Portugal 

  Lisbon

If you've ever seen any of those pictures by Escher (example right) where all the laws of nature seem to be suspended you'll have an idea what Lisbon is like.  We'd heard it was hilly, but what nobody told us is that it has its own totally unique geometry.  You can look at a map and see that location A is quite close to location B, but when you start to walk it, you find the route is steeply uphill.  That's OK, but when you return from B to A you find that is uphill as well!

Well, that's how it seemed to us, but it's worth doing all the climbs as there's a lot to see.  I won't give you the general tourist guide, which you can get elsewhere, so let's get on to the important stuff.  We stayed in a very central hotel - the Borges, rua Garrett, very close to Baixa-Chiado Metro station.  This had the advantage of being handy for transport of all kinds - metro, buses, trams and it was no distance to the Tejo (Tagus) for the ferries too.  It was also just between two of the most famous pastelerias, so from our balcony we could look over the outside tables and feel we were part of the street life.  That was also the disadvantage because the street life in Lisbon doesn't know when to stop - street musicians at 2 a.m. were common and the dust cart even came round emptying the wheelie bins at 1 a.m.  Add to that the fact that we were there when Portugal beat England in the World Cup and you'll realise that was a noisy night even by Lisbon standards.  So we gave up the idea of long nights and substituted the siesta instead. 

However the really huge advantage of that hotel is that it is only a short distance (uphill of course) to the Cervejaria Trindade the best beer hall in Lisbon (and probably in all Portugal) The website is in Portuguese but click Localização and you'll get an animated map which shows the route from our hotel - did they know we were coming?  The building was once the refectory of a convent, so it has high vaulted ceilings, and in 1863 it was refurbished with its famous painted tiles.  This makes it a lovely cool place to seek sanctuary on a hot day, and this, coupled with the gastronomic traditions of the refectory, and plenty of decent beer, meant we spent a lot of time there, as you'll see from the pictures.  (On the Trindade's website click Ementa to see an illustrated menu of their culinary specialities and beers.)  And just a little further (uphill of course!) is the Port Institute where a nightcap might help you sleep through the nightlife. 

The modest entrance to the Trindade

The waiters are friendly and helpful, and most speak good English

Jeannette took the hint!  This is a draught Sagres Bohemia, quite a decent take on the Vienna Red style, which I also liked . . .

. . . but usually I went for the draught preta, a dark lager with some character.

. . . try one of the many local cod specialities, here cooked in cream (Bacalhau com Natas)  . . .

. . . or how about Arroz de Tamboril com Camarão - monkfish on rice with prawns. 

Come in from 2030 and it's packed, but at 1800 you can have the restaurant to yourself!              And to eat . . .

For the sake of science we tried the Imperial, but it's an uninspiring lager.

 In search of culture at the Gulbenkian museum, we discovered this spinach lattice, fine for a light lunch, and were introduced to Super Bock, a strong lager.

On a side trip to Sintra we found the excellent Super Bock Abadia, a version of Belgian abbey beer . . .

. . . which is a fine accompaniment to frango de cerveja - chicken cooked in beer.

The Sagres bottled versions were not up to the draught, though the Zero (alcohol free) had more taste than many of its ilk.

And after an arduous day's study, the cool premises of the Instituto do Vinho do Porto (Port Institute), laid out like an exclusive club . . .

. . . offered the ideal setting to mull over the many different styles and vintages on offer.

On a hot (uphill) visit to Lisbon's castle it was great to discover a cool café which offered Abadia and a preta (dark) version of Super Bock.

Sagres 5.1% Basic lager style, more character than many  similar, some malt flavours balancing the hop bitterness - a good refreshing drink

Sagres Preta 4.3% Dark lager, less body than you'd expect from a dark beer, but some roasted malt taste to make it more interesting than the light.

Sagres Bohemia 6.2% Red-brown body, sweetish, malt and caramel flavours, bitter finish

Imperial Cerveja Viva 5.1% Basic lager, quite thin-bodied, some hop bitterness, adequately refreshing on a hot day but no real taste.

Super Bock 5.6% Pale gold colour, dense white head, malt and hops in aroma, and malt taste with lingering bitterness.

Super Bock Abadia 6.4% Nice amber colour, white head, aroma of sultanas which is also in the sweetish taste, although there is an underlying bitterness which lingers - the most interesting of the brews we met.

It's interesting that Ron Pattinson's reviews (see the European Beer Guide above) differ quite a bit from our findings.  That could be down to i) actual variations in the beer production or ii) perceptions being influenced by environment, mood, what you have eaten or are eating.  The best judge is yourself - get on that plane to Portugal and give them a try!
 

      Return to
MCW home page