Taking home a souvenir from Lisbon no longer has to be from the typical kitsch shops so common around the world. There are now several places in the city offering more authentic choices and original items, actually made in Portugal by local artists and companies.
The newest one is “Temperamento” downtown, a small space that’s big on the quality of the selection of crafts and gourmet products. These are products not just targeted at tourists but also at the local population, telling stories of Portuguese traditions and craftsmanship much appreciated by those with a more refined taste.
There are of course the famous Portuguese soaps and fragranced candles of the Portus Cale brand, together with the traditional biscuits, olive oils, jams, and ceramics and design pieces by young Portuguese artists.
Unlike many shops in the neighborhood, this one is open on Saturdays.

Address: Rua da Madalena, 182B (Baixa)
Telephone: (+351) 218 876 208
Website: www.temperamento.pt

Lisbon’s top chefs have become local celebrities, and they now have a new competitor. Chef Henrique Mouro has worked at restaurants outside the city and his ambition to open his own in the capital has just become a reality. It’s located up the hill from Avenida da Liberdade, and that’s where he innovates traditional Portuguese cooking.
The interior was given a classy look mostly in red and beige and with a wall covered in images of Lisbon. On the lower level is a smaller dining area opening to the kitchen.
Although the inspiration are the traditional flavors of Portugal, they are reinterpreted and imaginatively presented by the chef, making them taste and look like a personal take on contemporary cuisine. Judging by the name (it means “signature”), this is a restaurant that promises a unique, authentic and creative gastronomic experience.
In addition to the regular a la carte service you may also choose one of the two tasting menus. There is a simpler menu (and at lower price) for lunch.
It’s closed on Sundays.

Address: Rua Vale do Pereiro 19
Phone: 21 386 7696
Website: http://www.assinatura.com.pt/

The July 2010 issue of Lonely Planet magazine dedicates eleven of its pages to Lisbon in an article titled “Rediscover Lisbon.”

In its introduction it states that the city “is quietly becoming Europe’s most intriguing capital” and in the following pages it explores its most famous cafés, its new “top-class eating establishments,” and highlights the new Design and Fashion Museum together with an overview of the attractions seen on a ride on tram 28.

The entire article is illustrated with several colorful photographs of the city’s streets, landmarks, and close-ups of the most mouth-watering pastries, drinks, and dishes.

In the end, it provides one tip on what to see, where to sleep, where to eat, and where to drink for each budget: inexpensive, mid-range, and luxury.

The magazine is on newsstands around the world right now, so it may be something you want to pick up at the airport on your way to Lisbon this month.

Lisbon has had three new hotels opening in the last couple of months, all of them located in the center of the city and at reasonable prices. One of them is even a new concept, a “low cost” hotel that’s somewhere between a standard hotel and a hostel:

INSPIRA SANTA MARTA HOTEL

The just-opened Inspira Santa Marta is a stylish hotel just a short walk from Avenida da Liberdade in central Lisbon. Although it’s opened with only the superior rooms available, all the others will open by next month, also when the spa and gym become ready to receive guests.
Each room was designed following Feng Shui concepts and have a contemporary look.  You get free wireless internet service, but (unusually for Lisbon) no breakfast (that’s 7.50 per person). There is also a lounge and a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine.
Complete details and booking: INSPIRA SANTA MARTA HOTEL

EVIDÊNCIA LIGHT SANTA CATARINA HOTEL

The low-cost airline concept has been applied to accommodation at this new hotel. That means how much you pay depends on what you want to get. Located at the doorstep of the popular Bairro Alto district next to the Santa Catarina viewpoint, Evidência Light Santa Catarina is like a transition between a standard hotel and a hostel, offering 13 double rooms with private bathroom, 3 triple rooms with private bathroom, and a dorm with 14 beds and separate bathrooms (one for each gender). That last room accommodates individuals or groups and it works just like a hostel.
Each room has a colorful design, and you get a bed, linen, and a towel, but not breakfast. Not serving a free breakfast allows it to be “low cost” accommodation, and you only get a new towel and linen every 3 days (you pay if you’d like extras before that). If you feel like an early morning or midnight snack, there are some available 24 hours a day on a vending machine.
There is also a lounge area with free wireless internet, a bar, a wonderful courtyard to catch some sun, and a “mini library.”
Complete details and booking: EVIDÊNCIA LIGHT SANTA CATARINA HOTEL

CS VINTAGE LISBOA HOTEL

This new 56-room hotel just opened not far from Avenida da Liberdade, Lisbon’s main, central avenue. It also offers a restaurant and two bars, and soon it will include a spa with different treatment rooms, gym, and indoor heated pool. Wireless internet and a breakfast buffet is included in the price.
This is 5-star accommodation but prices for a double room are as low as 100 euros. Each room is elegantly decorated with a certain classic/vintage look.
Complete details and booking: CS VINTAGE LISBOA HOTEL

Portugal’s biggest export is not wine or shoes, it’s cork. This is the world’s biggest cork-producing country, supplying around 70% of it. That all-natural material comes mostly from the Alentejo region, and can be molded into a variety of products. A new shop in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto shows that this fully recyclable material is quickly becoming one of Portugal’s trademarks, especially in the design world. New York’s MoMA recently presented some of the best of Portuguese design, and many of the selected pieces were made with cork. You can now see many of those examples at the new “Cork & Co.” shop, offering fashion accessories and furniture all made with that very Portuguese material. These are all products with unique and exceptional characteristics, and entirely made in Portugal. On a trip to Lisbon this is a place to include in your itinerary if you’re looking for local creativity, high-quality eco-friendly products, and distinctive design.

The address is number 10 of Rua das Salgadeiras, just around the corner from Camões Square. This being Bairro Alto, it opens late and stays open at night — 2PM-10PM Monday to Wednesday, and 2PM to 11PM Thursday to Saturday. The phone number is (+351) 216 090 231

Opened since June 1st for breakfast, brunch, lunch, an afternoon snack and dinner, Orpheu Caffé seems to hope to be a modern version of a classic Lisbon café. The name is the same as that of a magazine published by poet Fernando Pessoa in the early 20th century, and the décor mixes the classic and the contemporary.
In the wallpapered interior are wooden furnishings around which you’ll be served a menu of light meals at any time of the day. There are freshly squeezed juices, toasted sandwiches, and a long list for a weekend brunch (at 15 euros). That brunch is a good option before going to the organic market right outside in the just-renovated Principe Real garden on Saturday mornings.
Later this summer the backyard will turn into an outdoor seating area, perfect for an inexpensive lunch or dinner in the summer.
Open on Friday and Saturday nights until 2AM, you can also drop by for a glass of wine in alternative to the bars in Bairro Alto, as the attractive space invites a stay among friends.

Address: Praça do Príncipe Real, 5A
Opening times: Monday to Thursday 10AM to Midnight; Fridays 10AM to 2AM, Saturdays 9AM to 2AM, Sundays 9AM to 8PM.
Website: http://www.orpheucaffe.com

Yesterday we told you about what can be considered Lisbon’s version of New York’s Magnolia cupcake shop. Today we can tell you that one of Lisbon’s most famous pastries (other than the custard tarts) is also crossing the Atlantic and arriving in New York.
As previously reported here, a café in Lisbon has what it calls the world’s best chocolate cake. Apparently others agree and new shops were open in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Starting tomorrow a new one will be found in New York’s SoHo/Nolita neighborhood, giving Manhattan an opportunity to judge the “world’s best” claim. Later in the year more Americans will be able to do the same in Washington DC.
The American shops will not have the Portuguese name (“O Melhor Bolo de Chocolate do Mundo”), but they’ll naturally be baptized with the English translation, “The Best Chocolate Cake in the World” and offer the same crispy chocolate layers with creamy chocolate filling from a recipe that will remain secret.

New York address: 55A Spring St . (between Lafayette and Mulberry Sts)
Lisbon address: Rua Coelho da Rocha, 99

The world’s first cupcake bakery was born in Los Angeles, but soon others spread across the United States. The most famous of all is Magnolia in New York, thanks to the “Sex and the City” series. The current trend of cupcake shops around the world is also thanks to that TV show, and it has reached Lisbon. Despite this being a city with its own long tradition of pastries (including, of course, its famous custard tarts), cupcakes are being proven to be a success here as well. Although there are now a couple of places where you can find them in the city, the best one is “Tease“, a new café in Bairro Alto.
That neighborhood of restaurants and bars that only open at night (leaving the daytime for trendy boutiques down Rua do Norte) is therefore now also a destination for a drink, tea, and a sugar rush throughout the day. You can’t go for a cupcake breakfast as it only opens at noon, but you can have that specialty for dinner dessert, with doors remaining open until 11PM.
Every time you go you’ll find different cupcakes, in different colors, flavors, and designs at €2.40 each. They all look very tempting, and the space is quite inviting for a stay although you can grab a few to go. The interior is decorated with big comfy chairs, perfect for indulgence in one more guilty pleasure in the city.

Address: Rua do Norte, 31-33
Website: http://www.tease.pt

Lisbon has a new terrace that is aiming to become one of the city’s hottest bars. It’s found by Santa Apolonia station (and Lisbon’s favorite club, Lux), and promises an eclectic calendar of events. It has two rooms for concerts and DJs, two bars and a terrace which can also be used for live music together with views of the river.
It’s open from Wednesday to Sunday, but unlike many other bars in the city, it’s not just open at night. It’s also a place to go before dinner in the afternoon, serving tapas, light meals, and drinks looking out to the Tagus.
Sundays will be a little different, devoted to theme parties and offering a brunch served by Magnolia, one of the city’s favorite contemporary cafés. On that day you can catch guest DJs, concerts, or film screenings.
Check out its Facebook page for more details.

On the 24th of this month you can join a group of “photowalkers” who will be going through the “secret” underground tunnels of Lisbon’s extraordinary reservoirs, and end in one of the city’s most beautiful viewpoints. These tunnels and reservoirs are curated by the city’s award-winning Water Museum, and the starting point for their exploration will be the Amoreiras Garden at 2PM.
The first stop will be the Mãe D’Água reservoir (pictured above) which is now a space used for temporary exhibitions. That is followed by a short walk to the just-renovated Principe Real garden which has another stunning reservoir underneath it. To end the tour the destination is the beautiful São Pedro de Alcântara terrace for the most picture-perfect views of Lisbon.
If you don’t want your tour to end there, you have the option of continuing with other photowalkers to a restaurant in the neighborhood (Bairro Alto).
To join this walk, see its website here: Worldwide Photowalk