Lisbon abounds with sleek bars – places like Lux, owned by John Malkovich, that have widescreen views over the water. But my favorite places to drink don’t have any windows at all.
Miradouro is the Portuguese word to describe a scenic viewpoint. In most cities, such spots are designated by a sign, maybe a pair of coin-operated binoculars. In Lisbon, miradouros are adorned by cafés. Like decoration on a batch of cupcakes, these spots are sprinkled atop the city’s seven hills and nestled in crannies overlooking the water. The open-air terraces serve a multitude of functions, as I discovered on a recent mirodouro crawl.
Miradouro das Portas do Sol
We arrived 'early' in the morning at the Miradouro das Portas do Sol. True to its name, the terrace had already attracted a fair number of sun seekers at 11am. A number of sofas – modified beds, really – had been placed around the patio. Bodies were draped over these, unmoving except for occasional gestures toward fruit juice. “I think what we have here is a hangover recovery center,” I noted, while also admiring the views of Alfama rooftops. We worked on our tans for a while, but then left in search of a more gastronomically-minded miradouro.
Miradouro do Adamastor
Photo by Zöe_Alexandra
The Miradouro do Adamastor offers what many argue is not the best view on the Tejo. It makes up for this by instead providing a tasty lunch spot. The Noobai café is reached by stairs winding down from western side of the miradouro. Outdoor tables and fake sunflowers are planted all over the terrace, with a DJ spinning some relaxed tunes. I chose a salad from the good-looking menu and had another icy glass of fruit juice. In the hot mid-day sun it was difficult to imagine anything else, but locals curl up here in the cold months with hot drinks and complimentary blankets.
Esplanada da Graça
After a short break for some cursory castle inspection, it was time to continue the crawl. We wound around to the Esplanada da Graça, which gazes back at the Castelo de São George. The basic café set-up here includes metal tables and cold beer. The stunning view and some classical guitar kept us happy for several rounds.
Miradouro da Santa Luzia
A bit later we headed east to the prettiest lookout in town. Decorated with ceramic tiles and brightly colored blossoms, the Miradouro da Santa Luzia was very quiet when we arrived. A few solitary old men were staring out to sea, and a young woman was reading. We sat relishing the cool air blowing in from the water and were soon so relaxed that our heads were rolling forward.
"What this one really needs is an outdoor bed,” I joked. My friend grinned, and then reminded me of the morning’s first miradouro. “Das Portas do Sol!” we cheered, and then rose to make our return. And thus the crawl came to an end exactly where we began, sprawled on outdoor sofa-beds with white sheets blowing overhead.
Go further: Find out how Lucy Pepper prefers to reach the top of Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara here.