"American sommelier Brian Patterson, his wife, Jenn, and their massive Leonberger-Retriever mix, Bear (the Beartender!) are the consummate hosts at Lisbon's newest, most interesting, and surely smallest wine bar. Located on pretty Praça das Flores in Principe Real, Patterson curates his all-natural wine list with a laser focus on small producers from around Portugal. He sources his finds on reconnaissance drinking missions around the country, including some of Portugal's more underdog wine regions. His updated-daily chalkboard menu includes a half dozen or so offerings by the glass (€3.50-7) along with two batch cocktails, as well as intriguing bar snacks to accompany (his hummus is destination-worthy in and of itself). The bar doubles as a bottle shop; rightfully so, there is only room at the bar for about 11 provided everyone is sucking in their wine guts. File under: Wine Revelation."

"Wine-and-cheese bars are ubiquitous in Lisbon and most follow the same formula: Taste a few wines, order your favorite by the glass, and pair it with a plate of snacks. The beloved BA Wine Bar do Bairro Alto is no different in that regard, but its similarities end there. Its intimate, friendly service doesn’t feel touristy at all—a rare thing in otherwise nightlife-heavy Bairro Alto—and its discerningly sourced wines, cheeses, and charcuterie (black-pork presunto, a tasty ham), all of which come from artisanal producers, will floor you. For these reasons and more, this place is always packed; don’t even think about showing up without a reservation. In fact, you should consider making a reservation two weeks before you plan to go."

"Much of Lisbon ’s appeal lies in its sheer beauty. From the rust-toned rooftops across the whitewashed Alfama district to the Pombaline architecture of Baixa, the city is very easy on the eyes. For the very best views, head skyward to Park Bar, located on the rooftop of a Bairro Alto parking garage. There, you’ll find a just-trendy-enough mix of scenester residents and tourists, sipping on white-port-and-tonics while enjoying expansive vistas from the Tagus River to the bell towers of Santa Catarina Church."

"Sweet Liqueur A Ginjinha was the first establishment in Lisbon to commercialize the drink called Ginjinha. Ginjinha is a liqueur made with ginja berries, aguardiente (Portuguese brandy), sugar, water, and cinnamon. Francisco Espinheira, a Galician friar of the Church of Santo Antonio, put together all these ingredients, and the result was this sweet and very good liqueur. In Óbidos, the drink is served in chocolate cups, about the size of shot glasses. (They make a very nice gift.) You can eat the cup after drinking the liqueur, or just pour more into the cup. Before having a drink, visit São Domingos Church. It’s worthwhile."

"Portugal was late to jump on the craft-brew bandwagon. Things didn’t really get brewing until Lisbon’s first craft-beer bar, Cerveteca Lisboa, opened in 2014. The scene is making up for lost hops these days, however, especially at the American-and-Portuguese-run Dois Corvos, where you’ll find the country’s best craft brews inside a converted industrial space in the up-and-coming Marvila district. Head to the taproom (still a novelty in Portugal) and try the bar’s excellent staples—like the Creature IPA, Finisterra Imperial Porter, and Galáxia Milk Stout—or one of its experimental brews or barrel-aged brews. The funky, mural-decorated space is a bit rudimentary, but it’s just as it should be."

"A Lisbon favorite, this family-run chocolate-and-coffee café is continually showered by locals with love and devotion. Here, both the coffee and cocoa beans come from São Tomé and Príncipe. The former are roasted in-house and perfectly executed in one of Lisbon’s best espressos, while the latter are churned into artisan chocolate bars in outstanding flavors like ginger, orange, sea-salt-and-pepper, and toffee. If you order an espresso, you’ll get a free sample of chocolate so you can suss out your favorite before committing to a pricier piece of heaven."

"Let's go to the pharmacy to have a glass of wine, in Bairro Alto - Lisboa Who doesn’t need a pain killer once in a while? Take it in the form of a glass of wine from a pharmacy that is more than 100 years old, where the drugs were replaced by wine bottles in the glass-door cabinets. To accompany the wine, you can taste different Portuguese products or you can choose a plate with several types of sausage and cheese. The tables are made of old wine barrels and you can sit on some wooden benches."

"The big advantage of Topo, on the sixth floor of a shopping center on Martim Moniz Square, is its top-level location with views of the castle, Mouraria neighborhood, and more. Outside on the terrace, grab one of the wooden benches and linger over a cocktail accompanied by tasty Portuguese appetizers."

"A Bar or a Museum? You need to make time for this bar, because there is an 82-page book—a fantastic work of art—from which to choose a cocktail. Or you can have tea. Also, you will need time to check out all five rooms. Thousands of pieces are here: medals, frames, mugs, tin soldiers, flags, cartoons, strollers, busts, the work of Bordalo Pinheiro (a Portuguese artist), and much more. And, go to the last room to play at the snooker tables (it’s the only smoking room). The name comes from a time before the bar, when a grocery store here sold spices, teas, coffees, and other delicacies. In 1986 the place became a bar, or should I say museum? To enter you will need to ring the bell."

"Sipping Wine in a Bairro Alto Cellaret A cellaret in the middle of Bairro Alto, here you can sit outside. If there isn’t an empty bench, just ask for one and for something that can be used as a table—or sit inside in a room with bright colors on the walls, remembering the tradition of ancient gatherings, with a glass of wine and petiscos (snacks). The selections are red wine and Oporto wine. If you need help in choosing, just ask the waiter which one you should taste. To accompany, ask for a cheese from Azeitão or Niza; but if you feel really hungry, just go to the other side of the street, they also own a restaurant where you can sit outside and dine."

"A Bar with Personality True to its name, this is an old bar, with Victorian-style décor, stained glass, art nouveau lamps, and red velvet sofas. You can find a long list of cocktails, as the manager has history in the Miami cruise ship industry. From the food menu, try the Old Vic steak—or some toast or a sandwich, if you want something lighter. There is a button to call the waiter and another one to regulate the light intensity."

"A Cozy and Intimate Historical Bar Decorated by Luís Pinto Coelho, who also decorated “A Paródia” and “Pavilhão Chinês,” this historic bar is 40 years old. With an art nouveau décor, the space is very cozy. A piano serves as a table, and shelves are full of sculptures and busts. Journalists and people with connections to politics used to frequent this place, but that was some years ago. Nowadays, it’s a good choice for a conversation with friends, without the chaos of bigger bars like the ones in Bairro Alto."

"The most popular bar in Bairro Alto This is one of the biggest and most popular bars in Bairro Alto. However, despite having so much space, a crowd still gathers just outside the doors to have a drink and a chat. If you want a seat inside, try to arrive early. Secondhand furniture, antique sofas, and old radios create a retro atmosphere; posters of cultural events hang on the walls and there is an old wood oven as a reminder of the cake factory that used to exist here. The music is mainly electronic or jazz."

"Old-School Elegance at A Brasileira Open since 1905, A Brasileira was once the choice of Fernando Pessoa, the great Portuguese poet. You can sit beside him just outside, next to his bronze statue. Back in the day, this place was a hangout for writers, artists, and journalists. The location, in Garret Street, is great—just a step from the popular meet-up spot Largo de Camões. You can get there by subway (Baixa/Chiado Station), tram (Nº28), or on foot (go down Misericórdia Street, up Alecrim Street, or up Garret Street)—or come from one of the many streets of Bairro Alto)."

"Pensão Amor, The Hottest Place in Lisbon Definitely the hottest spot in the city, Pensão Amor, or "Guesthouse of Love," is a chic, boudoir-style place in the Cais do Sodré area, down the hills of nightlife hub Bairro Alto. Decorated with frescos and endless images and art of nude women, this place is mostly a bar that serves drinks and Peruvian food. But don’t skip the small bookstore at the back and the pole dance room, decorated with leopard and gold. It gets crowded quickly, so reservations are recommended."

"A glass of wine at Águas Livres Aqueduct in Lisbon This stone building, called the Mother-of-Water Fountain, is an old cistern where Lisbon locals used to fetch the water that flowed to the city along the monumental Águas Livres Aqueduct. Now, inside the cool walls, a wine bar has been constructed. Journalist and wine critic João Paulo Martins has selected the 300 labels stocked in the wine cellar (some stored in bottles along the stone chutes that used to rush with water).Small plate selections like carpaccio, seafood, cheeses, and different kinds of cold cuts can be ordered to accompany your wine. During happy hour, between 6 and 8:30 p.m., several wines are available by the glass or in curated flights."