Standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the number 28 tram, jostling for space at a Pink Street bar, posing in front of Alfama’s azulejo tiled facades – hands up who succumbed to these Lisbon cliches on their first visit? Yet you don’t have to venture far beyond the city’s postcard panoramas and TikTok-fuelled queues to discover neighbourhoods where Lisboetas still live, work and play unhampered by sightseers. These surprisingly central enclaves reveal a more varied and nuanced portrait of Lisbon, whether it’s the daily ritual of savouring a bica (espresso) at kerbside quiosques (traditional, in-the-round snack bars) or sampling cuisine from diaspora communities. Here are three districts worth a closer look – and where to hang out in each of them.
.jpg?trim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
