Described as “a haven for the artsy set,” Lisbon’s Principe Real neighborhood has been highlighted in this weekend’s New York Times travel section. This residential area mostly known for its antique shops and gay bars since the 1980s has now become a hotspot for some of Lisbon’s most attractive new stores, many of them related to fashion and interior design. One of those shops is Fabrico Infinito (GoLisbon Blog recommended its backyard café when it opened last year), and another is Emporio Casa Bazar, a shop recommended for its fun Portuguese designs. The article goes on to highlight the area’s nightlife options, including Cinco Lounge which GoLisbon recommends for mixing the best cocktails in town.
For the full New York Times article click here.

This weekend’s New York Times travel section has a special report about visiting Europe on both a low and high budget. Entitled “Europe for Every Budget,” it tells you where to save or splurge in ten European capitals, including Lisbon.

According to the article, a good reasonably-priced option when it comes to hotels is Hotel Florida, while those looking for an extra-special place should check Fontana Park Hotel and its award-winning interior design.

For eating and drinking, it suggests the very traditional O Cantinho do Bem Estar for seafood lovers, while admirers of haute cuisine should choose Olivier Avenida.

When looking to buy something from Lisbon, it suggests visitors get some chocolates at the inexpensive Claudio Corallo Cacau & Café chocolate shop or world-class wines found at Garrafeira Nacional.

Those who enjoy a good night out don’t have to spend a lot to dance at Music Box, but those who must sip a good Moët & Chandon Champagne after dinner should chill out at Silk.

The article also recommends visiting Lisbon’s main sights on Sunday morning when they’re free, and those who still have some money left in their wallet can spend it at the sleek LA Spa.

You can read the entire article here.

The American edition of the international daily Metro newspaper has just published a “2-Minute Guide to Lisbon.” It highlights the obvious attractions (the monastery, Belem Tower, and the Oceanarium), but also recommends to trip across the river for the views of the city, and a tour on a GoCar. Although one of the reasons it recommends Lisbon is for its affordability, the suggested restaurant is “A Travessa,” which is not exactly cheap. It also recommends a stay at the more sophisticated Fontana Park Design Hotel, or for those looking for budget prices, the recently-named #1 hostel in the world, Travellers House. At night, the authors seem to have done their research well — the “cool neighborhood” depends on your age, with teenagers preferring Santos, 20 and 30-somethings choosing Bairro Alto, and the trendiest crowds of any age heading to Lux, the well-known club by the river.

Read the entire article here.

As you walk around Lisbon you’ll find countless buildings covered in scaffolding, as most of the city’s properties in the old historical center are in desperate need of renovation. On a couple of those works are curious pieces that at first you’re not sure what to think of. They’re art installations by contemporary artists, and the latest one is found on Rua do Alecrim, a street going from the Cais do Sodré riverfront up to the Chiado district. It’s the creation of one of Portugal’s top young artists Joana Vasconcelos and it’s supposed to be a tapeworm. Yes, a tapeworm made of raffia climbing the building.

The group behind these projects is called “Art Building” and its goal is to bring some life, art, and color to construction sites. Once Vasconcelos’ tapeworm is removed at the end of this year, that building will be a hotel.

Vasconcelos’ first major eye-catching piece was a much talked-about chandelier completely made of tampons which she called “The Bride.” She represented Portugal with that work at the Venice Biennale in 2005, and it was also hung in Lisbon’s Lux club.

That club, known for its irreverence and cutting-edge space, currently presents another curious object. This time it was placed outside its doors for its 10th anniversary party a few months ago. It’s the image of a woman’s open legs welcoming you at the entrance, through which you’ll have to enter in order to access the club and its unbeatable nights.

These are just two of the current examples, but expect to have your eyes drawn to other curious objects at a construction site or well-known buildings in Lisbon in the future.

Sure there’s no “K” in the Portuguese language, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at Lisbon’s top bars and clubs — about half a dozen of them start with that letter. For most of them, that’s because they belong to “Grupo K,” the company behind some of the city’s most sophisticated hotspots, from Kubo (already recommended here on GoLisbon Blog) to the Kais restaurant — but the most recent opening in the city is another story.

Kuta is an Indonesian-inspired lounge and cocktail bar in the Alfama district, opened by two Parisians who wanted to create in Lisbon a special place similar in ambience to those they worked at in Paris. The name is that of a town in Bali known for its exotic beach, and it was from there that many of the furnishings came from. You’ll be surrounded by its huge statues as you sip cocktails at between €6.50 and 8 euros each, while on Sundays you have the option of a special brunch between 11AM and 6PM. Its location is in one of the most pleasant areas in the city, found just steps from the city’s cathedral and around the corner from Rua São João da Praça, home to a couple of Lisbon’s most special cafes and restaurants.

Another “K” that’s not new but renovated is the legendary “Kapital.” Now 16 years old and with a reputation for fashionable crowds and exclusive parties, it was closed for two years, but just reopened a few weeks ago. I only went there once, and that was a few years ago when I had just moved to Lisbon, after receiving invitations for its private party of the “Cats” production that was passing by the city that year. The space was attractive, but the ambience not so much (made up of mostly pretentious yuppie thirty-somethings and wannabes looking to see and be seen and not so much to enjoy themselves). I didn’t return, and haven’t seen its recent incarnation, but apparently it’s more high-tech and with a brand new décor. The music and the space remains the same, though — pop, house, techno, and funk in different floors and a popular terrace where you can chill out and smoke. Be prepared for a very selective door staff.

For all of Lisbon’s best bars and clubs, see GoLisbon’s nightlife guide.

GRAND OPENINGS
Vincci Baixa Hotel
The opening of this hotel brought a breath of fresh air to the grid of streets of Lisbon’s downtown. The city’s most interesting hotels are found in the old historical quarters of the city, but those streets of Baixa so close to the river house mostly charmless budget hotels. Vincci Baixa brought modern design and a better 4-star service to the neighborhood, and the good news is that others are scheduled to follow it in the next couple of years.

VIP Grand Lisboa
Finally a good 5-star hotel within walking distance to the Gulbenkian Museum! Lisbon’s culture vulture tourists never miss the Gulbenkian, and in fact I have known a few who’ve visited the Portuguese capital just with that museum in mind. Those wishing to stay at a hotel close to it always had many good options, but they were the standard business hotels with good but not exceptional service to make your Lisbon stay more memorable. VIP Grand also caters to business travelers (it’s located in the heart of uptown’s financial district), but adds 5-star services also sought by leisure travelers such as a spa and a good restaurant.

Silk
Lisbon’s most exclusive hotspot opened early in the year and in less than 12 months is already the talk of the town, especially among those curious to check what it’s all about but can’t get on the restrictive guestlist. If you’re staying at an upmarket hotel, you may very well be one of the lucky few. You’ll find an elegant space, a sophisticated ambience, high-priced drinks, and views of every corner of Lisbon.

Kaffeehaus
Lisbon has been conquered by Vienna. Sure there are only two Austrian cafes in the city, but they have become two of the favorites. Pois Café in Alfama was a mandatory stop in the neighborhood when a second Vienna-inspired café opened in the city, but in the Chiado district. It now competes with the hip Deli Delux as Lisbon’s favorite Sunday brunch destination.

Orient Museum
Lisbon finally offers a major attraction that it was lacking. As the European capital that most contributed to the cultural ties between the Far East and the West, Lisbon had to have a space dedicated to showing the best of the Orient, and that happened in 2008. With the opening of the Orient Museum, visitors can now learn about traditional art from all over Asia, and see how Portugal influenced and was influenced by that part of the world.

Blindness in theatres
This was not only an opening in Lisbon. It was an opening around the world, but it had more relevance in Lisbon. Critics didn’t seem to like the Hollywood version of Portugal’s Nobel Prize author Jose Saramago’s novel “Blindness,” but as the first novel that the author allowed to make it to the big screen, it was an event Lisbon looked forward to see. Some were pleased, others were disappointed, but everyone enjoyed seeing Saramago’s work come to life. And this year it was also announced that the writer will have his own foundation housed in the city’s landmark Casa dos Bicos soon.

GRAND RE-OPENINGS
Fado Museum
The museum dedicated to showcasing Lisbon’s special music went through major renovation works and reopened later in the year. It got rid of attractions it felt it didn’t need, and added new features such as new sample audio tracks. Also of note is its new restaurant, given a surprisingly minimalist and completely contemporary look, further showing that Fado is very much a traditional sound of the past, but also with a very strong present.

Cravo e Canela
It’s one of the best restaurants in Bairro Alto, but remains underrated perhaps because it was closed for a few months. It’s now reopen and remains an excellent choice for those looking for a different gastronomic experience made up of contemporary international dishes with a small dose of exotic flavors. It’s served in a low-lit and very comfortable space, which you’ll only want to leave after a few hours, and to move on to the bar by the entrance.

Kubo
This got our vote as the best place for late-afternoon/after-work drinks. It’s been a summer hotspot for the last couple of years, and we welcomed it again in 2008. And this year it was even better because it was also transformed into an autumn destination, and although it’s closing on the last day of the year, we look forward to it next summer again.

Rossio Station
Major works were needed to renovate the tunnel that connects Lisbon’s central Rossio Station to the suburbs that lead to Sintra, the country’s most beautiful town. So the station closed in 2004 and only opened this year with a cleaned-up façade and with a new terrace on its left side featuring cafes offering outdoor seating.

Miradouro São Pedro de Alcantara
Only when it was closed for so many months did the people of Lisbon realize how much they love this garden-terrace outside Bairro Alto offering a panoramic view of the city. It was so spotlessly clean when it opened, that some have said it lost a little of its charm, but there’s no denying that it’s much more welcoming, and the new kiosk-café only invites you to go and stay longer even more.

ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR
Berardo Museum
This museum could also have very well been the attraction of 2007 as it was the year when it was opened and so talked about, but in 2008 it remained the city’s there’s-no-excuse-to-miss attraction, as it prolonged its free entrance for one more year. Throughout the year it also hosted a couple of major temporary exhibitions, and renovated the permanent one. So it was free, there was always something new, and you got to see Warhol, Picasso, Dali, Magritte, and Bacon under the same roof. No other attraction in the city could beat that, and 550,000 visitors took advantage of that this year.

MILESTONES
2008 was a special year for:
Lux: Lisbon’s most famous club turned 10

Downtown Lisbon: Baixa’s Renaissance is 250 years old, and there’s much debate over where it goes from here.

Botanical Garden: It’s charmingly decadent and it was remembered when it turned 130.

Manoel de Oliveira: The world’s oldest film director turned 100 years young.

Incognito: It celebrated two decades this year, but in true Incognito fashion, it did it without much fanfare and to the sound of the 80s.

THE WORST
Party Poopers
Some people are trying to silence Bairro Alto. That neighborhood of multiple personalities; the quiet old lady in the morning, but a partying 20-something at night, likes to stay awake until very late/early. As a result, the people who can’t deal with the noise she makes at night as everyone joins her for drinks outside, have succeeded in making city hall close the bars’ doors earlier, at 2AM. In Lisbon time, that’s when you’re still leaving your house or a restaurant after dinner. Old habits just don’t die like that, and the battle between the below-40 generation and city hall is still not over.

Where’s the Design Museum?
First it was supposed to reopen in 2007 in a mansion to be renovated by the Santa Catarina Viewpoint. Then it was postponed for the end of 2008, and then for early 2009. Another change in plans moved the location to a building downtown, to be reconverted in time for a reopening in late 2010. Lisbon’s Design and Fashion Museum still seems to have an uncertain future, and in the meantime, the city and its visitors are without one of its major cultural attractions.

So this is Christmas?
Could Lisbon’s 2008 Christmas decorations have been in any poorer taste? The ones around Chiado do their job of bringing the season’s spirit to its shoppers, but what was everyone, anyone, someone thinking when they approved the advertisements masked as decorations in Rossio and Comercio Square? The central monument of Rossio was given a kitsch décor by a national charity house (which also oversees the national lottery), while the central space of Comercio Square was taken over by gigantic “lightbulbs” serving as advertisement for a national cell phone company. Sure it’s time for cutbacks in this financial crisis, but it’s better to not have any decorations than to see your emblematic public spaces invaded by shameless advertisements.

Celebrating Midnight in Comercio Square
Thousands of people choose to be in Lisbon’s largest square at midnight, when the new year is welcomed in a festive atmosphere. That’s where you’ll be able to see the city’s fireworks show more closely, with the square and the river being flooded with a variety of colors and lights.

A Michelin-Star Welcome to 2009
198 euros (per person and without drinks) gets you a Michelin-star ending to 2008 and start of 2009. Overlook Lisbon from Eleven, the restaurant standing at the top of Edward VII Park.  If you get the right table, its special menu (at that special price) will also get you views of the fireworks at midnight taking place down by the river. On the menu you’ll have both meat and fish courses and a varied selection of desserts.

Special Dinner by the Tagus
A cheaper but equally worthy alternative to Eleven is moving closer to the river and going for Virgula’s special New Year’s menu. It’s only 95 euros (without wine) and includes a special selection of two fish or meat dishes, ending with a chocolate pyramid for dessert.

Saying Good-Bye and Welcoming 2009
Last August, GoLisbon told you that the lounge-bar-restaurant-club Kubo was the place to be in the summer. Turns out it stayed open for the fall and it will only be closing its doors until the summer of 2009 on New Year’s Day. It made a few changes in its autumn season, and was no longer an open-air space, although it did it with glass, so the Tagus views are still there. The best way to guarantee a spot when midnight arrives is to go for dinner after 7PM and get ready for the New Year’s cheers which start at 10.

Where the Party is Always at
If you’ve been reading GoLisbon (and its blog), you already know that Lux is Lisbon’s party house, and even after a decade since it opened, it still is the club with the most happening New Year’s celebrations. Do note that it’s “New Year’s,” and not “New Years’s Eve,” as it opens its doors when it’s already 2009, at 1 in the morning.

An Alternative New Year’s Party
Lisbon’s Lesboa parties originally had the city’s lesbian community in mind when they first took place, but they’re now special events (taking place every couple of months or so) for every lifestyle and gender. Those looking for a more casual and cheaper (45 euros) alternative to the traditional New Year’s Eve parties, this is the one to choose, with an open bar (champagne will be served at midnight) and city views from its hilltop location (Tapada da Ajuda). DJ Ivan Pica (ranked in a magazine as Spain’s #1 house music DJ) and Miss Jools (from Berlin) will mix the music, and those staying until the morning will have breakfast available (hot chocolate and cake). See the Lesboa website for more.

Exactly three years ago a Lisbon neighborhood was reborn. On December 6, 2005 the neighborhood of Santos was distinguished for its cluster of shops dedicated to design and was branded “Santos Design District.” Since that day other shops (and restaurants) have opened (and closed), but after three years, the group behind the initiative is celebrating the positive feedback from shop owners and discerning Lisbon shoppers with special events.

To mark the anniversary, the shops are staying open for a longer period of time from today to Monday, and there are special sales and special (exclusive) products on display, among other promised “surprises.”

The best known name in the neighborhood is Armani Casa, but if you’re interested in remodelling your home, just looking for something new, or simply browsing with an interest in design, you’ll find Lisbon’s (and Portugal’s) very own shops competing for shoppers with good taste. One you should check out if you’re in Lisbon today is Domo (some of its ideas are illustrated above), offering tea, cappuccino, hot chocolate, and pastries to its customers starting at 4:30PM.

Once you’re done with your shopping (stores will close at 10PM), you can try one of the restaurants in the area. Following the new theme of the neighborhood, you’ll find places where the décor is just as interesting as the food. A favorite is Estado Liquido. Better known for it sushi, it also features a sleek minimalist space with some Asian touches, and it also doubles as a bar/lounge. If you’re not a fan of sushi and want to try something more local, head to Cop’3. It’s another tastefully designed space serving innovative versions of traditional Portuguese dishes. You’ll find it in Largo Vitorino Damasio, the same square where the bar Left is located. It’s a hip hangout that Wallpaper* magazine singled out for being “stylish and relaxed,” that’s also a great place for drinks to the sounds of the guest DJs.

Even if you’re not in Lisbon this weekend for Santos’ special events, remember that you can spend a day here when you’re in town, taking a look at the shops, eating at the restaurants, and ending the night drinking at a bar. In the future you’ll also be able to bring your laptop and sit on a bench in the streets of the neighborhood and browse the internet, with the planned wi-fi service.

In a city so stunningly sited down a number of hills towards a river, you know there have to be some fantastic views here and here. That’s true in Lisbon, with its number of terraces and gardens created as viewpoints to admire the city. But there are also buildings lucky enough to have been built in a place with an unobstructed view over the city, and they make good use of it.  Some of them are luxury apartments, others are hotels, others are restaurants. Others, following a worldwide trend, are rooftop bars. These are the best ones in Lisbon:

SILK
Opened only a few months ago, this bar has a 360º view of Lisbon from its 6th floor penthouse location in Chiado (Rua da Misericordia, 14). The views can be admired from the interior through its glass windows, or in the open air on the terrace. Take a look at the illuminated castle at night as you enjoy a bottle of champagne or a cocktail. This bar aims to be Lisbon’s most exclusive night spot, so getting in is the hard part. You either have to wait your turn in the already long guestlist, or if you’re a guest in one of the city’s top-end hotels, they can squeeze you in for one night.

ENTRETANTO at Regency Chiado
Open to everyone down the street around the corner from Silk is the Entretanto Bar, found at the top of the Regency Chiado Hotel. You can sit inside in the comfortable living room-style space, or step into the terrace that overlooks all of Baixa with the castle standing directly in front of you. You may order a drink or a light meal, or simply come for coffee or tea in the afternoon.

THE TERRACE at Bairro Alto Hotel
Go up Rua Garrett from outside Regency Chiado and you’ll arrive in Camões Square. It’s overlooked by the Bairro Alto Hotel, one of the most talked-about in Lisbon. Not only does it serve some fine cuisine at its “Flores” restaurant on the lower level, but its bar on the 6th floor has a beautiful panoramic view of the city. You’ll be standing parallel to the river, seeing the multitude of colors of the buildings descending the hill towards it as you have a light meal (the salads are excellent) or a refreshing drink. It’s also a great place for a drink after dinner, with the moon reflecting on the river and 25 de Abril Bridge.

Lisbon is known as the city of saudade, that untranslatable feeling of melancholy and nostalgia. If for some reason during your stay in the city you long for the days when New Order or Depeche Mode were the biggest hits on your cassette player, there’s a place for you — Incognito.

At that now almost legendary club just outside Bairro Alto, that colorful decade is not over. It’s a decade that so far has lasted for 20 years and is still going strong. Incognito is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, but while its décor has changed, the soundtrack remains those good-old synthpop hits mixed with similar but more recent sounds.

But don’t expect a tacky retro place decorated with pictures of 80s icons on the walls. The music may be a flashback to the past, but everything else is very much 2008. A recent addition of a screen showing alternative videos, and the walls flooded in red light add to its singular atmosphere, much loved by those who show up every week for their dose of New Wave/Electronica/Indie/AlternativePop.

You’ll understand how it got its name when you finally find it. It’s located on a mostly residential street and there’s no sign outside. Just ring the bell and get ready to enjoy a night going up and down the stairs between the bar and the usually-packed dancefloor. Remember everyone’s there for the music, which is why you’ll sense they’re all enjoying their night singing along in their mind, and you will too.

As you recall the lyrics you grew up with, you’ll also understand how this place has lasted for so long and how the 80s just may be the longest decade ever.

Website: www.incognitobar.com