Lisbon Nightlife: Places and Districts to Go Out in Lisbon
- Lisbon Information
- Eating & drinking in Lisbon
- Night life in Lisbon
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- Lisbon street map
During the day, Lisbon, with its array of architectural and cultural delights spread out across various different districts, is absolutely magnificent. As the sun sets, though, the city has even more to offer the backpacker, if anything – Lisbon’s nightlife is absolutely relentless!
After a long day’s sightseeing, the Parque das Nacoes (out to the northeast of the city) is one of the best places to stop for an early evening drink. This trendy region has dozens of fantastic restaurants and a number of decidedly relaxing bars and cafés.
Leaving the Parque das Nacoes behind, the Bairro Alto is Lisbon’s nightlife hub. The streets on and around Rua do Diario Noticias, Rua do Norte and Rua da Atalala are packed with bars that spill out onto the street and small, but incredibly lively, clubs.
Clubs in particular don’t get going until well after midnight and often don’t let up until dawn. Stumbling through the atmospheric maze of streets in the grey light of dawn, with the hordes of other revelers, is one of the most exhilarating nightlife experiences in Europe.
But the area is also home to the majority of the city’s famous ‘casas de fado’, where Portugal’s mournful folk music, ‘fado’, can be heard. Most of these, however, are frankly expensive tourist traps and it’s best only to go to one in the company of a trustworthy local.
But nightlife in Lisbon certainly isn’t limited to the Bairro Alto. A little to the south, Av. 24 de Julho is another fantastic option. It’s full of bustling bars and chic clubs and is well-known for its lively pace.
Not far away lies the Docas de Santo Amaro which, set against the striking backdrop of the river, is another of the city’s top spots. There are few better ways to enjoy an evening than a few drinks at a table by the river before heading to one of the many big clubs.
While Lisbon’s nightlife is hugely varied, it’s held together by one constant – energy. From an early evening coffee and cake to a delicious meal a little later, right through to a jumping bar or club, a night out in Lisbon is rarely less than wonderfully dynamic.
