The Lisbon & Porto guide I send to friends

Hi Cellar Club! I wrote this guide a couple years ago for a different Substack newsletter, but since I’ve been posting some of my wine and foodie travels here on Cellar Notes, I decided to give it a little update and send it to all of my new followers. These are the spots I recommend again and again to anyone traveling to Portugal.

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Instead of buying gifts for ourselves this year, my husband and I decided to just blow that money on a trip to Portugal. We opted to work during the holidays, then took our vacation two weeks into January so we could spend a week exploring Lisbon and Porto.

It was the correct choice, let me tell you.

Not only is Portugal known for having delicious seafood and pastel de nata, but it is the land of wine. Guys, you thought France and Italy was the place to go for vino? You haven’t been to Portugal yet, where there are over 260 different grape varieties native to the country, and usually not seen anywhere else in the world. Come for the port and the tapas, stay for the green wine and the francesinha.

So, I figured in this week’s newsletter I would make you all sufficiently jealous with a little recap of our trip to Portugal. I already hate me too for doing this, I know.

(But you all secretly want to know, don’t you?)

Our week started out with five days in Lisbon. We stayed at the Palácio Ludovice in the heart of Barrio Alto, which is where you want to be if you’re up for drinking a 1-euro beer on the street at 2am—and maybe giving your bra away for free shots. But it’s also the part of the city with some of the best foods. I mean, there’s a reason the nearest metro stop is “Restauradores.” We loved it.

First stop? Pastel de nata, obviously. Specifically from Manteigaria because it’s a locals favorite. And I’m not just saying that; ask any local in Lisbon and they will agree with you.