Bon Appetit

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• Oriente Chiado read more ›
  (28 Rua Ivens. Tel. 21 343 1570)
  Next to the splendid Gothic Santa Justa lift, this Oriental buffet hits the spot if you get hungry while exploring the Baixa.
• Taberna Ideal read more ›
  (112 Rua da Esperança. Tel. 21 396 2744)
  A recreation of an old Lisbon taberna, this informal joint serves good, fresh Portuguese dishes at unbeatable prices - and you can smoke inside!
• Charrasco da Graça read more ›
  (43 Largo da Graça, Graça. Tel. 21 886 0547)
  Near the 28 tram stop, this is a simple eatery where you'll get a good basic meal of fish, fowl or meat at unbeatable prices.
• Restaurante Outeiral read more ›
  (53 Rua Saraiva de Carvalho, Campo de Ourique. Tel. 21 397 1916)
  Friendly waiter Pedro speaks English and will guide you through the incredibly cheap and delicious specials at this lively neighbourhood tasca.
• Oriente Chiado read more ›
  (28 Rua Ivens. Tel. 21 343 1570)
  This Oriental vegetarian buffet is central, cheap and cheerful.
• read more ›
  
  An Austrian-run café serving simple meals at all hours in the heart of the Chiado. Great cakes, too.

• Habibi read more ›
  (110 Rua Portas de Santo Antão. Tel. 21 346 8280)
  There's nowhere else quite like this in Lisbon: an Egyptian restaurant with bellydancers. It's on the first floor of the old Atheneum and on the way up you'll pass dance studios where likely lasses refine their techniques. Expect couscous, mezze, falafel and more.
• New Wok read more ›
  (24 Rua de Capelo. Tel. 21 347 7189)
  An interesting Oriental fusion eatery specialising in fresh noodles and other Japanese-inspired dishes. Minimalist but very cool décor and friendly service.
• 1º de Maio read more ›
  (8 Rua de Atalaia, Bairro Alto. Tel. 21 342 6840)
  A lovely old restaurant with two rooms, serving unpretentious but excellent Portuguese food. Its recent change of ownership has only confirmed its reputation.
• Casa da Morna read more ›
  (21 Rua Rodrigues Faria. Tel. 21 364 6399)
  This Cape Verdian restaurant really warms up when the music starts. Traditional dishes such as muqueca (fish stew) and cachupa (traditional stew made from corn, beans and meat) are served with a sophisticated touch.
• Atira-te ao Rio read more ›
  (69-70 Cais do Ginjal (Cacilhas). Tel. 21 275 1380)
  Besides its adventurous menu, with some great Brazilian staples, this place-a 10-minute walk along the waterfront-has a great view of Lisbon, shimmering across the Tagus River.
• Zafferano read more ›
  (18 Largo Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, Bairro Alto. Tel. 21 347 3261)
  An Italian restaurant where there are one or two surprises among the classics, including the unusual duck meatballs with cherry mustard.

• Sukhoitai read more ›
  (77 Rua da Atalaia. Tel. 21 343 2159)
  Thai restaurants aren't thick on the ground in Lisbon, so this is quite a gem: an oasis in the middle of the teeming nightlife of the Bairro. Tiny space, delicious food, elegant service.
• Magano read more ›
  (52 Rua Tomás da Annunciação. Tel. 21 395 4522)
  An exceptionally good neighbourhood restaurant with a variety of dishes from the Alentejo province. Shark soup is one of the specials but everything is good here, including the service and wine list. Book ahead.
• A Travessa read more ›
  (12 Travessa do Convento das Bernardas. Tel. 21 390 2034)
  Long-established Belgian-run restaurant with a deserved reputation for its thoughtful cuisine. The location's a star, too: a 17th-century convent and cloister.
• Estufa Real read more ›
  (Jardim Botânico da Ajuda, Calçada do Galvão, Belém. Tel. 21 361 9400)
  An elegant eatery in the Royal Greenhouse of the Botanical Gardens. The food is Mediterranean, featuring herbs and plants from the surrounding exotic gardens.
• Divins Sedução read more ›
  (4 Rua Augusto Rosa . Tel. 21 888 8144)
  Divine seduction is meant to refer to what comes out of the kitchen but you may well be seduced by the place itself, furnished with antiques and cosy in a way that is unusual among Lisbon eateries.
• Siam Square read more ›
  (7A Avenida Luís Bivar. Tel. 21 316 0529)
  At last, a really good Thai restaurant in Lisbon. All the staples are here, but there are also lots of unfamiliar dishes for the adventurous.

• Restaurant Flores, Hotel de Bairro Alto read more ›
  (2 Largo de Camões. Tel. 21 340 8252)
  A hotel restaurant that's far more stylish than most and boasts an adventurous menu with variations on Portuguese and Mediterranean staples.
• Bico do Sapato read more ›
  (Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, Armazém B, Santa Apolónia. Tel. 21 881 0320)
  In a stunning riverside setting, with glitzy décor, this is definitely one of the places to see and be seen. The food at Bico do Sapato is pretty good, too, providing a fusion of traditional Mediterranean and Oriental cuisine.
• Casa da Comida read more ›
  (1 Travessa dos Amoreiras, Rato. Tel. 21 388 5376)
  Perhaps not for the health conscious, this is a great place for sheer indulgence. Roast kid, pheasant marinated in port, lobster and seafood platters are the kind of thing we're dealing with here. Bookings are essential, for a table in the beautiful dining room or leafy courtyard.
• Cipriani read more ›
  (Lapa Palace Hotel, 4 Rua do Pau de Bandeira. Tel. 21 394 9401)
  This luxury hotel-restaurant offers Italian-inspired haute cuisine at the inspired hands of chef Giorgio Damasio. The converted mansion stands in luxuriant gardens with marvellous views.
• Gambrinus read more ›
  (23 Portas de Santo Antão . Tel. 21 342 1466)
  A classic first-class seafood restaurant serving excellent Portuguese food bang in the centre of town, a stone's throw from the Rossio.
• Tavares read more ›
  (35 Rua da Misericórdia, Chiado. Tel. 21 342 1112)
  This long-established Lisbon restaurant has just had a makeover. The kitchen was taken over by José Avillez, one of the rising stars of Portuguese cuisine, and the décor has been spruced up-but don't worry, the place has lost none of its period charm or glitter.

After Dark

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• A Brasileira read more ›
  (120 Rua Garrett, Chiado. Tel. 21 346 9541)
  Once the haunt of artists and intellectuals, this is the place to catch a photo opportunity with the statue of modernist poet Fernando Pessoa as you sip your drink and watch Lisbon life pass by.
• York House read more ›
  (32 Rua das Janelas Verdes. )
  Enjoy a leisurely pre-dinner drink in the leafy courtyard of this boutique hotel housed in a converted 17th-century convent.
• A Brasileira read more ›
  (120 Rua Garrett, Chiado. Tel. 21 346 9541)
  This famous Chiado café is the place to charge your batteries before heading off into the nearby Bairro Alto for a night's entertainment.
• Chafariz do Vinho read more ›
  (Rua Mãe D'Água. Tel. 21 342 2079)
  Unusually located in an 18th-century cistern, this beautiful space is dedicated to wine, but also serves delicious tapas.
• Leitaria Camponeza read more ›
  (155 Rua dos Sapateiros . Tel. 21 342 5112)
  Recently restored to its 1907 glory, this city-centre milk bar is really a café serving drinks and snacks.
• Solar do Vinho do Porto read more ›
  (45 Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara (Bairro Alto). Tel. 21 347 5707)
  With its clubby décor and discreet waiters, the Port Wine Institute is a pleasant place to while away an hour or so before dinner.

• Jazz on Thursdays at the CCB read more ›
  (Centro Cultural de Belém, Praça do Império, Belém. Tel. 21 361 2444)
  A free jazz session starting at 10pm every Thursday in the Quadrant Café.
• Museu do Fado read more ›
  (1 Largo do Chafariz do Dentro. Tel. 91 230 2809)
  This museum devoted to fado, Lisbon's own form of popular song, has a programme of live music in its courtyard in summer evenings.
• Maximes read more ›
  (58 Praça da Alegria. Tel. 21 419 8221)
  A once sleazy old dive that's taken on a new lease of life with new management, new ideas, live acts and fashionable floor shows. Dancing till 6am.
• Catacumbas Jazz Bar read more ›
  (43 Travessa Água Da Flor. Tel. 21 346 3969)
  Friendly Bairro Alto bar specialising in jazz and blues, with live gigs by local musicians.
• Parreirinha de Alfama read more ›
  (1 Beco do Espírito Santo . Tel. 21 886 8209)
  As with all fado houses, you're expected to have a meal and make a night of it at this convivial joint. Different singers every night with special guests at weekends. Don't forget, silêncio when the fat lady sings!
• Paradise Garage read more ›
  (38-48 Rua João Oliveira Miguens, Alcântara. Tel. 21 790 4080)
  Arguably the best place to catch live rock bands in Lisbon. Large dance floor and bars. Open till late.

• Mini Mercado read more ›
  (67 Avenida Dom Carlos I, Santos. Tel. 21 895 5957)
  An intimate cabaret-style venue, very cool with lots of hip-hop and the occasional live act. Only after 11pm.
• Finalmente read more ›
  (38 Rua da Palmeira. )
  A tiny space but the drag queens are larger than life. Be warned: the show doesn't get going till about 3am.
• Frágil read more ›
  (128 Rua da Atalaia, Bairro Alto. Tel. 213 469 578)
  After 25 years, this emblematic club is coping with the new Bairro Alto closing time of 2am with an adventurous programme of music, performance and film.
• A Lontra read more ›
  (155-157 Rua de São Bento. Tel. 213 961 083)
  This is one of Lisbon's best-known African clubs with great rhythms, both live and recorded. Open from 11pm-4am.
• Lux read more ›
  (Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, Armazém A . Tel. 21 882 0890)
  Having just celebrated its tenth birthday, this one-time enfant terrible of Lisbon's nightlife has now become its grand old lady-but still remains a place to see and be seen. Open till 6am most nights, but closed on Monday.
• Trumps read more ›
  (104B Rua da Imprensa Nacional, Principe Real. Tel. 21 397 1059)
  This hetero-friendly gay club has long been one of Lisbon's most popular. The two dance floors and various bars attract a real mix of age groups and sexual orientations.

This month...

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Tips

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