* Outings to Sintra and the Palacio Queluz are already being planned, as well.

Sorry, meant to mention Belem here too.

I know nothing about Lisbon but wanted to say happy birthday and what a great surprise. Have a wonderful trip.

I had trouble with my Lisbon metro pass/card. It didn't seem to work properly after the first swipe. However, basic transportation in Lisbon is so inexpensive -- including taxis -- I didn't even bother to take it back to the tourist office to see what the problem was. Just a heads up.

I don't know if you enjoy any museum going, but the Gulbenkian museum in Lisbon is one of Europe's very finest, truly outstanding, and certainly the very best European museum based around a private collection. Although it is small, it is so rich it is almost impossible to describe how interesting it is. The closest I can come is to say it has the same eclectic fascination as the Smithsonian in DC, although the collection is nothing like that. It spans histories and continents, and represents the highest achievement in craft of many exceptional cultures. It is very easily reached by metro. It is worth walking through the adjacent gardens as well. The cafeteria in the modern art museum is often recommended as a place to eat, but I don't know why.

The Convento do Carmo in Lisbon is not very far from where you are staying and it is a sight of exceptional importance to the history of Lisbon. It is quite small to visit, and is located in an atmospheric square, so I highly recommend you stop by and enter if it is not already on one of your walking tours.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/portugal/lisbon-convento-do-carmo

Bon Jardim is a Lisbon "institution", filled with unchanging charm. It serves simple roast chicken at bargain prices. It is easy to google up the address. I think it is too easy in Lisbon to get drawn into guidebook "recommended" restaurants that are recommended because they are middle brow and "safe" choices. Lisbon is filled with inexpensive homey eateries serving up delicious mackerel, sardines and octopus, and hearty bowls of soup, plus the great inexpensive wines of Portugal, so if you are at all adventurous, you should follow your instincts.

The Monastery at Belem is very much worth your time. I never bothered to wait on line to buy pasteles from the famous shop there, but if you want to, be prepared for a line.

If you are looking for a special souvenir, the Claus Porto soaps of Portugal are exceptional.

Lisbon has a reputation for pickpockets, so take precautions. My feeling about it is that it is a fairly low-key trade that preys on drunks and people who get distracted in very crowded tourist spots, taking pictures or in a crush of people getting on and off the 28 tram. Nothing threatening, but tuck away your wallet.

Just noticed my misspelling;

The roast chicken restaurant I mentioned is Bom Jardim

This bar is very fun with fabulous decor:

http://www.thelisbonconnection.com/lisbons-barrestaurant-pavilhao-chines-bairro-alto-bizarre-one-of-a-kind/

Awesome... thanks so much! Good tips, all of them.

We promise a trip report and photos when we return!

This is terrific news mr_go! And we certainly do seem to be trailing each other in our travels...I'm heading to Portugal in May next year! Will definitely look forward to your trip report and pictures of your trip!

and...Happy Birthday!

Definitely see the Tile Museum and the Decorative Arts Museum.

If you go to the Gulbenkian note that there is more than 1 museum. There's the modern art museum and the traditional museum. It's a bit difficult to find as the signage is poor or non existent. There's 1 sign as you exit the metro and then no more signs. The modern art museum had a sign over the door that is cut into the stucco (you need to be looking for it to see it). The traditional museum is around the corner (if facing the modern go left and turn right - it's the second building).

Laurie Reynolds, from this board, has a nice walking tour designed - she's a Portugal expert and was very helpful to me when planning my trip.

Sintra was my favorite city.

What a wonderful birthday gift! Lisbon and it's residents are so welcoming. Have a bica or two (espressos) with little custard pastries at Cafe Suiza in the main plaza. Dinner at Acorba(letter c should have a little coma under it) in Barrio Alto is wonderful. Visit Jeronimos in Belem. The Museum of Tiles(azuelos)is so worthwhile. Have a great time!

LCI... yeah, this is getting uncanny. Are you a stalker?!

adrienne... great tip about the Gulbenkian. And yes, I've bookmarked Laurie's wonderful walking tour!

BTW -- Anybody ever eat at this place? It looks to be right in my wheelhouse...
http://www.imperiodossentidos.com.pt/site/

I know absolutely ZERO about Portugal...just wanted to say Happy Birthday and what a lovely gift!

I agree that Gulbenkian is a must see! And since you're in an apartment, Bom Jardin has a take out window for their wonderful chicken dinners!

I will be looking forward to your report! I have not been to Lisbon but want very much to go. Happy birthday and have a great trip!

Thanks to everyone for their birthday wishes. Turning 50 is still going to suck, but it will suck considerably less on vacation!

Honestly, this is the best surprise gift I've ever received. The pressure's going to be on me next year, for her big day.

Three more tips:

a) The beautiful cobble sidewalks of Lisbon are incredibly SLIPPERY, and a great many of them are rather steep. Even in dry weather they are slippery, and it only gets worse if it is rainy or foggy. Make sure the shoes you wear have excellent traction. You will notice that the sensible residents of Lisbon do not for one second put fashion ahead of safety. Pack your most sure-footed shoes.

b) Portuguese is not pronounced in a way you might guess, even if you know French, Spanish or Italian pronunciations. Many people in Lisbon (probably the majority) speak good English, but if you are headed someplace by taxi, or are buying tickets at a station, it is good to write down ahead of time your destination to show people. Also, don't be surprised if some of your attempts at ordering from a Portuguese menu are met with bewilderment. Pointing is sometimes the clearest way to get what you want. Service in Lisbon in my experience is endlessly patient and helpful.

And to add to something posted above: The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and the Modern Art Centre are two separate entities, in two quite separate buildings, inside Gulbenkian Park. I had no trouble finding the entrace to the Gulbenkian museum (I looked it up on Google before I went), but if you inadvertantly walk into the Modern Art Centre, it is 5 minute pleasant walk through a garden path to reach the entrance to the Gulbenkian Museum.

Here is a link with a clear layout of the park:

http://www.gulbenkian.pt/section9artId310langId2.html

mr_go, the only thing that could top a round trip to Lisbon is a one-way trip to Lisbon
Parabéns on your birthday!

Why was it a suprise? Were you booked to go to Timbuktu?

Xircal: Why was it a suprise?

We usually plan these things well in advance. ms_go just sprang this one on me a couple days ago, and we're leaving on Tuesday. She made all the arrangements, even clearing the time off with my boss. It was a great surprise!


goldenautumn: Make sure the shoes you wear have excellent traction.

Thanks... I was just deciding between my "office shoes" and some Merrell walkers with knobby treads. I guess we have a winner.

Mr_go, first of all, happy birthday to you.

You already received useful advices here. I would like to add some more recommendations:

Lisbon is renowned for decorations with beautiful tiles. You see them everywhere: on the houses on the streets, inside museums, palaces and churches. However, there are two splendid museums where you will find (my opinion) the most beautiful collections of tiles in the world:

1. Fronteira Palace
Largo Sao Domingos de Benfica ; go there by taxi. You will save time and the taxi is not expensive at all in Lisbon.
There are beautiful gardens with impressive tilework .
It is located in an old building (from 1640), there are splendid rooms with 17th and 18th century decorative tiles, frescoed panels and oil paintings.
Guided tours every half hour between 10:30AM and 12PM Mon-Sat; book in advace at (+351) 21 778 2023

2. Tile museum
Rua Madre de Deus 4; 10AM-6PM (Wed.-Sun.), 2PM-6PM (Tues.) (Closed Mondays)

There is a unique collection in the world, showing splendid tiles from 15th century till today. The splendor and opulence The chapel dedicated to St. Anthony is splendid.
The highlight of the museum is a blue and white composition of 1300 tiles, 23m length, of Lisbon's cityscape made in 1738, prior to the Great Earthquake, and reputedly the country's longest tile piece.

Go one evening to a restaurant whwrw there are Fado singers. This will be a nice experience. We where at Senhor Vino and like it.

Have a nice trip!

Hi, mr_go,

What a great birthday present, I hope you have a wonderful time.

If you do use the walking tour I put together, let me know what you think and if there are additions or corrections to be made. I have some pictures that roughly correspond to the walk:
https://picasaweb.google.com/laurie.reynolds/Lisbon08

You've gotten a lot of great advice here, and I would second the recommendations of Fronteira Palace and the Tile Museum, but you might not have enough time for those places.

There are a lot of good restaurant recommendations on other threads here. I don't know what your tastes are, but if you like seafood, I would highly recommend the Adega Sao Roque for a seafood cataplana (they have a fish cataplana, but the seafood cataplana is worth the few extra euros). Adega Sao Roque is in the Bairro Alto, right across from the Sao Roque church. There will be a lot of tourists, but the food is really good. Nothing fancy -- the waiters have been wearing the same blue checked shirts since my first visit in 2004.

The fresh fish in Portugal is unbelievable, and a good place to try some in Lisbon is O Mercado. It's a restaurant right at the base of one of the pylons of the April 25 bridge. You pick out a fish, they grill it with salt and it is heaven.

Can't wait to hear how you like it, hope the weather cooperates (if you can believe weather.com, it looks great for you)! Boa viagem! Laurie

Your guidebook is the best choice for maps and photos but I must say it overlooks some major attractions and the restaurants list is quite poor. However, you can find plenty of info online.

Yes do get the 72-hour card not just for the transport but also because it offers free admission or discounts at most attractions. You can buy it in advance online: http://www.golisbon.com/Lisboa-Card/

Yes of course don't miss Sintra but I'd say skip Queluz Palace. It's quite a nice place especially for the gardens but it's in a dull suburb and not so easy to reach by public transportation. The weather in January may also not be the best for it, since part of the experience is the gardens. You'll find plenty to see and do in Sintra and Lisbon itself.

Others have recommended the Gulbenkian museum and that is indeed the best museum in town, but if you enjoy art or the more recent/modern art, go to the Berardo Museum in the Belem district. It's free and quite a surprise. Also free is the Design and Fashion Museum downtown.

I also enjoyed the Tile Museum but it may not be of everyone's interest. For more ideas of the main attractions in Lisbon see this list: http://www.lisbonlux.com/lisbon/

As for walking around, you may want to follow this itinerary which includes walking up from not far from where you're staying: http://www.lisbonlux.com/lisbon/itinerary.html

As for eating, skip the touristy restaurants of the Baixa district. Close to your apartment in Bairro Alto is a restaurant that exceeded my expectations called "As Salgadeiras." Another nice place is "Lisboa a Noite". They're on this list along with many others you may want to check out: http://www.lisbonlux.com/lisbon-restaurants/

Have a wonderful time!

We visited Lisbon in December two years ago and enjoyed Queluz Palace. It was not difficult to go there. We visited it when we returned from Sintra by train(we made a stop in Queluz to visit the palace). I think that there are 15 minutes from train station, and you can take a taxi if you want. Even in december, the statues in the garden are spectacular.

We visited Lisbon in December two years ago and enjoyed Queluz Palace. It was not difficult to go there. We visited it when we returned from Sintra by train(we made a stop in Queluz to visit the palace). I think that there are 15 minutes from train station, and you can take a taxi if you want. Even in december, the statues in the garden are spectacular.

Once again, Fodors does not disappoint. You guys are the best!

The Tile (Azulejo) Museum is already on our list of probables, especially for ms_go.

I appreciate the restaurant recommendations... and it's good to know that As Salgadeiras comes recommended, since it's on the same little street where we're staying. And I just did a Google image search for seafood cataplana, and... oh my. That looks amazing.

Laurie & ulysses... I'll have to check out your links later this morning, as I have a client meeting in about 20 minutes. But thanks so much!

Queluz looked like a sort of convenient stop on the way back from Sintra, but we'll probably make it a game-day decision.

About restaurant As Salgadeiras, I'd just like to add that its prices are a little higher than of most others in the neighborhood, but quite worth it. I don't remember seeing the seafood cataplana on the menu but I assume the menu may change from time to time. I did enjoy the "Bacalhau a Salgadeiras", one of the several cod dishes that were quite well presented and with quite sizable portions. The chocolate cake "Chiffon de Chocolate" is probably in the top 2 I've had in my life.

On the same street is a very nice café (especially in winter) that specializes in teas, scones and cakes. It's called "Cultura do Chá."
And just a few steps from there is one of the city's best and most original shops worth a look even if you don't buy anything. It's "Cork & Co" with everything made of cork, one of Portugal's top products: http://www.corkandcompany.pt/

ulysses: I checked out As Salgadeiras on TripAdvisor, and it gets great reviews. And of course, there's a couple dozen photos of food porn to drool over.

My longstanding rule of thumb in restaurants I've never visited before is to order the item that has the name of the restaurant in it. So Bacalhau a Salgadeiras may well be my first choice!

What a great gift--Happy Birthday! Been years since I was in Lisbon, so can't help. want to return to Portugal so look forward to one of your great TRs. Have fun!

Thanks, yt. Happy New Year to you and your DH!

Wow---good info for the Go family.
I can put my stuff away for now--this is good.

Bob: Yeah, I think this weekend is going to be more about unbridled gluttony and college football. And whatever else Granny Susan has planned.

Weekender: Somehow, I missed your post yesterday. Glad I noticed it now, because the Pavilhão Chines looks very interesting!

mr_go:

Happy Birthday and hope you enjoy Lisbon as much as I did.

Look for this tiny shop while wandering. Bought some beautiful gloves and it is a one of a kind place:

http://www.luvariaulisses.com/uk/pagina/2/historia/

The Pavilhao Chines is a good recommendation. It's arguably Lisbon's most beautiful bar: http://www.lisbonlux.com/magazine/the-10-most-beautiful-bars-in-lisbon/

The Luvaria Ulisses shop is also one of the nicest in Lisbon or anywhere!: http://www.lisbonlux.com/magazine/lisbons-10-most-beautiful-shops/

Have a wonderful birthday!

Happy Birthday! I'm another fan of Lisbon - see http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/loving-lisbon.cfm

In addition to the suggestions above I'd highly recommend the Solar do Vinho do Porto, Rua Sao Pedro de Alcantara 45, where you can try many different ports by the glass. And do go to Bom Jardim!

Rather than lugging the DK book along, I used Lonely Planet's Lisbon Encounter on my last visit. You might also find this site useful: http://www.golisbon.com/

A good grocery chain to shop for provisions for your apartment is Pingo Doce. Just remember that you need to pay cash if your bill comes to less than €20. Also, if you don't speak Portuguese, what the cashier is asking you is if you want a plastic bag (you'll pay a few cents extra)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

This restaurant was so good, I went twice. Even had the same meal.

http://www.restaurante-olivier.com/restaurant.html

The chef has a few of them, I went to the old/original one. This above might be a different outlet of the same chef. There was a really good NYT review of the one I visited in 2007, I can't find it online now for some reason.

ps. ditto on slippery tile sidewalks.

The above resto I reco'd to some local friends and they said it was one of the best meals they have ever had, so I really urge you to check it out (and report back).

I did a walking tour of Spies of Lisbon, which was very interesting.

I read "A small death in Lisbon" while I was there, which was an excellent crime-mystery novel.

Do NOT forget the Pasteis de Belem. Also called Pasteis de Nata. Get them from the source in Belem.

mr_go...

In case you are interested in tiles, a friend of mine has written a guide to a variety of tilework that can be seen throughout Lisbon.

Below is a link to the page where you can read more about the guide, it's available for purchase in a PDF version.

http://endlessmile.com/lisbon-azulejos/

I was considering bringing tiles home to do backsplash on my house in South Carolina. I might yet do that one day. Thanks LowCountryIslander!

Mr-go: Happy Birthday from another Lisbon (and Portugal) lover.

I think you are getting excellent advice here. Our four trips to Lisbon happened in the 80's and early 90's, so I don't have any restaurant recommendations. However, if you like classical music, we once went to a lovely concert at the Gulbenkian, during the Christmas holiday period. You might nwant to check the schedule.

I think the best site for checking out events is the Cultural Agenda published by the City of Lisbon.

It's in Portuguese, but it pretty easy to understand: http://www.agendalx.pt/cgi-bin/iportal_agendalx

I agree with taconictraveler that the concerts at the Gulbenkian are generally excellent and very reasonable, since they are subsidized by the foundation.

Happy birthday and have a great trip to Lisbon. There is lots of fun to be had there, and prices are very reasonable. I have terrific memories of late nights listening to fado and eating secrets of the black pig.

Happy birthday! What a super surprise. Have a great time.

Here are a couple of Lisbon posts from my blog. We were there in May and really enjoyed it.

http://areweinparisyet.blogspot.com/2012/05/lovely-lisbon.html

http://areweinparisyet.blogspot.com/2012/05/its-different-there.html

Try to go to hear fado at Mesa de Frades. The music was memorable and the food execrable. Unfortunately you have to take the dinner to reserve a seat for the show. Eat before you go and just assume the price is for the music alone.

Before the limo gets here, I want to express my sincere appreciation to everyone for their advice, memories, tips, etc. This is exactly the sort of thing that has kept me coming to Fodors for over 13 years now.

As usual, we can't hope to properly thank you all for the information you've shared. So the best we can do is 'pay it forward' with a trip report and pictures.

Obrigado!