Made in Portugal: Great Products and Souvenirs

This kind of shop has almost everything, and it’s where I go when I need something and don’t know where to look for it. Also, the service is quite personalized. They sell things like beauty items, cleaning products for the house, strong detergents, and the famous WD-40. Also you can find nice gifts for men; if they still shave in the old way, you can get a very nice shaving brush. For women, the wonderful Portuguese soaps are wrapped in pretty packages. Some of the soaps are less expensive here, as this is not a tourist shop. Speaking of soaps, I like one called Mariposa, it comes in a very nice package—a good gift. Don’t be surprised if you see soaps from donkey milk or sulphur!

Whoever doesn’t like the smell of cheese should think twice before entering this shop. Not only do they sell a wide variety of Portuguese cheeses, they also dedicate the shop to national traditions from all over the country. Besides cheese, you can buy olive oil, cakes, liqueurs, charcuterie, and more. And there is a daily tasting menu. The shop is hard to miss, in downtown just in front of a tram 28 stop, in an 18th-century building.

With two shops very well located in two of the most visited neighborhoods, one at Chiado and the other at Bairro Alto, Bairro Arte sells crafts and design pieces created by young artists. Many of the pieces are connected to Lisbon in some way, for example a painting of Tram 28. But Bairro Arte is also a gallery, presenting contemporary art exhibitions, with paintings, photography, and sculptures that are sold at reasonable prices.

Portugal produces at least half of the world’s cork, harvested from its many cork oak forests. A design shop in the Bairro Alto neighborhood sells umbrellas, handbags, and kitchenware made from the recyclable material. Rua das Salgadeiras 10, 351/21-609-0231.

In spite of a world where nowadays every street is full of huge chain stores, we can still find treasures like this tiny shop. In the romantic Largo do Carmo, this charming shop is decorated in ‘50s style with red velvet sofas and classical stacked boxes. It sells exclusive and unique handmade shoes. The great quality of shoes made in Portugal is well known abroad. (The singer Rihanna designs shoes that are manufactured in the north of the country; Shakira wears Portuguese shoes; and, if you are fond of royalty, did you know that Princess Kate wore Portuguese shoes at her wedding?) Women can find heeled shoes or Oxford shoes (also known as men’s shoes). Men can find timeless classics. Everything sold is unique, trendy, and bold. After belonging to the same family for three generations, in February 2012 the shop was sold. But luckily, it was sold to another family!