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Nightlife & the Arts in Lisbon

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Lisbon Nightlife

The Bairro Alto, long the center of Lisbon's nightlife, is the best place for barhopping and is the center of the city's well-established gay and lesbian scene. Most bars here are fairly small, and stay open until 3 AM or so. Larger, designer bars started opening a few years ago along and around Avenida 24 de Julho in the Santos neighborhood, where—because this isn't a residential area as the Bairro Alto is—bars can stay open until 5 or 6 AM. The latest hot neighborhood is farther along the riverbank, next to the bridge in Alcântara, where the Doca do Santo Amaro and the Doca de Alcântara have fashionable terrace-bars and restaurants, some converted from old warehouses. Whichever district you choose, note that not all bars have signs outside; to find the latest places you may have to follow the crowds or try a half-open door. Don't expect to have a quiet drink: the company is generally young and excitable. More »