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Palácio Ramalhete has the soul of a historic property—Manuel II, Portugal’s last king, and Britain’s Duke of Windsor were once guests—without any of the attendant stuffiness. Set in an 18th-century palace on the handsome Rua das Janelas Verdes, each of the 16 accommodations has its own unique character. The Oak Suite, for instance, features wood wall paneling with an ornate carved-stucco ceiling, while the spacious Dove Room, which occupies the palace’s former chapel, is lined with original hand-painted blue-and-white azulejos (ceramic tiles).


There are three tiered internal courtyards; the highest has a small heated outdoor pool with a massive palm tree for shade and River Tagus views in the distance. Art lovers, take note: Opposite the hotel is the National Museum of Ancient Art, filled with important Portuguese works that include 15th-century painter Nuno Gonçalves’s famous Panels of St. Vincent.

Why we love it: A high-design hotel that merges Old World Lisbon with the modern traveler’s needs

The Highlights:

• Suites that feel more like elegant apartments than hotel rooms
• Natural light and intricately restored ceiling art in event spaces
• Exceptional spa facilities and products

The Review

The second property from Spanish hotel chain H10 offers an oasis amid Lisbon’s city center. Set on a cobblestone street just off Avenida da Liberdade, the restored One Palacio da Anunciada is in a 16th-century palace a short walk from restaurants, cafés, and Bairro Alto nightlife, yet it avoids the clamor that normally comes with such a convenient location.

When revamping the hotel interior during construction, designers and architects preserved as much of the original structure as possible while adding sleek modern touches. Case in point: Upon entering the lobby, guests will see a magnificent marble staircase ahead and an understated library with wireframe bookshelves to the right. Event spaces such as the board room feature intricate crown moldings and ceiling art reminiscent of the classical period, plus large windows that flood the rooms with natural light.

Large windows fill nearly every space with natural light, from the marble-filled lobby to the spa’s indoor pool to the 83 guest rooms. Suites feel more like elegant apartments than hotel rooms. Custom hand-painted ceramics decorate the walls, while gentle lighting and soft edges abound in the bedrooms. On the perimeter of the hotel’s idyllic courtyard and gardens are the exceptional spa and O Jardim Wine Bar, an upscale restaurant that serves contemporary twists on classic Portuguese dishes. Start dinner with white port, then choose your next glass from a long list of Portuguese and French wines, and don’t miss the braised scallops starter, served on a bed of buckwheat with finely diced Serrano ham, caviar, and pea purée.

It’s impossible to miss the cafés and pastry shops in Lisbon. Many of them boast years of history, with past habitués such as the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. Ask for a “bica” (small cup of strong coffee) and you will sound like a true Lisboan.

Lisbon is an old city, so you will find many old neighborhoods in which you can meet true Lisboans and glimpse their daily lives. From Martim Moniz, a diverse community that has recently gentrified, to the once-industrial Parque das Nações, the city’s picturesque and lively neighborhoods await exploration.

The Pestana Hotel Group has a knack for turning historical properties into luxe hotels; the Pousada de Lisboa is no exception. Situated on Lisbon’s grandest square, the Praça do Comércio, the 90-room property inhabits the elegant former home of the Ministry of Internal Administration. Furnishings combine clean, modern lines with ornate wall moulding and a neutral color scheme dominated by pale greens and whites. Choose one of the mezzanine rooms for views of São Jorge Castle; the high-ceilinged Suite Praça do Comércio offers sweeping vistas of the square and River Tagus from two large windows. The hotel’s RIB Beef & Wine restaurant caters to the expense account crowd, specializing in premium cuts of meat aged for 14, 28, or 60 days and served with a regional touch: Lodosa piquillo peppers. There’s also an indoor pool lined with loungers, and a spa offering a full range of treatments, including a body scrub inspired by the scents of Madeira and the Algarve.

On Liberdade Avenue, amid famous designer stores, sits this five-star hotel. Each room is decorated in white and black with Victorian-inspired details. Enjoy one of the many sunny days in Lisbon, sitting outside in the terrace.

I often go to Chiado for dinner, a drink, or a visit to Bertrand bookshop, and every time I pass the door of Paris em Lisboa I breathe deeply—so that I feel the wonderful smell that comes from this store. Founded in 1888, it was chosen by Queen Amélia to be the official supplier to the royal palace. In the 1930s, due to customers’ changing habits, it created a section for household items. Nowadays it sells bed, bath, kitchen and table linens, and other accessories.

American sommelier Brian Patterson, his wife, Jenn, and their massive Leonberger-Retriever mix, Bear (the Beartender!) are the consummate hosts at Lisbon’s newest, most interesting, and surely smallest wine bar. Located on pretty Praça das Flores in Principe Real, Patterson curates his all-natural wine list with a laser focus on small producers from around Portugal. He sources his finds on reconnaissance drinking missions around the country, including some of Portugal’s more underdog wine regions. His updated-daily chalkboard menu includes a half dozen or so offerings by the glass (€3.50-7) along with two batch cocktails, as well as intriguing bar snacks to accompany (his hummus is destination-worthy in and of itself). The bar doubles as a bottle shop; rightfully so, there is only room at the bar for about 11 provided everyone is sucking in their wine guts. File under: Wine Revelation.

‘Canned Food goes Gourmet’ is the concept of this new restaurant, which was opened only three months ago in Terreiro do Paco, one of the central locations in downtown Lisbon. Some people might raise an eyebrow when they hear about canned food, but the final result is very surprising and delicious. Portugal is blessed with fish and seafood, especially sardines, and considered one of the biggest canned fish exporter in Europe, so it was just a matter of time that a restaurant like that will be opened. The menu is rich and diverse, using only Portuguese products. It offers salads, sandwiches, Tibornas (spreads on bread) all presented in a very aesthetic way, accompanied with a range selection of Portuguese wines. The restaurant was designed by one of the partners, who created a large chandelier, made out of cans. If you make reservations for dinner, you can also enjoy a live concert by a local Portuguese artist. Better make reservations ahead of time for dinner. Can the Can, Terreiro do Paço 82/83, Lisboa

It is almost impossible to speak about cork and not mention Portugal, as this tiny little country on the corner of Europe is responsible for almost 70% of the world global cork production. Pelcor have taken a material that seemed to have a single use and turned into an icon of Portuguese innovative thinking. Umbrellas, purses, Ipad and Iphone cases, belts, pens, shoes with an impressive and modern appeal are the products that make up the selection of their Lisbon Shop. President Obama’s dog is a Portuguese water hound and uses a bespoke collar made by Pelcor.

Are you looking for a funny, original, and practical gift? In this shop you will find it. Pillow cases with phrases like “I love you too” or with swallows or frogs (that might turn into a prince). If you take your lunch to work, check out the lunch set (bag, box, and pot). And for the kitchen, there are many colorful accessories. Some time ago, I bought a scratch map, where you can scratch the countries you’ve visited. The shop also had another map where you color the countries visited till you have the all world in color. And you can take it with you, because it comes in a tube.

At his two-Michelin-starred flagship restaurant, Alma, there is so much to love about chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, not the least of which is his charred red pepper paired with, among other things, red pepper coulis—a defining dish that stops taste buds in their tracks. At his flagship restaurant, Alma, he serves some of the city’s best tasting menus, paired with daring wines in a casual atmosphere that lets the food do the talking. Pessoa himself often makes the rounds, visiting tables to explain dishes like the succulent confit of suckling pig with turnip top purée, pickled onions, and pepper jus. There may be more famous restaurants in Lisbon, but none is better than Alma.

If you are more interested in the night life of Lisbon, I highly recommend to stay in the area of Barrio Alto, known as the nigh-life and entertainment district of Lisbon. One of the most beautiful hotels in Barrio Alto is LX Boutique Hotel, which was a historic building, that turned into the current hotel. Each floor in the hotel is designed and dedicated to a concept related to Lisbon; One floor is dedicated to the fado music, another floor is dedicated to the Tagus river, and others are dedicated to Barrio Alto, the Seven Hills of Lisbon, and Fernando Pessoa, one of the greatest poets of Lisbon. If you are looking for a great night hang out, just cross the street to Pensão Amor, one of my favorite bars in the city. LX Boutique Hotel, Rua do Alecrim 12, Lisboa

Located right on the river, Lisbon’s massive main square is home to a plethora of gorgeous 18th-century architecture, all built after the devastating 1755 earthquake. Its canary-yellow facades and mosaic-like cobblestones come together to form one of Europe’s most picturesque plazas; it’s hard to believe that, as recently as the 1980s, the square was used as a parking lot (photos from those days, which you can see at the nearby Lisboa Story Centre, are astonishing). For the best views, pay the €2.50 (around $3) to access the terrace of the triumphant Arco da Rua Augusta and gaze out over the square, the riverfront, and the São Jorge Castle beyond.

The Eight is classy fine dining Cantonese located at the Grand Lisboa. The base of the chef’s cooking techniques lie in classic dishes done brilliantly – light, fresh, delicate and pristine – the best ingredients in their purest form, soups light and rich, seafood cooked a perfect medium rare – the hallmark of Cantonese cuisine and most dishes at the above Macau Chinese fine dining restaurants passed the litmus test. The ambience and decor stunning and tastefully decked out, with an interactive pond projector on the floor with fishes that swim past with every foot step and beautiful private dining rooms – we ate in one with a goldfish theme. With wintermelon in season, most Chinese restaurants are serving the rich double boiled soup – the one at Eight comes with shrimp dumplings wrapped in a delicate thin layer of melon flesh, a trompe l’oeil and lovely surprise. Dimsum presentations are made a little more exciting with beautifully done goldfish looking shrimp dumplings hargau 虾饺 served alongside the Shanghainese xiaolongbao and a hedgehog BBQ pork bun charxiu bao 叉烧包 accompanied by the traditional deep fried taro nest topped with a fresh shrimp - all packed full of flavours and textures, a great duo combination on both dishes that balance the rich flavours lightness of the dimsum.