A Portuguese Whirlwind
A Portuguese Whirlwind
The Lisbon and Mourão agenda included a black-tie optional wedding, plenty of seafood-filled dinners, and some shopping that aroused the suspicions of customs.
You’d think that after Milan and Paris I’d be ready to go home and sleep for 18 hours without interruption. But nope! For the last leg of my European trip, I was Portugal bound for a black-tie optional wedding, deep in wine country. The last time I found myself in Lisbon was nine years ago for a different wedding so I was eager to go back and see how much the city has changed. A confession: by the time day two rolls around in Italy, regardless of city, I’m already dying for Asian food of any sort. As for Paris, well, I tend to eat anything but French food. But in Portugal? Give me all the seafood and egg tarts, immediately. I never tire of it. Courtesy of colonization, namely Macau and its proximity to Hong Kong, I find the cuisine familiar and comforting. It’s probably also why there’s a ton of Asian tourists at any of the big restaurants. I mean, in general there are a ton of Asian tourists in any big city period, but I find that I hear Cantonese a lot more often in Lisbon than Barcelona or Florence.
Anyway, this time around we only had a few days in Lisbon proper because the wedding itself was in a town called Mourão, which is about a two-ish hour drive from the city. Located literally five miles from Spain, our hotel was a quiet, relaxing respite, which I really needed. The couple found it via their wedding planner and it’s truly a gem. One of the best features besides naturally the food and wine? It’s a Dark Sky property, meaning there’s no light pollution. At night we’d grab a bottle (or several) and make our way to down to the dock by the lake. Give your eyes a few moments and suddenly the skies are filled with stars. It was the first time I saw the Milky Way in all its glory. A friend had a special telescope that was able to capture nebulas, which is also a wild image to see. You forget how magical nature can be when you’re too used to skylines. More on that hotel along with our other favorite spots along the way. Also to note: this newsletter would normally be paywalled but I’m going to leave it up for free for a week, then switch it over.
A Few Favorite Outfits
At this point I had pretty much exhausted through all of my fashion week clothes and I was sick of wearing things that required me to be careful while eating and drinking. This Perks & Mini dress was something that I picked up on a whim last year in Melbourne. The Australian boutique scratches that itch I have for loud, sporty clothes — I love them in the mix of my wardrobe. It’s also basically idiot-proof because you can toss it into the wash without worry. For our driving day, which naturally included plenty of food stops along the way, it was comfortable. And the fact that it matched the exterior of our Lisbon hotel turned out to be a plus.
I wasn’t kidding when I said this Prada purchase from Milan would be worn repeatedly. What’s better for a black-tie optional wedding than something that’s literally covered in black ties (well, ribbons but same idea!). The best part was that everything was at the same hotel we were staying in. That meant I kept this delicate dress on for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and most of the dinner. But by the time it was the actual party and shots were passed around repeatedly? Switched out of the platforms into the Simone Rocha Crocs (technically festive!) and a crop top/stretchy skirt combination for both the sake of comfort and out of fear of ruining the dress.
For our last full day in Lisbon, we were on our own as everyone else from the wedding had flown out. The streets around our second hotel were empty so following a coffee and some food, we took a little stroll. I quickly realized this outfit, which I intended to wearing during PFW, was also not the best idea that day. The Noir Kei Ninomiya pinafore, with its giant silver chains, was definitely great at trapping heat and no amount of sheerness up top could help that. But it made for a good photo, I guess.
Where I Stayed
For Lisbon, I’m going to only recommend the hotel I stayed at my first night. We had booked super last minute so they didn’t have availability for the other two nights we needed and we wound up at a second hotel. I’ll leave it unnamed but I’ll say this: While technically nicer, it had weird rules. We weren’t allowed food or drink in the room and any wine bottles were subject to a corkage fee. Corkage fees I get, especially when you have your own bar. But no food and drink in the room felt aggressive? We only drank water and kept all the snacking/eating to a minimum, going as far to smuggle the garbage out. I’m sure it would have been fine but the front desk guy kept reemphasizing reading the rules so who knows.
Alegria A Lisbon Boutique Hotel
Praça da Alegria 12, 1250-004
That said, I loved our first hotel. It’s listed as a three star, which I know can be hit or miss in most European cities. But I found it to be such a good value (rooms range from under $200 to $500-ish for the massive suites) given its location, space, and overall vibes. Just up the street from Avenida da Liberdade, their equivalent to 5th Avenue, Alegria is walkable to all of the major destinations. One caveat: you’re always going up a hill here and it’s no different with this hotel. I’m fine with it, the exercise helps free up more space for egg tarts and grilled shrimp. That being said, Uber is extremely affordable here (like well under 10 euros a ride) so we wound up taking them after some big boozy dinners.
As for my room, it wasn’t massive (the one pictured above is from the site and one of the suites, not my room!) but it’s also not like Tokyo-levels of tiny either. I was able to sort through my massive suitcases and re-pack in a coherent way. The bathroom was manageable, even if counter space was limited. We didn’t do the breakfast but it looked like everyone else was enjoying it. What I really did love, however, was the lobby. Yes, it skews maximalist but it had a cozy feeling to it.
Herdade Dos Delgados
Herdade dos Delgados, Rua de S.Sebastião, Mourão
I’m so glad that the couple chose a hotel in a location that wasn’t the usual Lisbon/Sintra/Porto options that are common for destination weddings. Mourão is not as well known, making it a great excuse to drive and see other parts of the country. Located near Évora, a UNESCO Heritage site, the area is a bit sleepy, dotted with vineyards, and made for taking in nature, history, and of course drinking plenty of wine. As for where we stayed, it was extremely reasonably priced, like under $250/night for our room, although there are some apartment-style suites that are good for families. The crowd is either everyone you know, because weddings require a full takeover of the space (actually brilliant given how loud we were) or local Portuguese tourists.
As for the food situation, the hotel restaurant was pretty solid — we had a special pre-set menu for the wedding weekend so I have no clue which dishes carry over to regular dining. All I recall was that we had plenty of Iberian pork, which is an area specialty and absolutely delicious. If not, the small town is a short drive away or, if you’re feeling like you need some exercise, you can take a free bike and ride over. Just be warned: the hills coupled with the heat will leave you dripping in sweat. Also, it bears repeating that seeing the stars at night is a must. So magical.
A Few Favorite Food Spots
Like all my favorite vacations, our plans involved a lot of eating with a side of walking to make sure my stomach has room for more. Normally I plan everything down to the second but this time around, we tried to keep plans a bit loose, especially on nights when we had a big group.
Café Alentejo
R. do Raimundo 5, 7000-661 Évora
En route to Mourão we stopped off in Évora for lunch and it turned into a comedy of errors. The center of town is full of tiny, one way streets that can be closed at any given time, so Google Maps was having a meltdown. We also couldn’t figure out the parking situation. Eventually we found some meters but we had no coins so we wound up asking a random restaurant to tack on a charge to our bill in exchange for five Euros. That restaurant was inedible. I’ve never actually gotten up and paid for uneaten food until that day. I consider it a 40 Euro dummy tax for my stupidity. Anyway, we landed at Café Alentejo, which was wonderful for a small lunch. A shared order of garlic shrimp and stewed pork cheeks followed by a local dessert that included a preserved plum that reminded me of umeboshi was exactly what we needed before continuing on the drive.
Cervejaria Ramiro
Av. Alm. Reis 1 H, 1150-007
I know it’s almost a cliché at this point to include this restaurant in a Portugal guide given its ubiquity but this is one of the only places that I needed to come back to, nine years later. In fact, it was so good, we ate there twice — once on the first night with just myself and Chris and then again with a group of friends post-wedding. Spanning the entire block, with multiple floors, the owners have definitely figured out how to navigate their overwhelming popularity. They’re able to take reservations while if you’re a walk-in, the waitstaff will direct you to to the large waiting area that’s complete with a bar and light snacks to tide you over until your number is called. In the past you’d have to stand on line, with a random beer procured from who knows where, and wait patiently. Suffice to say that being seated with a bottle of vino verde and a plate of Pata Negra ham is way more preferable.
As for what to order? To start, the oysters as well as the ham. We also added a bag of truffle chips to pair with the thin slices of Pata Negra and oh god, that was brilliant. I find that the cold seafood choices like the crab and lobster to be less exciting compared the hot options. Anything that’s drowning in garlic ranging from the shrimp to the razor clams to the littleneck clams are incredible and the spicy shrimp comes with a hot sauce that’s actually hot, even by my standards. (Side note: a table behind us brought their own Sichuan chili crisp with them. Kinda brilliant.) But the hands down favorite were these giant red shrimp, fresh off the grill with the heads on. If you do not suck the brains out of a shrimp, we cannot eat together. It’s the best part. Also, to sop up all of the flavorful juices, they serve bread that’s absolutely dripping in butter.
One last note: do not leave without getting the steak sandwich! It’s the “dessert” and even if you can only fit a bite or two into your stomach it’s worth it. Add a slick of mustard and it’s the most buttery, garlicky piece of meat between two slices of bread. We ordered several before an actual round of desserts. Those were completely unmemorable.
Taberna da Rua das Flores
Rua das Flores 103 109, 1200-194 Lisboa
Thank you to my friend Alissa who suggested this restaurant because it made for perfect dinner on our last night. The spot is also pretty well-known and on plenty of lists — for good reason, it’s really that good. There are no reservations and you shouldn’t go with a table bigger than four people, mainly because the space is on the small side. We headed there around 5:15 p.m. and put our names down for a 7 p.m. table. What to do in the meantime? Find a bar, grab a drink because it’s so worth the wait. The menu changes daily but it’s a small plates situation with around four to five being more than ample for two people. We actually struggled to finish all five plates because certain dishes are on the larger side. Highlights included the oysters as well as these miso butter scallops that reminded us of Japan. A few of the dishes definitely had Japanese influence like the hamachi crudo and a red shrimp ceviche that had citrus, so naturally they were our favorites. To round out our meal we also had octopus as well as beef tongue. I think I hit the wall when the beef tongue came out — it’s very rich but as someone who loves that cut of meat, absolutely worth squeezing in a few bites.
Pasteis de Belem
R. de Belém 84 92, 1300-085 Lisboa
No visit to Portugal is complete without some pasteis de nata aka Portuguese egg tarts. Located next to Jerónimos Monastery, the historic bakery is where the dessert originated. As the lore goes, the monks used egg whites to starch their clothes and faced with an overabundance of yolks and desire to not waste food, they came up with this incredible custard dessert that has since become a favorite among the Chinese, courtesy of colonization. It’s hands down one of my favorite desserts, so much so that I literally hand carried a box of six back to New York City with me.
There’s a takeout counter but I prefer to go inside. The wait may seem long but the line moves fast. Plus, you get to see them making the dessert and also poke around all of the old machinery. Obviously order the egg tarts with some coffee. The menu offers other food like sandwiches as well as deep fried pastries and other classics like eclairs. Skip the eclairs, they’re completely unmemorable but do get the bacalao fritter which has a salted cod interior. You’ll want a little savory with your sweet.
*One caveat that might be controversial: the pasteis de nata at Manteigaria might be a tad bit better. It’s more buttery to me. Try both and see what you like better because you’re not in Portugal if you don’t eat one daily.
The Folks
R. de São Bento 51, 1200-661 Lisboa
I know, I know, this place looks like the inside of a sanitarium but it was a cute coffee place near my second hotel. We stopped in for a quick breakfast and I loved that they were able to swap out the toast on my salmon Benedict in favor of deep fried hash browns. It’s not the most traditional of morning meals but if you’re up early like we were, it was a satisfying meal to start off the day. I also loved their coconut latte which wasn’t too sweet and they have cold brew, with ice, what a rarity! As an added bonus, they have a ton of beans to choose from. For every bag you buy, you’ll get a voucher for a free beverage, which we took full advantage of, caffeine jitters be damned.
cabal: coffee & cocktail bar
Largo São Domingos 16, 1150-320 Lisboa
Should you need a break from all of the wine, we wound up at this coffee meets cocktail bar before dinner one evening. We were starving from our drive back from Mourão and thankfully they had little pressed sandwiches, including a spicy salami one that tasted like a fancy pepperoni Hot Pocket. Highly recommend! As for the drink menu, naturally the espresso martini was incredible but also worth noting was the negroni, which had Campari that was infused with coffee beans. I’m not the biggest negroni drinker but even I was swayed.
Shopping, Shopping, Shopping
You’ll find all the big labels located on Avenida da Liberdade like Prada, Dior, etc. but having come from Paris and Milan, I wasn’t in the mood to add on to my credit card debt. That being said, if you want the Alaïa Teckel bag, it’s inexplicably priced lower in Lisbon at Stivali, a multi-brand boutique that carries everything from Bottega Veneta to Jil Sander to Jacquemus. Otherwise, local specialties include textiles, tinned fish, and ceramics. I bought a lot of tinned fish and I swear customs flagged me because of that. Well, also because of my gigantic suitcases. Anyway, that was an unpleasant experience.
Conserveira de Lisboa
R. dos Bacalhoeiros 34, 1100-071 Lisboa
Before there was pandemic-era tinned fish madness and the rise of brands like Fishwife, there was this place. Founded in 1930, it’s probably the most popular boutique in all of Lisbon and it’s easy to see why there’s always a line outside the door of this tiny store. You’ll find a variety of classics ranging from sardines to octopus to anchovies. The selection can be overwhelming, especially with all the people hovering anxiously behind you, waiting to get inside. I had several requests from friends, namely the spicy anchovies and the mackerel in tomato sauce. Then I saw the guy in front of me purchase 15 of the lemon mackerel tins so obviously I copied him and grabbed a few.
meia.dúzia
R. Nova do Almada 90, 1200-289 Lisboa
While walking to Paris em Lisboa, I passed by this olive oil, chocolate, and preserves. Great minds must think alike because the guy who bought the 15 tins of lemon mackerel shortly followed. meia.dúzia began as as start-up brand in 2012 founded by a pair of siblings before it took off and became a full fledged chain of stores. Everything is packaged into squeeze bottles reminiscent of paint tubes. You’ll find jams infused with wines, olive pastes, chocolate sauces, honey, and even chutneys. After tasting everything we landed on a spicy mango chutney for fish, a port-infused fig jam that’s made for cheese, and an olive and fig paste that’s savory sweet.
Paris em Lisboa
R. Garrett 77, 1200-273 Lisboa
If Ralph Lauren were Portuguese, this is where he would shop. The historic store dates back to 1888 and in 1902, Queen Amelia gave it Providers of the Royal Household status. No surprise that photos are absolutely forbidden inside — it’s not a place for content. Instead, you’ll find gorgeous, reasonably-ish priced linens, pajamas, tableware, and other household goods. I find the style to skew a little more classic and traditional for my style although the crisp white bedding was tempting. That said, it’s worth a browse for some beautiful, artisan made pieces.
Clay Lisboa
R. da Misericórdia 17, 1200-270 Lisboa
And finally, this modern ceramics shop had so many beautiful pieces that would feel right at home in my apartment. Clay Lisboa is a relatively new boutique and they source from producers across Portugal from the Algarve, Alentejo, Douro, and Minho regions. Certain styles skew more Japanese wabi-sabi which is what I prefer and it’s a great alternative to the more ornate, traditional Portuguese ceramics that tend to be at most shops. I refrained from buying anything because I don’t want to carry more bowls on a plane — the number of times that I’ve done that is comical at this point.
Whewwww, this wound up being longer than expected and after writing this, I want to head back to deep dive into other parts of the country. Let me know if you enjoy these guides, I will have some extensive Japan ones coming up in the near future! Also, see you on Sunday where I have a special interview with someone I mentioned in a prior newsletter as admiring her style. It’s a good one!
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Wherever we traveled when we were young, in cities including Paris, we heard Cantonese. My husband's native tongue helped us navigate through many European cities.