Maybe it’s all the sunshine, or the open spaces and never-ending views around every corner, but Lisbon doesn’t feel like other capital cities. Wandering the steep cobbled streets past tile-clad buildings and little shops that look like they’ve been there for 100 years can make you feel like you’re in a time warp. But Lisbon’s charms are not all in the past tense: Its unique vibe has been luring in arty types from all over for the past few years. Concept stores, galleries and coffee shops are popping up like mushrooms. The art scene is buzzing. Not to mention the surfing that’s less than an hour away. This grand little city at the edge of Europe is moving and shaking, and who better than the Instagrammers who love it to give us the lowdown.
@SUISSAS
Lisbonite art director, obsessive photographer and founder of #symmetriclisbon, Hugo Suissas sees his city through a lens like no other. Instagram is his “second life,” and his feed — a mesmerizing collection of visual puns that play with the city’s landmarks and hip hangouts — has a dedicated following.
Where to eat: Suissas loves LX Factory, a once-abandoned industrial strip under the Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge now reinvented as one of Lisbon’s coolest collections of bars, restaurants and stores. Plus there’s a great bookshop and a woman called Madame Cheeselova who will sell you slabs of amazing cheesecake. “The incredible space that surrounds the food makes it a unique experience,” he says.
Where to drink: Lisbon is a city of grand spaces, and few are grander than the Praça do Comércio in the Lisbon Baixa district, which was completely remodeled after an earthquake in the 18th century. It has a bunch of bars under arched terraces on the sides of the square, Suissas says, with sea views and “plenty of space to walk.”
Where to shop: If anywhere could claim to be the beating heart of Lisbon, it’s Praça do Rossio. Its wavy black-and-white tile floor could also lay claim to the title of most psychedelic sidewalk in Europe. Suissas calls it the center of Lisbon “with shops for everything.”
Where to visit: Christ the King is Lisbon’s answer to Rio’s Christ the Redeemer. The giant statue sits on the other side of the Rio Tejo in Almada, looking benevolently down upon Lisbonites. From Almada, “the view of Lisbon is unbelievable,” says Suissas. “If you can get up to Christ the King, it’s perfect.”
