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Portugal : Lisbon - December 2009

Country Code: Dial 1 for Portugal

Central Lisbon is at its alluring best in the run-up to Christmas, with aromatic stalls selling chestnuts on streets bedecked with coloured lights. A weatherproof gem of an exhibition, Art Déco 1925, runs throughout December at the Gulbenkian Foundation (gulbenkian.pt), with a dazzling array of artefacts on display – everything from Cartier jewellery to Lalique glass. Matthew Hancock heads down there

Getting around

Lisbon Airport

Bus: The Aerobus leaves every 20 minutes from 7.40am to 11pm and goes to the city centre, finishing at Cais do Sodré. Tickets cost €3 and can be bought onboard.
Taxi: It’s about a 20 minute taxi ride to the city centre. The fare costs approximately €15, with an extra charge for luggage in the boot. Prices increase by 20% at night and on weekends and bank holidays.
Tourist information: The Lisboa Welcome Centre is located at Praça do Comércio, on the corner of Rua do Arsenal (tel. , www.atl-turismolisboa.pt).

AVENIDA DA LIBERDADE

Laid out in the 1880s, the palm-lined Avenida is a medley of exclusive shops and excellent hotels.

Sleep soundly – For style and comfort, head for Hotel Heritage Av Liberdade (28 Avenida da Liberdade, tel. , heritage.pt, rooms from €150). It has a boutiquey vibe and fabulous retro fittings.

Culture vultures – Just west of the Avenida is the bizarre Mãe d’Água (entrance on Praça das Amoreiras), a castellated stone reservoir which hosts occasional exhibitions. Head up to the roof for great city views.

Must eat – A mecca for seafood fans, Ribadouro (155 Avenida da Liberdade, tel. ) has the best prawns in garlic and whole lobsters in town.

Shop til you drop – Wend your way down the Avenida for designer heaven – shops include Fashion Clinic (number 249), Emporio Armani (number 220) and Louis Vuitton (number 190).

BAIRRO ALTO

Quietly residential by day, by night the “Upper District” morphs into a street party.

Sleep soundly – The rambling Pensão Londres (53 Rua Dom Pedro V, tel. , pensaolondres.com.pt, rooms from €50) has inexpensive rooms, the best ones with far-reaching city vistas.

Culture vultures – Commissioned in 1742 by a king to impress a Pope, the São João Baptista Chapel in the São Roque Church (entrance on Largo de Trindade Coelho) is an astonishing amalgam of ivory, agate and lapis lazuli.

Must eat – Converted bakery Pap’Açorda (57–59 Rua da Atalaia, tel. ) is a fashionable bolthole where you can enjoy the likes of fried goat and lamprey, beneath chandeliers.

Must drink – Kick off a night out at the little Clube da Esquina (30 Rua da Barroca), always lively and ace for people-watching.

CHIADO

This bustling shopping district comes into its own around Christmas.

Sleep soundly – You can’t get much more central than Hotel Borges (108 Rua Garret, tel. , lisbonhotelborges.com, rooms from €80), which has good value, soundproofed rooms on Chiado’s main shopping street.

Culture vultures – The Museu do Chiado (4 Rua Serpa Pinto) shows off the country’s best contemporary art in a beautifully converted biscuit factory.

Must eat – Classy L’Entrecôte (117 Rua do Alecrim, tel. ) is famed for its sublime steaks bathed in a sauce said to contain 35 ingredients.

Must drink – Bare brick walls and occasional art exhibitions set the tone at the fashionable Café Vertigo (4 Travessa do Carmo), a great coffee spot.

Shop til you drop – Little more than an ornate niche, minuscule Luvaria Ulisses (87a Rua do Carmo) sells beautifully crafted gloves.

CASCAIS

It may not be beach weather, but Lisbon’s nearby beach resort has an out-of-season allure and an unmissable new museum.

Sleep soundly – Perched on the rocky foreshore, Farol Design Hotel (7 Avenida Rei Humberto II de Italia, tel. , farol.com.pt, rooms from €130) lives up to its name, with chic décor, a great terrace and fashionable rooms.

Culture vultures – The stunning exterior of the recently opened Casa das Historias (300 Avenida da República) shelters a museum dedicated to England-based, Portuguese artist Paula Rego.

Must eat – Situated near the fish market, O Pescador (10 Rua das Flores, tel. ) is one of the town’s best seafood restaurants.

Dance the night away – Try Coconuts (Avenida Rei Humberto II de Italia) for ocean views and Latin rhythms.

Compiled by Matthew Hancock