Lisbon/Porto Questions
 

Hi - we will be in Lisbon (prior to a Duoro river cruise in Porto) in May 2019 for four days and have booked Hotel Portugal as our hotel, but would like to know if anyone can recommend a really good restaurant for our last night in Lisbon for dinner as well as any other restaurants that you'd recommend for the other days/nights? Is there anything off the beaten path (not touristy) that you would recommend?

Also, after our river cruise we will be spending three nights in Porto and have not booked a hotel yet. Can anyone recommend a hotel there and also good restaurants?

Thanks in advance.

The Azulejo museum and the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...7623687310571/ and the next eight pictures.

Lisbon and Porto
 

You can check Maribel's Guide to Lisbon for her recommendations on restaurants for your last night. For Porto restaurants, we like Pedro Lemos (PedroLemos - Restaurante), but there are more, like lunch at the Yeatman and Cantinho do Avillez-Porto, at Rua Mouzinho da Silveira, 166. You can also try Euskalduna Studio, Rua de Santo Ildefonso, No. 404. Or try Cafeína in Foz, at Rua do Padrão, 100.

A hotel is a little harder. It would depend on your budget.

Though not off beaten path Sintra is a short day trip away for its famous palaces and royal places. Easy by train - then you could do like I did and take a bus to the ocean and Cabo da Roca, westernmost point on European continent, including Ireland I believe - and usually wild wages crashing into rocks around the light house.

Then I took a bus to the Estoril - Cascais - old resort where once rich and famous cavorted - and then commuter trains back to Lisbon. Easy day and looking to get off beaten path Cabo da Roca is it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cabo...w=1708&bih=838

We visited Porto a few years ago and stayed at the Ribeira do Porto, a hotel in the Ribeira area. The location was great, with a view of the river and the Ponta d Luis. It was an easy walk across the bridge to the port houses across the river. Our room, no.31, had a narrow balcony that wrapped around the corner of the building. At night, the view from the balcony was amazing, with all the lights sparkling on the river. The young staff manning the reception desk was friendly and helpful. When we asked for recommendations for a place to have a light dinner, they gave us the name of a tapas/wine bar across the square. Our dinner of various small plates paired with a great wine was wonderful.

Because we cooked most of our dinners in our rental apartment in Lisbon, I can't make any recommendations there. We really enjoyed both Lisbon and Porto. Have a good trip.

Thank you all for your responses.
Michael thank you for your information and photos.
Robert2016 thanks for sending Maribe's link - a lot of good information in it. The price range for Porto is $200 max per night and would like a hotel that includes breakfast.
PalenQ we want to do a tour to Sentra (we are looking at Tours by Locals with Ines).
Candace I will look at Ribeira do Porto.

We have booked Hotel Portugal for Lisbon - has anyone heard good or bad about this hotel? It is reasonable and is close to everything.

If you have any other information that you would like to share that would be great.

Would you consider a B&B in Porto. We will be staying at In Patio Guest House. Gets great reviews.

Millie2112 - is this where you are staying? If so, it looks very nice!
Guest House | InPatio | Small Concept Design B&B Hotel | Porto | Centro Historico

I was in Porto just 2 weeks ago and we stayed in Design Palacio Flats, although it sounds like self catering apartments they delivered a nice breakfast to our room each day, and there was a receptionist on hand to order taxis, suggest restaurants etc. Location was excellent, just across from the cathedral; it was very quiet and very reasonable. I would recommend.

Yes it is. My daughter has visited Porto and she told me the location is excellent.

Thanks littlejane, I will definitely look into Design Palacio Flats but not sure we want self-catering.

For sightseeing in Lisbon, another vote for the Gulbenkian museum and the Azulezos (Tile Museum). There are tours in English at the Gulbenkian every Sunday and Monday at 11 am. They last an hour and cost 12.50 euro which includes your admission. Well worth it and a very good tour.

If you are interested in a Michelin restaurant experience, I just went to Alma and thought the food was fantastic. But it's a different kind of dining experience, not exactly traditional Portuguese style at all. For something more informal, I enjoyed the restaurant that the Pharmacy Museum - called Pharmacia (not to be confused with another restaurant called "the old Pharmacy" I believe). It's all small plates designed for sharing and if you go a bit early you can sit on the lawn and have a cocktail and a nice view over the river. Then go in and have dinner.

In Porto, yes - the Yeatman also has a Michelin rated restaurant. They also have wine dinners every Thursday (and I believe the restaurant is closed on Thursday evening so the chef can work on the wine dinner). It costs about 65 euro a person. The hotel brings in one winery for each dinner and they pair wine and food together and the wine maker or at the very least, a knowledgeable rep from the winery, comes, eats dinner with you and explains the wine. Even if the winemaker only speaks Portuguese, the staff at the dinner will host you in English and explain everything. it's a great experience as you start with aperitifs and small bites out on the terrace overlooking the amazing view of the river. Then you go in and have dinner. You can end the evening out on the terrace again with the amazing view.

For both Alma in Lisbon and the Yeatman in Porto, you should book in advance. Ama lets you book online from their website. I emailed the Yeatman for a booking.

Thank you everyone for your replies. We went ahead and booked In Patio Guesthouse in Porto per Millie 2112 recommendations and the reviews on tripadvisor are all excellent. Has anyone heard anything re Hotel Portugal in Lisbon - we booked it for four nights based on tripadvisor reviews but would like to know if anyone has stayed there or if you recommend any other hotel in Lisbon - we like small, boutique style hotels rather than the larger ones

Thanks.