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About a 20-minute cab ride from the historic city center, Pestana Palace Lisboa in Santo Amaro bears a unique honor: it’s a designated national landmark. The 194-room property occupies a carefully restored 19th-century manor that once belonged to the cocoa baron Marquis of Valle-Flôr and is set in an immaculately manicured private park filled with lush palm trees, subtropical plants, sculptures, and a former pond-turned-swimming pool. Lavish architectural details such as ornate ceiling frescoes, soaring stained-glass windows, gleaming marble columns, and intricately carved woodwork combine with magnificent oil canvases, glittering chandeliers, and garlanded mirrors to give the air of a gilded cocoon. Four sprawling Royal Suites—one of which reportedly hosted Madonna as recently as 2017—are within the palace itself, while smaller, elegantly furnished rooms are located in two modern annexes.

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.

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

The latest from the man who is probably Portugal’s most famous chef, José Avillez (of two-Michelin-starred Belcanto), Bairro de Avillez does it all. Upon entry, guests are greeted by a traditional Portuguese taberna, where cheese, charcuterie, and Avillez’s take on traditional petiscos (finger foods) fuel a festive atmosphere. Further inside, you’ll find Páteo, a seafood-focused food court for classic Portuguese dishes, and Beco, a hidden restaurant that offers a gourmet menu alongside sexy cabaret shows. Plan to spend the night here.

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.

Wine-and-cheese bars are ubiquitous in Lisbon and most follow the same formula: Taste a few wines, order your favorite by the glass, and pair it with a plate of snacks. The beloved BA Wine Bar do Bairro Alto is no different in that regard, but its similarities end there. Its intimate, friendly service doesn’t feel touristy at all—a rare thing in otherwise nightlife-heavy Bairro Alto—and its discerningly sourced wines, cheeses, and charcuterie (black-pork presunto, a tasty ham), all of which come from artisanal producers, will floor you. For these reasons and more, this place is always packed; don’t even think about showing up without a reservation. In fact, you should consider making a reservation two weeks before you plan to go.

The sheer size of the Triumphal Arch in Lisbon is breathtaking and a must see. It is located close to the water and is the start to Rua Augusta which is a closed street to cars in the center of the city. It is worth taking the elevator and some stairs to the top of the arch to see the amazing views of the city.

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. Situated in an 18th-century palace on the Rua das Janelas Verdes, each of the 16 accommodations has its own unique character. The Oak Suite, for instance, features handsome 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 of which has a small heated outdoor pool with a massive palm tree for shade and River Tagus views in the distance. Art lovers, take note: Just opposite the hotel is the National Museum of Ancient Art, filled with important Portuguese works that include Nuno Gonçalves’s Panels of St. Vincent.

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.