A TALE OF TWO (portuguese) CITIES
Okay, I am going to preface this next one by saying, I’m not the biggest fan of Portugal. I realize this is a strange way of starting a post extolling the marvelous hidden gems held within, but I don’t want to misrepresent or lead anyone astray. It’s also why I’m including two cities in one long weekend—because quite frankly, there is really no need to spend any more time than that to get all the good stuff here. Perhaps after living in Paris for over a decade I’ve been spoiled by exceptional pastries and I just don’t see the big deal about those custard-filled treats they keep raving about. Perhaps being a New Yorker I am somewhat unimpressed by the breadth of the art scene, and perhaps hailing from both these places I’m a bit disappointed by the shopping.
THAT SAID, Lisbon and Porto are home to two of my favorite art institutes, some culinary meccas that put a smile on my face just thinking about their quirks, and probably my favorite drink in the world that should replace the sickly-sweet Aperol Spritz ASAP. So don’t plan an entire vacation here, but if you’re in the area (I suppose more that basically means if you’re already in Europe) and don’t know what to do for three days, hop on a short flight to Lisbon and a train up to Porto. Three nights max. You’ll be happy.
The rooftop running track and killer view at The Ritz
LISBON
WHERE TO STAY
The Ritz The rooms themselves are nothing to write home about, but since you’ll only be staying a night or two, you probably won’t spend much time in them (or be able to write home…about them). But the common areas are just spectacular: there’s a full outdoor running track on the roof that gives you sweeping 360 degree views of the city, and the mid-century architecture featuring countless murals around the rest of the hotel makes you feel like you’re in Copacabana in the 60s. Despite a recent renovation that may have scrubbed away some of its soul, it remains a true icon.
WHAT TO SEE
The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is a brutalist gem in the heart of the city, split in two wings separated by beautiful gardens. While I usually veer more towards contemporary art, here it’s the older annex that wows the most. Imagine if Chris Nolan and Stanley Kubrick conspired to re-frame the ancient works of the Met in a whole new way. Ming vases hover in van der Rohe-ian enclosures, giving them new life and allowing you to view them in a context of their own. The collection is a bit all over the place but each piece is just perfect. (ed. note: I just discovered it is closed for renovations until mid-2026, and seeing as this is really the only reason worth going all the way down to Lisbon, perhaps you should skip this trip altogether until then).
While there are endless places to spot the country’s iconic blue-and-white tiled murals, one psychedelic version leaps out from the rest, designed by Parisian (but Portuguese-native) street artist André. It’s also the city’s (if not the world’s) longest continuous tile mural, and happens to be a stone’s throw from the Panteão Nacional whose stairs you can climb to reach a stunning vista of the whole city that rivals that of the Ritz rooftop.
The inviting gardens that separate the two wings of the Gulbenkian
WHAT TO AVOID
The Chado neighborhood. A bunch of bullshit stores in narrow alleyways crammed to the gills with tourists. It’s everything you hate about European tourism condensed into one suffocating locale.
WHERE TO EAT
Gambrinus is as old-school as it comes. Is it a bit touristy? Sure. Is the Flore in Paris. Yup. But both still have a healthy mix of locals and strangers which is impossible to avoid these days. Start the meal off right with my favorite cocktail, a Port and Tonic. No, it’s not the ubiquitous sticky sweet fortified red wine, but rather its unheralded lighter white sister, mixed with lemon, ice, and tonic to create the most refreshing elixir I’ve ever had. Gambrinus revels in tableside service, and the cocktails are no exception. Keep them coming all night. From here start off with the steamed shrimp with salt (not to be confused with the three other shrimp apps they have). They will bring you three types of bread to accompany the dishes, and you can ignore the first two. But the third, which only comes later, is absolute perfection: a warm brown toast already slathered in salted butter. To be honest, this could be your whole meal. But all the fish dishes are excellent and you may as well finish the meal with one final trolley visit and order the crepes suzette. I’m ordinarily not a fan of the dessert, but they nail it here.
Lastly, if you should happen to go back a second time or don’t feel like a full sit-down affair, eat at the bar and order the roast beef sandwich which is a secret item not on the menu. It comes drenched in a homemade tartar sauce with whole capers that is out of this world. i really can’t say enough great things about this place. Lastly, make sure you get a table in the main room with the tapestry, not the smaller annex that is horribly lit and laden with the most unattractive tourists.
For a more casual bite, Rui Dos Pregos-Docas is a true local’s spot, an EXCEPTIONAL hole-in-the-wall (or rather hole-by-the-port) that boasts a treat Mark Bittman once proclaimed “the best sandwich in the world”. Incredibly simple, it’s just a crusty roll, a thin piece of steak, and a smashed head of garlic. Words don’t do it justice, but it’s really worth the detour for the perfect pick-me-up. Wash it down with a beer or wolf it down late night after many beers.
PORTO
WHERE TO STAY
I love a hotel that actually feels like your dream apartment. Rosa et Al Townhouse is exactly that, a European take on an ideal Brooklyn brownstone. Whether it’s the The Jean Prouvé reading chairs or the sun-drenched bathrooms that open up onto a private courtyard, each detail big or small is just right. Further perfection can be found downstairs at the exceptional restaurant that while open to the public, gives preferential treatment to guests which is a good thing as it is perennially booked. The ideal spot to grab a lazy weekend brunch, they also have a top-notch pantry at the entrance where you can bring treats back home.
The Serralves Museum
WHAT TO SEE
What Haussman is to Parisian urban planning, Alvaro Siza is to Porto contemporary architecture. From museums to restaurants, his name is stamped on countless buildings, his stature and skills revered by all and inescapable to the wandering eye. There’s a touch of Lautner, a hint of Ando in his work, but his latest undertaking on the outskirts of town, the Fundação Livrario Lello, most reminds one of The Brutalist. While the core of the art center is a beautiful re-purposing of a former monastery, the architect asked the family funding the project to build a sculpture in the adjoining gardens. Happy to oblige, the patrons expected something along the lines perhaps of a Brancusi bird, elegantly soaring upwards in abstraction while disappearing into the greenery. What they got instead was a massive marble space, towering dizzyingly against the countryside landscape, with several orifices that allow one to poke their head inside, walk about the dirt floor, and then exit once again. It’s all a little inexplicable, much like the three hour film I find it to emulate.
How did the family behind this foundation get the money to build such follies. Perhaps by charging visitors between $10-50 to visit their iconic bookshop in the heart of town, Livrario Lello. The space became a tourist destination not when it was discovered to be the inspiration behind Harry Potter’s Hogswarts, but precisely when J.K. Rowling insisted it wasn’t, despite having lived in Porto several years leading up to the release of the first book.
Either way, it’s a truly stunning place and the money charged to enter is simply to control the onslaught of crowds who would just go in, snap a photo and leave. The fee is actually given back to you in the form of store credit, and lucky for you the space caters to international crowds and publishes its own versions of iconic novels in English, including a whole series designed to fit in your jeans pocket! (I recommend Animal Farm for this purpose and not A Tale of Two Cities). Also, if you’re wondering why admission ranges from ten to fifty dollars, it’s because the pricier option allows you a private visit to their basement, where their first editions and rare books are housed including, oddly enough, Jim Morrison’s copy of Moby Dick. How do we really know if it’s his? Because it comes in a slipcase that says “JIM MORRISON’S COPY OF MOBY DICK.”
Continuing the Siza tour of the city, you’ll want to devote a full half-day to exploring the Serralves Museum, a sprawling center that includes a new wing designed by the hometown hero, along with the original pink Art Deco home, endless gardens dotted with Anish Kapoor sculptures, and even a tree-top maze walk.
Going back a couple centuries, if there is one classic attraction to visit, let it be the Sao Francisco church. I won’t go into much detail on this one, except to say the interior of this understated gem is pretty damn impressive.
WHERE TO SHOP
If your book tastes skew more towards the arts than the letters, definitely check out Matiera Prima, which along with a wonderful selection of art monographs, boasts a perfect selection of records, divided into categories like Portuguese Avant Guard Ambient Psych Jazz. Pretty specific. Unless that’s actually four different sections combines. Still specific, just like another section devoted to Music From Memory…The street this shop is on constitutes the town’s “arts district” and is dotted with a handful of galleries and stores, all of which can be seen in the span of about twenty-seven minutes.
The mid-century magic of the coastal Casa De Cha Da Boa Nova restaurant
WHERE TO EAT
Near the Sao Francisco Church is a lovely spot spot for a very polished meal, Cozinha Das Flores. The modern menu is perfectly balanced, the staff incredibly friendly, the design sober and clean, and if you recognize the sketch on the tiled back wall, it’s because it’s by none other than Alvaro Siza. You literally cannot go more than eight minutes in this town without seeing his imprint.
…Or when going fifteen minutes out of town. Which is precisely what you should do for dinner, splurging on a trip to the Siza-designed Casa De Cha Da Boa Nova. The mid-century home is set atop rocks at water’s edge, and in the summertime a reservation here allows for stunning sunset views which compete for your attention with the playful 2-star Michelin meal in front of you. The home itself is straight up Hollywood Hills Case Study House fabulousness, so honestly no matter where your eye goes, you are being treated to something really special.
