I will just tell you all the things I like.
Tram 28 is very nice. It will take you from Alfama, all the way to the Basilica.
And ginjinha, in a chocolate cup! It’s really cool. Well, the thing is, I don’t like ginja. But I hear the one by Rossio square, there’s a really old one there, is quite good.
Ginjinha, or ginja, in a chocolate cup.
Ginjinha Sem Rival, a more traditional spot to find the Portuguese sour cherry liqueur.
The line spilled out the door at this "Illegal Chinese"--down the stairs of this apartment building in an otherwise un-busy street. A single waitress moved dishes on and off tables while answering the doorbell to bark wait times to groups of 20-somethings trying to snag a table.
I would also go to the Belém for pastries. You take tram 15E there. In Belém, you can also look at the tower and the monastery.
I love the contemporary art museum, but I’m not sure if that’s a must-see.
I also really like the Illegal Chinese. It’s not something very touristic, because you don’t come to Lisbon to eat Chinese food, but we have a lot of Chinese and Pakistani immigrants who live in Mouraria and Alfama, and they are just as part of the city as the Portuguese, so it’s a cool part of the city to see. These restaurants are very good. I’m a smoker, and inside you’re very chill, you smoke, you eat, and the food is amazing.
Feira da Ladra, the flea market, which is open on Saturday. It’s nearby Santa Apolonia train station. It’s second-hand stuff—books, shampoos, a bit of everything. You just have to see it.
Also eat in Bairro Alto. I like Stasha, which is a very good one. It’s Portuguese food in a very contemporary way. The steak is really good, even if it’s not that traditional. Bitoque might be traditional, but Stasha isn’t a very traditional place. It’s just good food.
Then go listen to fado. I recommend Tasco do Chico. It’s like an old traditional restaurant for wine and beer, and they sing fado, traditional Portuguese music. Very Portuguese. They have two, one in Bairro Alto, but Alfama is the place to go to listen to fado. For live music, it’s either one of the other, they switch days.
You know, the main touristic spots are not everyday spots. But Lisbon is special that way, because our downtown is also an everyday Lisbon spot. It’s touristic, but the locals spend a lot of time here, too. The viewpoints, too. One of the Portuguese things to do is to have a beer, and enjoy the sunsets from a viewpoint.