With all the walking that we did in the morning, we worked up an appetite for lunch. Our bartender at the Turium hotel recommended visiting Bonjardim to experience a traditional Portuguese roasted chicken. This was one of his favorite restaurants, so we figured we had to try a restaurant that a local love.
We started off by ordering a pitcher of red sangria and one large beer. The sangria was delicious. It had a nice number of fresh fruits, and it was made with amazing Portuguese wine.
Ordering was simple, we each orders a half a chicken with sides of French fries and creamed spinach.
The chicken was amazing. It was so juicy. The way it was cooked on the spits and roasted, it gets basted in it’s own juices. The flavor of the salt and pepper that coated the outside skin was simple but helped create a powerful punch. I could not get enough. I devoured the chicken. It has ruined me for rotisserie chicken back home.
The French fries were a shoe string variety. They were crispy and the perfect complement. They have this hot sauce called piripiri that tasted great drizzled over the fries. It is really hot so a little goes a long way.
The creamed spinach was also a great side. It tasted different from the creamed spinach I have had in restaurants back home. It was creamy but not because they used a bunch of cream in the sauce. It felt more of a natural creaminess.
This restaurant stayed busy the entire time we were there. People just kept coming and going. Everyone was ordering the chicken. I am so glad it was suggested that we try this place. If it wasn’t for that we might never have found this place.
We continued walking along the cobble stone streets, observing the architecture both old and new. In the Bairro Alto area, it is the lively bohemian district. This is the area that comes alive at night with a plethora of bars and restaurants.
The final church we visited on the walking tour was Igreja de Sao Roque. It is a beautiful baroque church that is awe-inspiring as soon as you walk in.
The ornate, gold decorations is something to behold. Photos cannot capture the pure splendor of this church.
The last stop on the tour was the Miradouro S. Pedro de Alcantara. This was another spot with astonishing views of the city.
You are able to see all the old and new buildings that make up the uniqueness of Lisbon.
This tour with Lisbon Walker was well worth it. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to see the city with the help of a local.
Walking further along on the tour we stopped at a church in the heart of downtown Lisbon, Igreja de Sao Domingos.
The start of this church began in 1241. The columns, tall ceilings, and ornate carvings are all symbols of the original medieval architecture. It survived two earthquakes, one in 1531 and then the Great Earthquake of 1755. Both earthquakes altered how the church looked. After being rebuilt to its full glory it suffered a devastating fire in 1959.
After the fire, the church was a gutted shell – with charred beams and burnt debris everywhere. All the treasures, relics, and paintings were lost to the fire. By Christmas of 1960, the church had a temporary roof put on so that mass could be held.
By the 1990s a better roof was added to give it an admirable ceiling, but simply painted, not ornate. Everyone loved how it looked and like that it showed the scars of the past mixed in with the baroque façade.
Pictures do not do this church justice. The wow factor you get when you walk in cannot be captured with a picture.
The next stop was for a sip of a Portuguese treat, ginjinha, which is a cherry liqueur. We got our glasses at Ginjinha Sem Rival. This tiny little shop sells hundreds of glasses of this liqueur each day.
This is a port based drink that is infused with sour cherries, which are fermenting in the liquid.
Though it is served in a shot glass, it is meant to be sipped. The cherry is usually saved for the end, but be careful, there is a pit in the cherry.
After that boost of sugar we continued our walk around the neighborhoods of Lisbon. We came to Restauradores/Av Liberdade. This is a square dedicated to the restoration of Portugal’s independence in 1640. The obelisk that is in the middle of the square – placed there in 1886 – carries the names and dates of battles fought during the Portuguese Restoration War in 1640.
Climbing higher up the hills, we came to the Largo do Carmo. This was the setting for the democratic revolution in 1974. It was nearly a bloodless coup that saw soldiers put carnations down the barrels of their rifles to show they did not want to fight and wanted the government to be handed over peacefully. To this day the carnation is the official flower of Portugal.
Not far down the street stood the Carmo Ruins. This gothic monument is all that is left of a convent for Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
At the door entrance, you can still see evidence from the 1755 earthquake by the cracked, shifted stone.
Our guide even mentioned that they still use these ruins for concerts and other events. There are beautiful views of the city from this spot as well.
When visiting a city like Lisbon, with so much history, it is important to try and learn as much as possible. I found the Lisbon Walker tour company (www.lisbonwalker.com) that offered a tour called Revelation that spent three hours exploring all of Lisbon. We met our tour guide Jose first thing in the morning. He has been doing tours with the company since 2005. He was fantastic.
Our tour started at Praca do Comercio. This area faces the harbor and is one of the largest plazas in Lisbon. Just 40 years ago this plaza was used as a parking lot. Luckily it has been cleaned up and is a major meeting place.
The center of the plaza has an iron statue of Dom Jose I. There is a horse on one side and an elephant on the other. This is to mark all the exotic animals that he brought over to Portugal from his trips to India and Africa.
Not far from the square is a marker for the 1908 assassination off Dom Carlos I and his son. Right there in the open air as they paraded around in a car, they were shot. It was considered the fall of the monarchy in Portugal.
What really draws everyone’s attention in this plaza is the Arco da Rua Augusta. This was designed by Eugenio dos Santos. This arch was built after the 1755 earthquake (an earthquake that destroyed the city of Lisbon). It was part of the Lisbon reconstruction. It is adorned on top with a statue of Glory rewarding Valor and Genius with crowns.
Four historical figures are represented at the center on each side of the arch. On the right side are statues of Nuno Alvares Pereira and Sebastiao Jose de Carvalho w Melo, Marquis of Pombal. On the left side are statues of Vasco da Gama and Viriatus.
At the far end of each side, there are two lounging figures. On the right the figure represents the Douro River. On the left the figure represents the Tagus River.
While walking along the streets, we came to the Lisbon City Hall. It is located in the city square, Santa Maria Maior. This is technically where the mayor would be but this place has become more of a ceremonial location. This is where the Portugal independence was declared.
Around town on the light posts and on the tile sidewalks, you will notice a symbol of a ship with ravens on either end. This is symbolic of when the Jesuits went to look for the Christian relics of saints to bring back to the churches. They said that the ravens helped safely guide them home.
Also as you walk throughout Lisbon, you will also notice these black and white limestone tile patterns on the sidewalks and open spaces. These were all laid by hand. It is absolutely amazing the detailed patterns that were created. It is even more amazing that it was all done by hand so precisely.
An interesting architectural note that I learned on the tour, as part of the rebuild after the earthquake, many of the churches were destroyed along with all the buildings. When everything got rebuilt, the churches were required to be built into buildings so that everything was in line – for a uniform look.
There is a tram system that still operates throughout Lisbon. There are 50 classic tram cars. Tram 28 is the famous route. It takes you from one end of the city to the other. It is a great way to see different areas without having to do all the walking. It is amazing how tight some of those turns are that the tram has to make.
While walking through the limestone tiled streets we came across the Elevador de Santa Justa. This is a wrought-iron structure that was built in 1902. It stands out from all the other building that surround it. You can pay to take the elevator up to the top platform lookout, or you can just walk a little and get to the bridge that takes you over to the platform.
The views from up top are amazing. You can see all of the city. People bring locks to this area and attach them to the fencing for good luck.
It is important to start the day off with a great breakfast. That is exactly what we did at Fabrica da Nata.
It was an amazing place. It smelled wonderful when you walked in. They were making the pastel de nata’s right in front of everyone. They were making ham and cheese one while we were there but we did not get to try them since they were not ready yet.
They offered great breakfast prices. We each got a ham and Swiss croissant or baguette, a café latte, and a pastel de nata and the total came to under 12 Euros.
The pastel de nata’s were a little different than the other ones we tried. They were warm because they just came out of the oven. They were really creamy. The crust was very different. It was crispier. Not like a flakey pie crust, crispy almost like phyllo dough.
The croissant was fresh and flakey. The ham and cheese were just simple ingredients but absolutely satisfying.
The café latte was larger than we expected but warmed us up on the chilly morning. The coffee in Portugal is spectacular.
Fabrica da Nata is a great place to go for breakfast. It is also one of the only places that were open at 8:30 in the morning. Most places do not open till a little later.
The one thing about Lisbon that you will notice right away is there are pastry shops on every corner. The Portuguese definitely have a sweet tooth. We stopped at Pastelaria Ferrari because this café had their pastries on display in the windows and they looked so delicious.
We got a table and started off by ordering cappuccinos. These were freshly made with beautiful foam swirls on top with a sprinkling of cinnamon.
The pastry that caught our attention was the famous Pastel de Nata. These are a custard cream tart that can be found all over the city and everyone makes them about the same.
The Pastel de Nata were started in the convents because the nuns would use the egg whites to starch with habits and they had all these egg yolks left over. Rather than just throw them away they use the yolks along with the abundance of sugar that was available to them to make a custard that they baked up in little pie shells. This allowed them to make a little money and provide the Portuguese people with an amazing pastry that is popular even today.
We ordered a few of the original Pastel de Nata’s first. We sprinkled a little cinnamon on top. They are so creamy and sweet. The crust was flakey and crispy. It is the prefect size for a little sweet treat.
They did offer other flavors at this café. They used the same core custard tart and just topped them with different toppings. As we learned later on, these are more for the tourists, but we enjoyed them nonetheless. We tried three different toppings:
Chocolate – this was a creamy milk chocolate spread on top. It was very rich.
Almond – this was chopped up almonds with powdered sugar. It did not add much difference to the taste, but it did give a lot of texture to the custard.
Strawberry – a fresh strawberry preserve was spread on top. This gave an extra sweet but tart taste to the creamy custard.
This place also packaged their different tarts so that you can take a box home. The Pastel de Nata’s were delicious and I could not wait to continue enjoying them throughout our visit.
It was time for lunch on our first day in Lisbon. We received a wonderful suggestion from a staff member at the Turim Hotel. Ribadouro is a seafood restaurant that is a short walk from the hotel.
As soon as we walked in the door, we noticed all of the fresh seafood, whether it was in the fish tanks or the shellfish that was on ice just waiting for us to order.
We were seated right away and took a look at the drink menu. I ordered a Mojito. It was freshly made and not overly sweet. They blended rum, mint, lime, sugar, and sparkling water. It was very refreshing.
We ordered meatcroquettes for the table to start with. The meat that was used tasted like roast beef that was blended so fine it made almost like a pate. These croquettes had an amazing savory flavor to them.
A bowl of the seafoodsoup was also ordered. It was a seafood bisque with pieces of shrimp and cod in the savory, creamy broth. Croutons floated on the top that added additional texture.
Salted Cod (also known as Bacalhau) is a major staple in the Portuguese diet. It is used in so many dishes. One of the dishes we tried was Codfish Loin a la Ribadouro. This was cod fish served with boiled potatoes and broccoli. The potatoes were cut thick and sweet. The cod was not salty at all, it was tender and had a great savory flavor from how it was prepared. Every now and then there was a small fish bone, but nothing too outrageous.
The other dish was Strips of Codfish. These were thick pieces of cod that were sautéed with chopped onions, shredded potatoes and bound together with egg. It has a similar texture to scrambled eggs. It was absolutely amazing. There was a rich and creaminess to the dish. There was a nice salty taste. The cod was flakey, and a few pieces had some crispy edges which had a great crunch.
The Grilled Seabass Filets were also ordered. It was served with boiled potatoes and broccoli on the side. There was a garlic butter that came out was fantastic when it was poured over the fish and potatoes. The fish was fresh and flakey.
The meal was fantastic and a great suggestion from the hotel. We skipped dessert because we knew we would be hitting one of the pastry shops a little later.
Getting from the Lisbon airport to our hotel was very easy. Signs were all in English which made it easy for navigation. We were able to get a taxi from the airport and it was inexpensive (only 29 Euro for 3 people and luggage) and only took about 20 minutes to get to our hotel. Our driver was extremely friendly. As we were driving through the streets, he was pointing out a bunch of sights as well as giving us pointers on what to visit during our stay.
The Turim hotel was very nice. The staff greeted us as soon as we walked through the door. Our rooms were ready which was great so that we could shower and then hit the town.
Throughout our stay the front desk staff as well as the bar staff gave us amazing suggestions on what to see and where to eat. We really enjoyed happy our every night at the hotel to chat with the bartenders.
The hotel was in a great location. It was an easy walk to the main drag that takes you to the heart of Lisbon. Along this road there are so many restaurants and shops. The streets are filled with beautiful buildings – both new and old. There are ornate statues and monuments at every turn.
Sardines are a big deal in Portugal. It is a major export for them as well as eaten throughout the country. There was a whole store dedicated to them. Locals did say this store was for tourists, but I thought it was unique and fun to visit. It felt like a circus as soon as I walked in. There were so many options of sardine cans that can be bought for souvenirs. This was just one of the spots that we explored while walking around and getting an understanding of the city’s layout.
Having never been to Portugal before, we were looking forward to this trip for a long time. To get there we flew American Airlines, and we were able to upgrade to business class. This makes the almost 10-hour flight a little more bearable.
What is wonderful about business class is all the food and drinks they give you as soon as you step foot on the plane. We started off with a glass of champagne – Duval-Leroy Brut Reserve. What better way to say, “your vacation has started”.
After takeoff, and getting settled in some comfortable seats, we were ready to be wined and dined.
First out is the bowl of warmed mixed nuts. Having the nuts warmed up is what makes these stand out. Otherwise, they are just plain bagged nuts. And enjoying them with another glass of champagne made me feel fancy.
The food menu was large. We would be getting at least three courses at 30,000 feet. I started off with the shaved beef. These thinly sliced pieces of beef had a lemon aioli on top and an edamame guacamole, pico de gallo mixture underneath. A taco crumble was sprinkled on the plate. The beef was extremely tender. The blend of the aioli and guacamole made a creamy sauce that added additional flavor to the beef.
A salad of seasonal greens also came out at the same time. The bead of lettuce had cranberries, feta cheese, and oven-dried tomatoes on top. There was a balsamic vinaigrette served on the side. The salad was fresh and light.
We had a choice of rolls to choose from when the flight attendant came through the cabin. I went for the pretzel roll. It was so warm I made sure to put the butter on right away so it would melt. It was heavier than a typical dinner roll but tasted just like a hot pretzel.
For my main dish I ordered the herb roasted chicken. This was a chicken breast that was still on the bone in a pomodoro sauce. It came with mashed sweet potatoes and green beans. The chicken had good flavor, I just wish it was off the bone. It would have made it easier to eat. The sweet potatoes were in deed sweet which complemented the chicken.
The herb grilled beef filet was also ordered. I did get to try a little of it. The filet had a bordelaise sauce on top and came with a twice baked potato, baby spinach, and roasted butternut squash. It was really good. I was surprised how tender the steak was. The twice baked potato was my favorite. I would have liked to have another one of those.
With dinner I enjoyed a glass of cabernet-sauvignon from Black Stallion Estate Winery in Napa Valley. It was a bold wine with a smooth aftertaste.
It also went well with the cheese plate I ordered after my dinner. It came with three different cheeses: bleu cheese, cheddar cheese, and brie. They also included grapes, cranberries and a date for accompaniments. It was the perfect little snack. And it went so well with the cheeses.
Now this was not all, there was a traditional dessert as well. They offered ice cream sundaes. It was a fun surprise. The sundae was vanilla ice cream with hot fudge, butterscotch, berries, and whipped cream and chopped pecans.
At some point on the flight, I stopped eating and actually went to sleep. This was probably because I had such a full stomach. But it was not long before we were about an hour and a half from landing. This meant it was time for breakfast.
To help wake myself up I ordered a cappuccino. This was a surprise to me that they even had this on the plane. It was very well made.
For breakfast, they brought everything out on the tray at once, probably to save time. There were a few choices, but I went with the omelet. It had Swiss cheese and roasted tomatoes on top, along with a hollandaise sauce. There was a few pieces of Italian chicken sausage, seasoned potatoes, and fresh fruit. It was a nice complete breakfast. The omelet was great with the cheese and tomatoes. The chicken sausage was just ok to me. I really prefer the taste of pork sausage. The fruit added a nice fresh element. And since I really enjoyed the first cappuccino, I ordered another.
As I finished up eating, it was time to clean up and get ready to land. It was on to the next steps in our Portugal adventure.
