On the hill above Chiado, two neighbourhoods that come into their own in the late afternoon and evening: the tight grid of the Bairro Alto and, just above it, the leafier Príncipe Real.
Bairro Alto
By day a quiet residential grid; from early evening it fills with people and small bars and stays lively late. The Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, at its edge, looks across the valley to the castle — busy at sunset, with a kiosk bar. The Bica funicular runs down the slope from near here toward the river.
Príncipe Real
A step further up the hill and calmer — a garden square with a huge spreading cedar, ringed by nineteenth-century houses now holding concept shops, wine bars and restaurants. A good area to eat before, or instead of, the Bairro Alto crush.
Good to know
- The São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint is reached on foot from Chiado, or by the Glória funicular from the Restauradores
- The Bairro Alto is loud at night — pleasant to walk through, less so to sleep above
- Príncipe Real has a Saturday organic market in the garden
- From our side: ferry to Cais do Sodré, then the funicular or a ten-minute climb