Gnarfgnarf activities in Lisbon

Ready for festivities?

Docas de Alcântara

Praia de Estoril

Fishing boats at Cascais

fado

Fado is part of the Portugues soul, fado tells life as it unfolds. It may sound a cliché, but be warned, it is not. Influenced by Latin American and African ties, fado was born sometime at the beginning of the 1800. Fado is sung life and fate as the lights are low and the audience and the performers share an understanding of music and poetry. It is usually quite melancholy. You can hear it done up, in special fado houses which are first rate restaurants (expensive), or go to some smaller, cheaper places where the fado is sometimes of dubious quality and where you get a mix of good and not-so-good singers. These places are also little restaurants, but the food is better and cheaper at the normal restaurant next door. Go there first, then go to the fado place for a bottle of wine, some bread and olives while listening to fado.

A word from Pedrito about etiquette: when the music starts the chitchat stops. The singers are singing to you, and they are not in the business of doing background music.

Casa do Fado

Rua Sao Miguel 20

This fado house is a true jewel within Alafama. You would walk past it without giving a second glance. Located opposite Sao Miguel's church, the small establishment remains unchanged and traditional, yet truly modern in its identity. You need a heart and a brain to be a good fado performer. The star singer of the evening is an enigmatic Lady who has consistently dazzled audiences of Lisboans.

dancing

The Zona Ribeirinha (waterfront), better known as Docas de Alcântara, provides harmless entertainment and lots of fun. The docks are lined up with bawdy restaurants, cafés and discos. We've never eaten there because the food is priced for tourists, and isn't the good local stuff we like. But it's worth having some drinks by the water after supper and before going to night clubs.

One thing about going out Lisbon style - after eating supper at a restaurant (until about 11 or so), then going for a drink in a nice place (until 12:30 or so), you will still be nearly first to get to the nightclub. Things get warming up about 1, get nice and fullish about 2, and are somehow cruising about 3, maybe later. This is good because when you leave at 6 or 7 you can catch a nice warm pastry in the coffee shop which has just opened for breakfast.

Hawai

Docas de Alcântara

Go for: a look at the local dance scene without a fuss

First you need to get past the three apes that are still struggling with the concept of standing erect and that incidentally work as bouncers (in an area where no other establishment uses apes, remind us to complain to the Animal Welfare Society). Usually, if you have ladies in your group, there is no problem, entrance will be free. Otherwise you will need to pay 10 euros, which will get you two drinks inside. This is a tamed night club popular with Lisboans and tourists. Let's say it's a 70 to 30% ratio on week-ends and a 50 to 50 ratio on week days. The music is mainly Spanish dance (outrageous!), Brazilian, South American . The crowd is generally a good mix of non aggressive people. Why they call the place Hawai'i (note the misspell), we don't know.

Negrita

Docas de Alcântara

Go for: Salsa lessons and Latino music

Right next door to Hawaii. Aloha is not understood here, but the natives are friendly too. Things pick up at around one, although dance lessons start much earlier. Droves of females and males of the species make for a good ambiance. No apes here, it's a salsa establishment which just favors good fun.

beaches

Within a half hour commuter train ride from central Lisbon (Cais de Soudre), lie the beaches of Estoril and Cascais. This world famous strip of beaches is popular with Lisboans and royalties. Here you will see the casino, and the bare all ladies and lords. The train (Linha de Cascais) drops you right off at the beach at Estoril.

Three hundred meters right on the promenade is Jonas Bar, a great Brazilian restaurant and café. Chill out here, have a freshly squeezed juice while listening to some samba tunes. The fare is good if you have an appetite.

Move on leisurely towards Cascais for a swim at the beach. We recommend the beaches of Cascais because they still have the European Blue Flag label for environmental quality. Estoril lost its label this year, and is still a bit too crowded for Pedrito's taste.

Later in the afternoon, leisurely drift from

Praia de Cascais to the town itself for some Frango no Churrasco (roast chicken). There are plenty of sidewalk restaurants to choose from on the main road leading to the little fishing harbor.