmarks. These include the wonderful 12th-century Lisbon Cathedral and the Portas do Sol, a square that provides sweeping views of the neighborhood.

For background on the night’s entertainment, stop at the Fado Museum, which honors the bluesy, melancholy song tradition of the same name that’s become a national art form. The hardscrabble life of Alfama’s sailors inspired the fado sound, and its haunting melodies of lost life and love can still be heard, after dark, in cafés throughout the neighborhood. The museum itself features exhibits on fado’s history and most famous artists. Foremost among these is Amalia Rodrigues, who achieved fame in the 1950s and has remained a national icon since her death in 1999.

Be sure to check out the Fado Museum, which has paintings like this one by José Malhoa, a famous Portugese artist. (Photo: Hemis / Alamy)

6 p.m. Since you’re already in Alfama, spend some time walking around this gorgeous neighborhood, Lisbon’s oldest. Its views over the terra cotta rooftops down to the river — punctuated by old trees and church bell towers—are surely some of the most romantic in Europe.

Alfama is known for its labyrinthine alleys and old-world architecture. (Photo: Zoonar GmbH / Alamy)

As you’re taking in Alfama, you might see publicity photos for the night’s singers displayed in restaurant windows. Many of these — following the style set by Rodrigues — seem to resemble a moody, late-career Jane Russell. At its most somber, fado makes Edith Piaf sound like Taylor Swift, and the aesthetic is noir to match.

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8 p.m. It’s fado time. Most fado houses advise booking ahead, but if there isn’t a cruise ship docked, and if you’re not there during peak tourist season (June through August), you may be able to just walk into an excellent house on a Thursday night.

For a white-tablecloth fado experience, make a reservation at the elegant Alfama fado house Casa de Linhares, which is located in an aristocrat’s townhouse rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. Tasteful uplighting sets off the stone-arched ceiling, giving the space an air of intimacy and exclusivity. It feels a bit like a pop-up restaurant in the king’s wine cellar — with a bill to match. Fun fact: The Rolling Stones once went there to experience the local scene after they played a show in Lisbon.

Also at the fancier end is the Clube de Fado, a musician’s hangout owned by a guitarist. Wonderfully atmospheric, its tiled exterior with ironwork over the windows opens into a cozy, picture-lined den. Richard Branson and Woody Allen are among the famous folks who have visited.

If you want to hear some authentic Fado music, the famed Clube de Fado is a popular choice. (Photo: Clube de Fado)

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There are also around a dozen smaller fado houses in Alfama. They may lack celebrity clientele (which is good or bad, depending on your preference) but are definitely easier on the wallet. Generally speaking, you can expect to pay 35 to 50 euros for dinner at a restaurant with a fado singer (and there’s either a set menu or a minimum required spending amount)

No night out in Lisbon would be complete without the warm, soulful sounds of fado. (Photo: Sergio Azenha / Alamy)

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One popular fado café with a 25-euro minimum is the hole in the wall taberna A Baiuca, where the servers (and sometimes the cook) are also the singers.
But be warned: Here and in other places, some travelers may be surprised by the final bill. In Lisbon, appetizers — like a basket of fish croquettes, for example — often appear without being requested, but they are not free the way they sometimes are in countries like Italy. If you don’t want to pay for these unordered snacks, send them back.

Cap off your evening with a visit to a cervejeria for more late-night food, drinks, and fun. (Photo:ISCTE-IUL - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa/Flickr)

10 p.m. and beyond Haven’t had enough to eat and drink yet? Maybe you need a little merriment to follow all that sad music (which you didn’t understand a word of, but trust me, it’s bleak). In that case, head to a cervejaria like the Cana Verde, a classic Lisbon beer-and-seafood joint where the refreshments are cheap, the locals are lubricated, and the party lasts late. But get home safe … unless you want to be the subject of some fado yourself.

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