Illegal Chinese and other favorite things of Micas

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.

An architectural tour with Catarina

I'll give you some architectural tips. I'm a student of architecture. There’s a place called the Champalimaud Foundation. It's near the Tower of Belém, west a little, like 500 meters from the tower, and you can walk there very quickly. It’s like a center for cancer research, and you have a public space there, like an open amphitheater. It's one of my favorite places here to relax. You have a really nice view to the river from there. You can also go inside, and there you have a really high-ceiling garden. It's really cool and different.

Also in Belém, on the same street as the monastery, you have a restaurant called Belém 2 a 8 It's my restaurant! My family’s. You can follow on Instagram! It's typical Portuguese food, tapas--you must go there and share tapas with friends. You have to try the cod. Cod 2 a 8, it's like the name of the restaurant. And do you like truffles? You must try the prosciutto with olive and truffles, it's really nice. And I think that's the top thing on the menu.

You also have CCB, the Cultural Center of Belém. 

Other examples of great architecture in Lisbon?

You have to visit Palácio de Monserrate, it's really really beautiful. You know the Alhambra  in Granada? It's similar architecture, with really nice ceilings, and the colors are beautiful. At Sintra you also have to go to Quinta da Regaleira. The Quinta da Regaleira was a place for the Masons. It has a lot of symbols and secret passages. It's one of my favorite places here, it's really really cool! It's one of the cheapest museums in Sintra.

Describe Lisbon's architectural style.

Messy! It's messy. You have a lot of narrow streets, and it's really easy to get lost. Especially in the old parts like Alfama.

Walking around the Champlimaud Foundation feels like riding a UFO.

The must-sees with Miguel

In Lisbon, you have to see the monuments in Belém, the castle, and the ancient—well not ancient, but typical—neighborhoods. 

Padrão dos Descobrimentos, or the Monument of the Discoveries, on the Tagus River in Belem.

The monuments are not quite in the center of the city, but in Belém. It was from there that in the really old days, they left for conquering the world. That’s what the monuments are celebrating. There are also gardens and museums in Belém.

The castle is important to see. Not just the neighborhood, but the castle, which is one of the most typical points in Lisbon.

The view from Castelo de Sao George, overlooking the city.

The neighborhoods to see are Alfama, Bairro Alto, and Mouraria. What’s special about them is the streets, basically. There are lots of different types of streets that go up and down, very skinny streets with lots of things to do and see. Like, hidden gardens. The best thing to do is just get lost in the neighborhoods, because every time you climb a street and turn around, you can see the river and the little buildings--everything. And Bairro Alto, at night, it’s the place to get some booze. Drink a bottle of wine, beer, hang out with friends. Cais do Sodré, also.

Then we have some really nice restaurants in the area. It depends on your wallet, really. My favorite place...Well, yesterday I went to a place with really nice hot dogs at Frankie Hot Dogs. I spent 15 euros and had 3 hot dogs with chips and bacon. So good. It’s near the university, so it’s cheap and all the students go there at lunch. And if you like fish, it’s not low budget but it’s really good, a place called Sea Me. 

Also, you have the restaurant Trevo. It’s at the beginning of Praça de Camões, which is a very important meeting point in the night when you go out with friends. In Trevo, you can have bifana, a pork slice on bread with sauce, and a beer. In Lisbon, we call it an "imperial."

Two more. Nearby, there’s a store that sells wine, ham, cheese, and olive oil, called Baco Alto. God of the Wine. There’s a shop downtown called Pollux. If you go to the top floor there, you have a view from one side of the city to the other side. You can also see a good view of the city from Park. It’s a parking lot where on the top floor, there’s a bar. And finally, just to check it out, the Elevator of Santa Justa. Then you’ll have a nice scene of the city.

Then by car or train, you can visit the village of Cascais. Really nice, really quiet. You can find some beaches, and it’s nice for a warm sunny day like this. Today it’s the 9th of November? On the 11th of November, it’s called…I don’t know. We eat chestnuts, and we drink wine. We call it the summer of San Martinho and say that the weather will be good, at least until the 11th.

One way to manage the hills of Lisbon: Elevators. After the many stairs that go up and down the city, they were the obvious next step. Elevador de Santa Justa dates from 1901.

Chestnuts sold in the streets of Lisbon in November, before St. Martin's Day on Nov. 11.