Lisbon, Portugal – a Digital Nomad’s guide4 min read
Lisbon, Portugal – a Digital Nomad’s guide4 min read
Reading Time: 4 minutes
I think Lisbon is the most beautiful city in Europe. It has so much to offer, great architecture, sunny weather, amazing and cheap food, many bars, beautiful beaches and stunning views from its numerous rooftop bars…
Where to stay:
This depends on your preference, however these are the places I would recommend:
Saldanha : For POSH Nomads
Probably the cleanest and the safest part of the city. Saldanha area reminds me so much of Vienna – it is very different from the rest of Lisbon. The streets are wider, clean and well maintained. There are many shops and restaurants and it is very well connected with the rest of Lisbon, however this area can be a bit more expensive.
Anjos: For PARTY Nomads
I used to live in Anjos and I personally love this part of the city. It is the ´hipster´part of Lisbon. It is a bit dirty, very well connected with the city center, not that expensive and full of amazing bars…If you love nightlife this is the best area to live.
Alfama: For CULTURAL Nomads
Old part of the city. If you want to experience real Lisbon, try to live for a while in Alfama. Alfama is very close to city center, you can basically walk everywhere, however currently this area is getting way more expensive. What I do not like about Alfama is that apartments are generally very small and not that sunny.
Almada: For ESCAPE-THE-CITY Nomads
Are you looking for something totally different? Then you should try to look for a place in Almada, that is situated on the opposite bank of the river – you will need to take a boat to reach the city center. Almada is a small neighborhood famous for its delicious restaurants and it is much cheaper to live there than in the city center.
Where to eat:
A Ideal – Traditional Portuguese cuisine in Anjos. The place is cheap and they have good food.
A Merendeira – An amazing place opened till late night/early morning. Basically, the place has every day the same manu, that is why I think this restaurant is so special. Home made bread, home made typical Portuguese soup and a dessert all together for less than four euro.
Cantinho de Aziz – An amazing African restaurant in the old city, awarded ́The best restaurant in Lisbon´ by Bon Appétit Magazine.
Where to work:
Selina Secret Garden – The only coworking space in the city center with a swimming pool! Amazing atmosphere, great coworkers and nice location. They do many evening events, such as nomad cinema, so you can not get bored there!
Village Underground Lisboa – Very unique spot for artists, close to LX Factory one of the hipsterish parts of the Lisbon.
Where to chill and party:
Casa Independente – I think this is one of the most beautiful bars in Lisbon. It is simply stunning. Casa Independente is an old house located in Anjos. The space has three floors and various rooms and balconies, so in case you get bored of one room, just try the other one.
Pensao Amor – An original burlesque bar with an unique atmosphere located close to Cais de Sodre.
ZDB – A nice and cheap place with a terrace and great view of Lisbon.
Rio Maravilha – An amazing bar in the coolest part of Lisbon ´LX Factory´ with a stunning view of the city and its famous red bridge.
Topo Martim Moniz – One of the best places for your afternoon drink with a stunning view of Lisbon´s castle, see the picture above 🙂
Best time to visit:
Anytime! However, in case you would like to stay only one month come in July. The city is full of traditional festivals – one of the biggest ones is called ´Os Santos Populares´ – the festival with street music and street food taking place in various parts of the old Lisbon such as Mouraria, Alfama, and some places around Cais do Sodre.
Spend a day as a local:
If you would like to spend your day like a local here are few tips:
Go to buy your grocery to Mercado do Arroios . I love to come to this place and I am usually the only foreigner shopping there and in extremely touristic Lisbon you will enjoy that feeling, trust me. There are few coffee places directly inside of the market so you can have your breakfast there too.
Cook. Or learn how to cook. Portuguese people love to cook and prepare food home.
Go to beach. Try Carcavelos or Costa Caparica. And yes, try some surfing too.
In the evening avoid Bairro Alto and Pink Street – these are typical places for tourists – rather try Casa Independente, ZDB or bars in LX Factory.
