Lisbon’s design biennial Experimenta Design will be back in 2009 (now also taking place in Amsterdam), but there are already some related events this year. The official launch is this month with the first world exhibition about Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.  It’s called “Peter Zumthor – Buildings and Projects 1986-2007” and focuses on the architect’s creative process, showing 29 of his projects through mock-ups and sketches.  Six of the large-scale mock-ups stand out for their physical impact, while two video installations reveal other aspects of the architect’s vision.  This exhibition is found in the Alcântara district on Rua Rodrigues Faria, 103.

Architecture and design buffs will also want to check out the temporary exhibitions of the Design & Fashion Museum, showing a few pieces from its outstanding collection in a small temporary space in Alfama as the museum prepares to be reopened in its new home.

In between these visits, continue with design in mind, and have your meals in stylish cafes and restaurants. Stop by Café Royale in Chiado for a light lunch surrounded by the contemporary Scandinavian décor of the space, and dine in style at Yasmin, a restaurant where the food is just as attractive as its furnishings and interior design.

All of that after checking out the boutiques of Lisbon’s most prominent designers Fatima Lopes and Ana Salazar, but also taking a look at the bold new talent in the city, in Storytailors’s fantastic space in Chiado. If you continue to be in the shopping mood, head on to Santos, the city’s designated “Design District,” home to Lisbon’s top interior design shops.  Stay in the area for a drink or the increasingly popular sushi at Estado Liquido.

At the end of the day, relax at your design hotel, Fontana Park uptown, or Jeronimos 8 right next to the city’s main architectural landmarks in Belem.

If you decide to go out on a Saturday night in Lisbon it’s very likely that you won’t make it to bed until morning. You won’t then wake up in time for your hotels’ breakfast, so you’ll have to look for brunch elsewhere.

Everyone’s favorites are those served at Deli Delux, Pois Café, Royal Café, or Kaffeehaus, but there’s another perfect spot that even many locals don’t know about. That’s the café of the Chiado Museum, serving the city’s most original brunch. In addition to freshly squeezed and blended juice, there are scrambled eggs, toast, caviar, and mimosa. As soon as you read “caviar” you expect this to be a fancy place with high prices, but it has a casual ambience and everything is reasonably priced.

Have it all in the pleasant garden, decorated with statues that serve as a preview of what you’ll find inside the museum. Because Portugal’s national museums are free on Sunday mornings until 2PM, follow brunch with a visit to the country’s national contemporary art museum. Temporary exhibitions are usually displayed in a room next to the permanent collection consisting of paintings, sculpture, and installations by mostly Portuguese 19th and 20th century artists.

If you want to skip the museum and only try the brunch or have any other light meal at any time of the day, you can do that, as the café entrance is separate from that of the museum. If you’re alone, bring a book or a periodical, as you’ll likely be seduced by the garden setting into staying for some time.

After being closed for a few months, restaurant Cravo e Canela (”Clove and Cinnamon”) in Bairro Alto has reopened, refreshed with a new menu. The dishes have changed, but the fusion of Portuguese and international flavors remains the same, as does the intimate ambience. The décor is made up of candelabra, oriental sculptures, and mirrors surrounding the dark furnishings, where you sit as you listen to a soundtrack of chill-out, jazz, or fado tunes. That’s the perfect setting for a long, relaxed dinner that’s guaranteed to be one of the most memorable among Bairro Alto restaurant experiences. 

Start with the octopus carpaccio as an appetizer as I did, and let the knowledgeable staff suggest the perfect wine to go along with your meal. I was recommended a Callabriga Douro, a red wine from the north of Portugal. It went well with the main entrées that later arrived at my table, a vegetable risotto and a shrimp açorda (the traditional Portuguese bread stew).

The menu had other tempting options, under meat, fish, and risotto listings, and for lovers of the more exotic (and spicier) flavors, the Thai curry shrimps will sound tempting and is perhaps my likely choice on a return visit. But next time we’ll have to repeat one of the desserts that completed our meal, the chocolate chiffon. That generous slice of cake was shared at the table, but I was also curious about the rice pudding and ice cream combination, and ordered that. The pudding comes in a thin cup, with strips of lemon providing a little extra flavor mixed in. The ball of ice cream that stands next to it on a plate is usually vanilla, but I requested it be lemon-flavor instead. It was a wise choice, and one that matched the chocolate chiffon in satisfying the taste buds. The apple lasagne also sounded interesting, but that was also left for next time.

The owners seem to have made comfort and customer satisfaction a top priority, and those who don’t want to leave after dinner may choose to move on to the bar. They may stand or sit there with a drink, as they watch the streets of Bairro Alto become filled for the usual bar hop through the night.

The bar, the inviting and comfortable ambience, the inventive flavors on the menu, and the attentive service is just the right fusion to make Cravo e Canela one of the sure bets for a night in Bairro Alto.

First there was Pois, now there is Kaffeehaus. GoLisbon recommended the Austrian-owned Pois Café when it opened and it’s in fact become one of Lisbon’s favorite daytime hangouts. Not only because of its original gastronomic creations, but for its cosy, comfortable space made up of sofas and grandma-style furniture.A couple of months ago two other young Viennese decided to move to Lisbon and open their own café. Unlike Pois, Kaffeehaus has a very contemporary décor, with Vienna present in the posters on the walls advertising plays, films, concerts, and other events in the Austrian capital. But perhaps to make it even more authentically Austrian, the menu options are listed in German, with Portuguese translation below them. Daily specials not found on the menu are written in chalk on the cabinet behind the counter.

Just like Pois, it also offers international periodicals, although the couches and personal living-room-style furniture at Pois is more inviting for prolonged reading. Still, Kaffeehaus provides additional reading light through the overhead lamps that can be extended to as close to your magazine as possible.

One major difference between the two cafes is that Pois does not serve dinner. It closes at 8PM while Kaffeehaus remains open until midnight, and on Friday and Saturdays it transforms itself into a night time bar open until 2AM.

Of the two cafes, the weekend brunch is a better value and more complete at Pois. For meals, they’re tied in originality and flavorful dishes (the obligatory sachertorte is good at both). In ambience, Pois is the winner. In service, the prize goes to Kaffeehaus — there’s always a smile and the possibility of some rapport with the staff if you return often, unlike at Pois where it seems to have a different waitress each time we go. In location, it’s a tossup — Kaffeehaus is more accessible and central in the Chiado quarter, but Pois is a great excuse to go to Alfama (and its street next to the cathedral is a charming corner of Lisbon).

What this all means is that no matter which Vienna-in-Lisbon cafe you choose, you’ll likely leave with an experience to recommend to others – the feeling of experiencing two European capitals for the price of one.

For more cafes in Lisbon, see GoLisbon’s cafes page.

They don’t rhyme but they could very well be misspellings of each other. “Lisbon” and “Lesbian” are not etymologically related either, but you will start seeing those two words used in the same sentence more frequently from now on. That’s because Lisbon is discretely becoming a lesbian-friendly city. It’s not exactly a liberal place like Amsterdam, it’s not a hot lesbian destination like the island of Lesbos, and it’s still rather homophobic when compared to other big capitals.

But it’s homophobic in a strangely tolerant way.Portugal’s attitude towards same-sex couples can be described in an oxymoronic way –- homophobically tolerant as in “don’t ask, don’t tell.” That is, they seem to accept the existence of homosexual couples (there have never been anti-gay marches or major anti-gay movements in the country), as long as they are not confronted with them. Because when confronted, they’ll just have to comply with their good-old Catholic upbringing and manifest their disapproval.  

So if you’re a lesbian couple coming to Lisbon, you won’t see many women holding hands. You will end up thinking all Portuguese girls who like other girls just get married and live unhappily ever after. While that’s true to a great extent, it seems it won’t be so for much longer. A young television host recently came out as a lesbian in the country’s most respected newspaper, and the reaction was no reaction. Portugal’s “homophobic tolerance” allowed her to proceed with work and life as usual. No one said “good for you,” no one reacted with a “so what?,” but no one responded negatively either. It was like it never happened.

The country only reacted a couple of years ago when it was directly confronted with the issue. A lesbian couple challenged the courts to allow them to get married. The current legislation doesn’t allow it, so they were denied their wish. But the country was forced to talk about it and polls showed the majority of Portuguese oppose such unions.

But as Portugal faces the issue less directly maybe minds and tolerance levels will be expanded. Take the Lesboa parties as an example. They take place two or three times a year, and this October there will be another edition with female DJs providing the dance music to accompany a night of drinking and fun socializing for people of all ages and sexual orientations. It will be the 2nd anniversary celebration and includes major sponsorship from myspace.com and one of the country’s major radio stations.

If you want to be in Lisbon for that, stay at one of the gay or gay-friendly hotels in the city. You’ll mostly find men there, but if you want to avoid stares during a public display of affection at the reception or breakfast room, those are the places to book. The GoLisbon gay & lesbian page lists the accommodation you should consider.

For an all-girls night out, do as everyone else does, and go to Bairro Alto. Your first stop should be Primas (”female cousins”). The name brings to mind those closet days when two inseparable girls, who perhaps even lived together, identified themselves as “cousins” to the more close-minded members of society. At this bar however, the closet has no door to be closed, and girls freely display their devotion to other girls as they choose a tune on the jukebox, play pool, or grab a drink.

Then it’s time to move to Purex not far away. The house drink is the Cosmopolitan, and although the space is not very big, the area with no seats is used for spontaneous dancing. It has a number of straight and gay male clients, but this is where the lesbian locals gather.

Then move on to Chueca. No, not the gayborhood in Madrid. You’re staying in Bairro Alto. Chueca is a lesbian-owned bar with a stylish contemporary décor where you can sit with a drink or stand by the door along with everyone else.

It’s now time to go clubbing. You can go to the all-sexual-orientations-friendly Fragil or to the lesbian club Maria Lisboa. It’s pretty spacious with a hot décor, and a variety of sounds that range from 80s pop to house.

When you wake up mid-morning or even in the afternoon on the following day, have a meal at Les Mauvais Garçons, a small romantic gay café in Bairro Alto. It serves light meals in a space decorated with old tables and couches, and with black and white photos of Paris on the walls.

End your Lisbon visit with a night at a Fado restaurant. It’s your way of experiencing a little of the local culture, while also sensing that these fado divas are no ordinary women –- in between their melancholic laments, there is a certain strong masculine side that, well, makes it look like Lisbon does blend the traits of all genders and sexual orientations. It makes you think that Lisbon could very well have a very strong lesbian side. And it’s not just in the name.

In a previous post we told you where to go for a drink under the Lisbon summer sun. But for a drink at sunset there is another hotspot you can’t miss. That’s Kubo which for the second year is only open from three months, from July to September. It’s part of Grupo K, the team behind the well-established Lisbon clubs Kremlin and Kapital. At Kubo however, there is no dancing, but drinking and dining in one of the city’s most attractive settings. 

You’ll feel like you’re stepping into the river Tagus (and the sheets of water throughout the space add to that effect) as you enter this terrace when it opens at 5PM. It then only closes at 4AM, making it also a possible destination for a night of socializing, drinking, and/or dining at the adjoining restaurant.

The best time to go is from 6PM to 9PM when the seemingly-magical late afternoon glow of the setting sun floods the river and the city. That’s also when a large slice of the crowd begins to arrive, consisting mostly of 30-something professionals for a post-work drink.

You may also start with a drink (at higher-than-average prices; the cheapest is water at 4 euros) and if your stomach is calling for it, order a sandwich or a salad (average priced). If you decide to stay for dinner, you have the choice of fondue, steak, pizzas, or pastas which may be more expensive than elsewhere in the city, but remember that here you’re also paying for the view.

But even if you don’t stay for dinner, relax on the white sofas and chairs as you listen to a soundtrack of well-known tunes mixed with some chill-out sounds. And if you do plan to stay through the night, be sure to take a light jacket or a thicker shirt, as the current August nights have become rather windy and chilly as a result, which is felt even more by the river.

To get there walk west along the river from Cais do Sodré Station, and after a 5-minute walk you’ll see the all-white space facing the river.

No, Lisbon is not Rome or any other Italian city where a stop for a gelato is a must at any time of the year. But Lisbon does have plenty of over-30 degrees (over 85F) weather days, so an ice-cold creamy delight is something you’ll probably be craving in the Portuguese capital too.

You may go to the familiar Häagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry’s, located just around the corner from each other in the Chiado district, or you could try something different, and arguably even better.

You’ll find such a place right in the heart of downtown. At number 74 of Rua da Prata in the Baixa district you’ll find FRAGOLETO, which uses seasonal fruits to create what seems like an infinite number of flavor combinations when you look at all the colors on display. For those of you who are vegan or lactose-intolerant, soy replaces milk in the confection, further guaranteeing that anyone will find their ideal scoop here.

But a competitor for the perfect ice scream in Lisbon is found right outside the city in its beach town of Cascais. Under such blue summer skies you’ll surely be going there, so as soon as you step off the train, take Avenida Valbom and go inside SANTINI. It’s been serving mmmm-mmmmm-good ice cream for six decades now, and you’ll find people lining up to enjoy it on a daily basis. Made with all natural ingredients and flavors, your mouth will be watering as soon as you step into the door and see all the colorful choices in front of you. After your first lick you’ll agree that this shop is reason enough for anyone to go to Cascais.

Whether your favorite shop ends up being Fragoleto or Santini is up to your taste buds, but whatever it will be, you’ll end up knowing that a Lisbon gelado is just as tempting and satisfying as the most authentic Italian gelato.

There are some mouth-watering restaurant names in Lisbon such as “Viagem de Sabores” (“Voyage of Flavors”) or “Tentações de Goa” (“Goa Temptations”), but then there are others that make you think twice before you book your table. These are our favorite least favorite restaurant names in Lisbon:

SOFISTICATO - Rua São João da Mata, 27
A restaurant that calls itself sofisticato is anything but. It’s simply trying too hard. And that’s a turn off. Still, the place does look quite nice. It’s aiming for a cosmopolitan clientele and what you’ll see served on your plate will be quite refined. There is a little of New York in the décor but it’s the Mediterranean that is found all over the menu. You won’t be disappointed with anything you choose from on the list on the chalkboard, and this is in fact a cool place. Just never mind the name.

BICA DO SAPATO - Av. Infante Don Henrique, Armazém (Warehouse) 8
Bica do Sapato (literally “the shoe tap”) is the name of the street behind this riverfront warehouse that was turned into a restaurant. Apparently when thinking of a name for it, the owners (actor John Malkovich being one of them) must have thought it was an interesting name, and that’s what they baptized it with. Today the restaurant is Lisbon’s trendiest, and you really won’t care about the name when you’re savoring its fine cuisine.

ZÉ DOS CORNOS - Beco dos Surradores, 5
This one could very well have been included in one of the previous “Weird Lisbon” posts.  Zé dos Cornos means “Joe of the Horns.” It’s a very informal place serving traditional home-style Portuguese food to an almost 100% Portuguese clientele. Expect big portions and a good hearty lunch, and don’t even bother asking how they came up with that name.

CLUBE DOS JORNALISTAS - R. das Trinas, 129
The food is good, and the decor and ambience quite nice (especially if you sit in the charming garden). But with a name like that (The Journalists’ or The Press Club), it feels like we’re invading a restricted space for card-carrying members-only clients. Despite the not very inviting name, this is a welcoming place open to all.

See all of GoLisbon’s restaurant recommendations here.

It’s August. That means Europe has packed its sunscreens, shorts and bikinis, and gone down the shore. You will find many shops in Rome, Paris, and here in Lisbon with a sign “Closed for Vacation,” and Lisbon is even more fortunate than those other cities because not only does it usually have better weather, but the beaches are closer (see our Lisbon Beaches guide).But for those wishing to stay in the city, there are places where you can still get that tan and have a refreshing drink while you’re at it. First, we suggest you go lay on the terrace: “O Terraço” (The Terrace) is the name of a café on a street not far from the Castle of St. George overlooking all of downtown Lisbon (Calçada do Marquês de Tancos, 3). Order your drink at the counter, then choose one of its sofas or lounge chairs and wait for your waitress to bring it to you. Then enjoy the view over the city’s cathedral and Comercio Square as the sun hits your face. That’s the closer you’ll get to the beach experience in the city, although with no ocean included.

But if you still like to see water as you catch some rays, head to Meninos do Rio (Rua da Cintura do Porto de Lisboa by Cais do Sodré Station). You won’t have the Atlantic in front of you, but the Tagus River looks just as nice. It serves light meals (and there’s a separate sushi bar too), as you sit on long chairs facing the river. As far as summer cafes in Lisbon go, this has been a favorite every year. It’s also open throughout the year, so even when you catch good sunny weather during the colder months, this is always an option.

Our final suggestion is closer to the center of the city, somewhere between Bairro Alto and Principe Real. That’s Fabrico Infinito (Rua Dom Pedro V, 74), an interior design shop with a café in its backyard. You can recline on a chair by the perfectly cut lawn or sit at a stylish table while you drink or have one of its delicious cakes. There’s no more peaceful café in which to end your afternoon in the city and breathe in some fresh air. Too bad it closes at 7PM, or else it would also be a great spot at night.

Yes, there are many other outdoor cafes in Lisbon. But these are arguably the most relaxing and with enough space to allow an experience closer to beach sunbathing –- and you don’t even have to put up with screaming children throwing sand around you!

Lisbon’s cheaper prices (as mentioned in the previous post) enable visitors to experience the pleasures of luxury that most could not afford to do in other capital cities such as Paris or London. Checking the prices for Palacio Belmonte or Pestana Palace (two of the most luxurious hotels in Lisbon), you will see that they cost as little as one-third of their equivalents in those other European capitals. Other top-end hotels include Avenida Palace, Sheraton Lisboa and Spa, Le Meridien Park Atlantic, Tivoli Lisboa, Corinthia Lisboa, and Dom Pedro. See Go Lisbon’s hotels section for more.

The money you save in accommodation may then be spent dining in refined and acclaimed restaurants such as Eleven and Bica do Sapato. The prices there are closer to what you’d find throughout Europe, but still tend to be slightly lower. Other high-end restaurants to consider include Tavares Rico, Terreiro do Paço, Casa da Comida, Alcantara Café, and Pragma. You may read more about them in Go Lisbon’s restaurants section.

Why not combine that with an extra splurge at a spa that matches the quality found anywhere else, but at more reasonable prices? Go Lisbon has a newly-created page listing Lisbon’s best spas, as well as recommendations on where to do yoga or pilates.

If you prefer a day on the golf course, Lisbon offers world-class golf in high-quality courses, many of which designed by Robert Trent Jones. Penha Longa in Sintra is the best option, but there are plenty more, as you will find in Go Lisbon’s golf page.

End your day with a world-class concert at the Gulbenkian Foundation, at the CCB, or at the opera in São Carlos Theater.

If you still have money to burn, walk down Avenida da Liberdade and up Rua Garrett for some exclusive shopping. You will see the Louis Vuitton, Hermés, Cartier, Mont Blanc, and most of the other luxury names you have back home, but with a few bargains here and there.

Lisbon is therefore the capital of bargains for both the budget traveller as well as the more hedonistic visitor looking for a luxurious experience.