AdLib Restaurant in Lisbon

Once again this year, many of our clients have asked us what their options are for dining out in Lisbon on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve 2010-2011.

Last year, we were able to compile quite a comprehensive list of restaurants open at Christmas & New Year, but this year we’ve concentrated on the more popular New Year period, although some of the restaurants below are also open for the traditional Portuguese Christmas meal, which is dinner on 24th December, Christmas Eve.

Once again, if you know if any other Lisbon restaurants open on 31st December 2010, please let us know below in the comments, and we will update this post. Likewise we’d love to know if there are any errors here.

And so, in no particular order, here we have several Lisbon restaurants open for Christmas & New Year 2010/2011:-

Adlib
Sofisticated and intimist atmosphere with excellent service, the restaurant AdLib offers a mix of French gastronomy and Portuguese flavours.

• Address: Av. da Liberdade, 127. 1269-038 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 21 322 83 50
• Website: http://www.restauranteadlib.pt
• Cuisine: French & Portuguese
• Christmas Eve menu: click here
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

Amazonia Lisboa Hotel

• Address: Travessa Fábrica dos Pente 12. 1250-106 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 21 387 7006
• Website: http://www.amazoniahoteis.com
• Cuisine: International
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

Assinatura
An elegant, cosmopolitan and cosy restaurant, where the meals are served with style and dedication.

• Address: Rua do Vale Pereiro, nº 19. 1250 – 270 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 213867696
• Website: http://www.assinatura.com.pt
• Cuisine: Portuguese
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

La Brasserie de L’Entrecote
La Brasserie de L’Entrecote is one of a kind in Portugal, a concept brought to Portugal from Switzerland and given an extra twist with a Paris touch.

• Address: Alameda dos Oceanos- Lote 1.01.1.2A, Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 218962220
• Website: http://www.brasserieentrecote.pt
• Cuisine: French
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

Casa da Comida
Situated next to the “Jardim das Amoreiras” gardens, this is a classic restaurant, with its period decor and antique furniture.

• Address: Travessa das Amoreiras, 1. 1250 – 025 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 213885376
• Website: http://www.casadacomida.pt
• Cuisine: International
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

Cervejaria Trindade
19th century beer house-restaurant, renowned as much for its traditional Portuguese cuisine as for its lovely tile panels depicting the seasons and the elements

• Address: Rua Nova da Trindade, nº 20-C – Lisboa. 1200 – 303 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 213423506
• Website: http://www.cervejariatrindade.pt
• Cuisine: Portuguese
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

Clara Chiado
A sophisticated and formal restaurant with modern decor, although using a classic style. Fine Portuguese cuisine.

• Address: Largo Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, 27. 1200 – 369 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 213431267
• Website: http://www.clarachiado.com
• Cuisine: Portuguese
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

Eleven
Although it has just recently lost its coveted Michelin star for the 2011 season, it is still one of the best Lisbon restaurants.

• Address: Rua Marquês da Fronteira, Jardim Amália Rodrigues. 1070 – 310 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 213862211
• Website: http://www.restauranteleven.com
• Cuisine: International signature cuisine
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

Espalha Brasas
Sophisticated but unpretensious restaurant with a tasty typical Portuguese cuisine, situated in the Doca de Santo Amaro, with panoramic view of the Tagus River. Bookings available below

• Address: Doca de Santo Amaro, Armazém 9 – 1350-353 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 213 962 059
• Website: http://www.espalhabrasas.eu/
• Cuisine: Portuguese
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

La Paparrucha
Specialising in grills and Argentinian cuisine.

• Address: Rua Dom Pedro V, 18. 1250 – 094 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 213425333
• Website: http://www.lapaparrucha.com
• Cuisine: Argentinian
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

Olivier
The chef, Olivier Costa, comes from a culinary dynasty, his father being the famous Portuguese chef Michel, and has earned a reputation for gastronomic excellence, serving eclectic Mediterranean dishes.

• Address: Rua do Alecrim, 23. 1200 – 014 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 213422916
• Website: http://www.restaurante-olivier.com
• Cuisine: International
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

Open Brasserie Mediterrânica – Inspira Santa Marta Hotel
This brasserie aims for healthy cuisine using fresh local produce and ingedients.

• Address: Rua de Santa Marta, 48. 1150 – 297 Lisboa
• Tel.:  +351 210440900
• Website: http://www.inspirahotels.com
• Cuisine: International
• New Year’s Eve menu: click here

If you know of any other restaurants in Lisbon open at Christmas or New Year, or if we have inadvertently made any mistakes or ommissions in the information above – please let us know. And whether you decide to spend Christmas and New Year in our apartments in Lisbon or not, we wish you all happy dining and happy holidays!

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Lisbon Mobile Tourist Guides

The Director General of the Lisbon Tourist Board, Vítor Costa, has announced a new tourist guide available to be viewed on mobile devices, which provides tourist information and recommendations on several subjects for Portuguese tourists and also those from abroad who visit Lisbon, Sintra, Oeiras, Estoril or Mafra. The guides can be purchased at any of the 16 tourist offices in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, and also in Internet.

According to Mr. Costa, this “innovative product” for mobiles is more comprehensive than a traditional guide on paper, because “it is more dynamic and contains more information”, with constant updates. The objective is to “promote and facilitate visits to these Portuguese tourist destinations”. The “You Go” guides are the result of a partnership between the Associação de Turismo de Lisboa (ATL, or Lisbon Tourist Board), a Empresa do Turismo do Estoril (Estoril Tourist Company), the Câmaras Municipais de Sintra, Oeiras e Mafra (the Sintra, Oeiras and Mafra city halls), and the company “M-Insight”, who actually created the product.

The guides are available in Portuguese, English and Spanish, and may be purchased at any of the 16 tourist information offices in Lisbon, visited by around two million foreigners per year, or in Internet from the Ask Me Lisboa, Turismo de Lisboa or You Go websites.

Mr. Costa explained that, once purchased, the guide will be constantly updated for 3 weeks. After these 3 weeks, the application remains available on the mobile but without being updated. These guides allow the tourist or resident to take full advantage of the cultural and gastronomic offerings of the particular city or region, together with tips about nature, tours, nightlife and other tourist activities.

He emphasised that the “You Go” guides will “facilitate visits to these tourist destinations and in the future will be a promotion tool, because information about this product available abroad will motivate many more people to visit Portugal”.

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The video below comes courtesy of Audi TV. It is a promotional video for the Audi Q5, but it shows the wonderful city of Lisbon more than it promotes the car!

This is a good visual guide to Lisbon, showing some of the city’s main sights – certainly not all of them, but enough to give you an idea of what there is to see and do in Portugal’s capital.

The video starts with a view from the River Tagus of the majestic 25 de Abril bridge, which is often compared to San Francisco’s Golden Gate, and also the Cristo Rei statute which is basically a copy of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer. The action then moves to a “Cacilheiro”, which is the name given to the Lisbon ferries that cross the river between the city on the north bank and the Setúbal peninsula to the south, giving marvellous views of Lisbon as they cross.

We follow the main actor as he disembarks in Lisbon, and catch a quick glimpse of the CarrisTur Red Tram, for which tourists can buy tickets for a great ride through the city.

We then visit the Cervejaria da Trindade, a 19th century ale house and restaurant which was originally a convent, founded in 1294. This establishment is famous for the internal decor with beautiful azulejos, or typical Portuguese tiles, depicting the seasons and the elements.

The next sight we see is the Elevador do Lavra or Ascensor do Lavra, inaugurated in 1884 and Lisbon’s oldest funicular. It was constructed by the Portuguese engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard who was also responsible for Lisbon’s other urban lifts, those of Glória, Bica and Santa Justa, this last one also in the video and described below. The Ascensor do Lavra was originally steam or hydro powered and currently has a capacity for 22 seated passengers and 20 standing.

The video continues, passing by the expansive Praça do Comercio square in central Lisbon, and on to the Tavares Rico restaurant, the oldest in Lisbon since it was founded in 1784 by two brothers. The interior decor is gilded and luxurious and well worth seeing.

The protagonist of the video next visits Alfama, the historic Old Town, walking through the narrow, cobbled streets and past typical cafés and Fado houses, finally stopping at the Fado restaurant Parreirinha de Alfama to hear some typical Fado music. This establishment is located near the Museu do Fado, and just 5 minutes walk from our apartments at Calçada do Forte. The Alfama district is Lisbon’s oldest, and also where our Alfama Duplex apartment is located.

The actor then moves on to the Elevador de Santa Justa mentioned previously. This is Lisbon’s only vertical urban lift, inaugurated in 1902 and, like the Ascensor do Lavra, originally steam-powered. Magnificent views of all the city’s important sights are to be enjoyed at the top, including Lisbon’s Castle, the Castelo de São Jorge.  This iron construction is within walking distance from, and can be seen from, our Mouraria Duplex apartment.

Next, we see the Bairro Alto district, a lively and vibrant area of pubs, bars, restaurants and Fado houses, and Lisbon’s emblematic nightlife area. The action stops just outside the Café Luso, arguably the city’s best known Fado restaurant where Portugal’s most famous fadista or Fado singer, Amália Rodrígues, sang.

Finally, our hero enjoys a brief stop at one of the city’s miradouros, or viewpoints, taking in the breathtaking views of the rooftops and river before driving back towards the Tagus past the Sé, Lisbon’s Cathedral, through Baixa, the downtown shopping area, and back to the Cacilheiros.

So, with no further ado, here’s the Audi video, well worth watching!

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Lisbon Castle, set upon the Colina de São Jorge hill

You will often hear of Lisbon being referred to as the “City of Seven Hills”, people talking about the seven hills of Lisbon or, in Portuguese, “as sete colinas de Lisboa”. Even the local transport companies use a rechargeable ticket called the “7 Colinas” ticket.

But how true is this description of the city? Well, Lisbon certainly has a number of hills but as we will see, limiting them to seven is largely based on myth and we can perhaps relate the number to Greek legend, snakes and serpent power, and even Hindu chakras.

To do this, we must start with the story of how Lisbon was founded. According to Greek legend, Ulysses visited Portugal during his travels and here founded the city the Greeks called Olissipo. These ancient Greeks knew Portugal as Orphiussa (Land of Serpents), a name also given to the Cabo de São Vicente cape and a Serpent-Goddess with whom Ulysses supposedly fell in love.

When Ulysses left Portugal in the Argos to return to Troy, the Serpent-Goddess Orphiussa shook with such anger that the tremors affected the land around the Tagus estuary and the seven hills of Lisbon were formed, giving us the snake connection. In English, the term “Serpent Power” is often used to refer to traditional chakra doctrine and Kundalini yoga, Kundalini being a corporeal energy and often envisioned as a goddess or sleeping serpent, and closely linked with the chakras or energy centres, the major ones of which number … yes, you guessed it … seven.

So the number 7 has long had a certain symbolic and mystical aura about it, and probably this was increased in the Christian world due to the reputation of Rome being the original city of seven hills. And possibly the Romans stationed in Lisbon during their occupation of the city saw some similarities between the 2 capitals. But in fact there are many cities claiming to have been built around or on 7 hills – at the last count Wikipedia was listing more than 50 such locations amongst which we can highlight Jerusalem, Istanbul and Budapest, apart from the aforementioned Lisbon and Rome.

The first mention in writing of Lisbon’s hills was made by the 16th Century Portuguese philosopher Damiao de Góis (although, rather inconveniently, he mentioned only five). Then finally, in 1620, we come across the famous seven hills when Frei Nicolau de Oliveira, a friar who taught in the Trinidade Convent, wrote “O Livro das Grandezas de Lisboa”, or the “Book of Lisbon Grandeurs”. Here he famously cites Lisboa as being seated on the seven hills of Castelo, São Vicente, São Roque, Santo André, Santa Catarina, Chagas and Sant’Ana.

But in his haste to link Lisbon with the Holy City the good Friar completely missed another famous hill (and in fact Lisbon’s highest!), that of Graça, which perhaps he didn’t know about because it can’t be seen when arriving in Lisbon by sea, hiding as it is behind the hill of Castelo. So in fact even in the 17th century there were at least 8 Hills of Lisbon, and of course over the years as the city grew, more and more hills found themselves within the city limits.

In any case, the oft referred to and famous 7 Hills of Lisbon are as follows:

Colina de São Jorge (or Castelo). The highest of the seven, covering the districts of Mouraria, Castelo and part of Alfama. Lisbon’s castle overlooks the city from on top of this hill, and it is here where Lisbon’s first inhabitants are thought to have settled. On this hill and under the castle, remains of a Roman Oppidum or settlement have been found.

Colina de São Vicente.  This is where the Convento de São Vicente de Fora Monastery stands, and is also the location for what is commonly thought of as Alfama.

Colina de São Roque. The Bairro Alto district is located on this hill, as is the viewpoint called the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, which is perhaps the reason behind the fact that this hill is sometimes confused with the “Colina de São Pedro de Alcântara”. But Colina de São Pedro de Alcântara isn’t a hill – simply the much more recent name of a street.

Colina de Santo André. It is said that D. Afonso Henriques installed his troops on this hill to attack the city during the Siege of Lisbon. And in the 16th century, Lisbon’s nobility and rich installed their palaces here in a search for the healthier climes and air of the hills. The main street of this hill is the Largo da Graça.

Colina de Santa Catarina. This hill is located from the Largo Camões to Calçada do Combro, near the Bairro Alto. The hill was also given the names of Senhora do Monte or Santa Catarina do Monte Sínai, after Catherine of Alexandria.

Colina das Chagas. The name comes from a church built here by the sailors who worked the route to India, and makes reference to the five sacred wounds of Christ. The main street here is Largo do Carmo.

Colina de Sant’Ana. This hill is located to the West of St. Jorge’s Castle, and is more or less defined by the Rua de São José and Rua das Portas de Santo Antão streets, the Rua da Palma and Largo do Martim Moniz streets, and the Praça da Figueira square.

However, even when arriving in Lisbon by plane with the privileged view which that gives us of the city, it’s difficult to distinguish these seven hills – you just get the idea of Lisbon being quite a hilly city.

But this is basically all you need to know as a tourist visiting Portugal’s capital – that to visit some of the sights like the castle you’ll need to do some uphill walking. But once you’re at the top, we can promise you the view is well worth the effort!

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1. Lisbon isn’t the capital

Capital of Portugal?

OK, strictly speaking that’s not exactly true.

But in fact Lisbon has never been declared or confirmed as the capital in any official document, unlike most other capital cities. It simply became the de facto capital when in 1255 Alfonso III of Portugal moved the court to what had become Portugal’s largest and most important city.

Perhaps to make up for this lack of official status, apart from being the capital of Portugal the city is now also the capital of the District of Lisbon, the capital of the Region of Lisbon and last but not least the capital of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon. Got that? Phew!

2. Lisbon is older than Rome

Old Lisbon

And according to most estimates, around 4 centuries older. It is in fact the second oldest European capital after Athens, many historians believing that it was settled by the Phoenicians around 1200 B.C., and who used the excellent transport possibilities offered by the River Tagus. One of the theories for the origin of the name Lisbon is that it came from the term “Allis Ubbo” or “safe harbour” in Phoenician.

3. The flag of Lisbon flies over the city of Ceuta

Ceuta is located in North Africa, surrounded by Morocco, but is in fact officially part of Spain (comparisons with Gibraltar should not be made in the presence of any Spaniard ). The first flag to fly over the city, and still used to this day, was Lisbon’s black and white gyronny (a shield divided into 8 triangular parts), due to the fact that the Portuguese occupied Ceuta in 1415. Not only that, Ceuta’s Coat of Arms is in fact that of Portugal! There have been slight changes over the years, but the similarities still remain, as can be seen above. As an aside, the black and white colours in the flag, and also used in the omnipresent Calçada Portuguesa of Lisbon’s pavements, is said to originate from the black religious attire worn by St. Vincent, the city’s patron saint, and the white robes worn by the Christian Crusaders.

4. The typical Lisbon tram is in fact American

Lisbon's Number 28 Tram

Although their origins can be traced to industrial horse-drawn trams in the UK, the first passenger streetcars were built and introduced in the U.S. in the 19th Century. They were pulled by horses and some of the first routes were in Harlem, New York and New Orleans. The rails were initially installed above ground level on top of the street surface, and were the cause of many problems and accidents to pedestrians. They were then replaced by grooved rails which exist to this day. These rails are called “carris” in European Portuguese, and this is the name given to Lisbon’s public transport company that operates the trams today. Due to their origins, Lisbon’s trams were originally called “americanos” and the first operational route was inaugurated on 17th November 1873, running between the “Estação da Linha Férrea Norte e Leste” (now known as Santa Apolónia, just round the corner from our Alfama River Apartments) and the “Aterro da Boa Vista” in Santos.

5. One of the city’s best attractions is one you’ll (probably) never see

(And so there’s no photo ) The “galerias romanas” or underground Roman galleries, said to be a portico crypt from the reign of Augustus (1st century BC to 1st century AD), are located in the Rua da Prata in Lisbon’s downtown area. They are particularly difficult to see, however, because they open for public viewing just once a year, normally in September. This is because they are almost impossible to access, much of the area being flooded, and it takes anything up to a month of work by specialised personnel to prepare this monument for public access. Naturally, during the few hours they are open, enormous queues form and waiting time can be up to 3.5 hours. And access is practically via a hole in the ground, located in the middle of the street and while cars and trams are passing by all the while. Well, at least entrance is free!

Added: This video is from the Portuguese version of the History Channel. Even if you don’t understand Portuguese, it gives you a good idea of what the Roman Galleries look like and how you access them…

7. Lisbon’s landmark icon, the Torre de Belém, was a mere customs office

Torre de Belém, Lisboa

And also a jail. And also a lighthouse. And also a telegraph post. The Tower of Belém, whose construction was initiated in 1514, is arguably Lisbon’s best known monument and was chosen as one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal in a warm-up ceremony to the election of the Seven Wonders of the World in Lisbon in 2007. A World Heritage site, it serves as a legacy to Portugal’s glorious Age of Discovery and together with the Jerónimos Monastery helps make the beautiful Belém district one of the most visited in the city. What ignoble beginnings then for this majestic monument! OK, it’s true that it did originally start out as a defensive tower, guarding the entrance to the River Tagus and located off-shore totally surrounded by water (the riverbanks have shifted since then). But according to many historians the tower’s height and lack of integration into the surrounding landscape indicates that it perhaps was always meant to be a customs outpost. Its gunpowder storerooms were used as dungeons for political prisoners during the reign of Philip II of Spain, and in later centuries it served Lisbon faithfully as a lighthouse and telegraph tower. Today, what was originally seen as a fearsome and aggressive construction is a cultural reference and loved by all who visit its ancient sculpted walls.

8. Alfama, traditional Old Town district of fishermen and sailors, was in fact an aristocratic spa-like retreat

Alfama, Lisbon

You probably know that Alfama is Lisbon’s oldest district. You may have heard that it was the only district of Lisbon that survived the 1755 earthquake intact and of its reputation as the traditional neighbourhood of the poor, with a village-like atmosphere. But did you know that during muslim rule the western side of the “bairro”, around the São João da Praça street close to the Sé or Cathedral, was known as “Alfama do Alto” or High Alfama, and was inhabited by nobility and the rich? Since the origin of the name is al-hamma, Arabic for baths or fountains, it is likely they took full advantage of the local springs to maintain their health. During the Middle Ages the rich moved out, leaving the entire district to the inhabitants of “Alfama do Mar”, the area occupied by the fishermen, sailors and the poor. The local waters were channelled into public fountains or “chaferizes” (Chafariz de El-Rei is one such public fountain and Chafariz do Dentro is a street in Alfama), and had temperatures of up to 20ºC. As such, they were also used for public baths from the 17th to century to the start of the 20th Century, being classified at the end of the 19th Century as medicinal-mineral waters. Today the public baths are closed, but many of Alfama’s old houses and picturesque squares are being renovated, making it one of the most attractive areas of the city both to live in and to visit. Perhaps one day Lisbon’s aristocracy will return here?

9. Portugal conquered Lisbon

"The Siege of Lisbon by D. Afonso Henriques", by Joaquim Rodrigues Braga

Huh? So how’s that then? Well, the Siege of Lisbon occurred during the Christian Reconquest sweeping through the Iberian Peninsula, and was one of the most important battles during the Second Crusade, and in fact one of the few Christian victories during that time. The Crusaders sailed to Portugal with the intention of ousting the moors, but bad weather forced them to land at Porto, where they met with King Afonso I, Afonso Henriques. Having joined forces, they put Lisbon under siege and the moors eventually surrendered 4 months later. Portugal at this time was an independent Kingdom in the north of the country, having previously broken off from the Spanish Kingdom of Leon. Before that, Portucale was a Suebic Kingdom covering the north of Portugal and Galicia, then also the first county (Condado de Portucale). The name derives from the Latin “Portus” or Port and the Greek “Kalós” or beautiful. Another theory mentions that Cale or Gale was the ancient name of Vila Nova de Gaia (located in the Porto district), coming from the Celtic “Gale” which means foreign, and possibly originating with the Gallaeci tribe living in this area. In any case, the King of Portugal invaded and conquered Lisbon, and soon after ordered the large Mosque, called the Aljama, turned into a Cathedral, becoming Lisbon’s famous “Sé”.

10. Lisbon is Best

Largest Temporary Stage

Finally, this last fact is in fact a pot-pourri of facts about Lisbon. And that’s a fact!

- the Tagus is Iberia’s largest river and its estuary at Lisbon, up to 14Km wide, is said to be large enough to contain all the warships in the world.

- in previous centuries, one local tradition was the precursor to the current fads of naturism and nudism: for their weekly baths, people descended the steps of the Praça do Comércio to bathe nude in the river, causing scandal and indignation at the time.

- The Lisbon Half Marathon, held every year in March, is one of the most attended events of its kind in the world.

- Lisbon is ranked number 1 in the Portuguese most liveable cities survey published yearly by Expresso newspaper.

- Lisbon has one of the mildest climates in Europe. The city is sunny throughout the year, with an annual average of 2900-3300 hours of sunshine.

- Lisbon’s Vasco da Gama Bridge is the longest bridge in Europe. The world record for the largest dining table was set when some 15,000 people were served lunch on the bridge as part of the inauguration celebrations.

- the largest temporary stage in the world, at an incredible 7,276 square meters, was set up at Lisbon’s Benfica Stadium to host 2007′s Seven Wonders of the World declaration.

- The city’s spectacular Aqueduto das Águas Livres, the aqueduct which still brings water to the ancient fountains of Lisbon, has the highest ogive arch in the world, standing 65 meters high and 29 meters wide.

- the Santa Engrácia church is in the Guinness Book of Records has having the longest construction time of all churches: it started in the 17th century and only in 1966 was the last dome completed.

- the Benfica football club is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for having the largest number of fans for any one football club: an estimated total of 14 million worldwide and over 170,000 registered paying supporters.

- the Largest Human Logo was made up of 34,000 people and formed part of Portugal’s successful bid to host the Euro 2004 soccer championships. They also completed the Largest Football with a diameter of 19 ft 10 in (6.06 m)!

- the Largest Human National Flag was created in 2006 at Lisbon’s national stadium by 18,788 people

- lastly, the Longest Mexican Wave involved 8,453 participants and was organised at the Parque das Nações in Lisbon, on 12 August 2007.

And, er…. that’s all folks!

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