João's bar

Bairro Alto is one of the old inhabited parts of the city and also its nightlife district by excellence. Bairro of restaurants, clubs, bars, discos and pubs. The active nightlife of Lisbon runs through its labyrinthine network of streets filled with multiple places. 

The best here is you don’t need to choose where to go in advance: this is the place where you can just to go into a bar, have a drink, leave and go to the next.

However, you have to pay attention because, some locals take advantage of the situation, false free drinks, "surprise" prices, higher than the normal, and so on. For this reason it's useful to have some spots as "reference points", where you can be sure to have good drink, for a fair price in a nice atmosphere. 

João's bar is one of this places.

The real name of the place is irrelevant, everyone calls it João's bar. The bar is has been open for one year now, and manages to survive despite the economic crisis and the competitive conditions of other clubs nearby, how?

At the first sight the bar hasn't got anything special or amazingly different, but that is maybe what makes it special ... this feeling of simplicity and familiarity we get when we are inside. Of course, all of this has to do with the owner, João who is also the barman, besides being a very friendly and interesting person, he is always available to exchange a few words, suggest some particular drinks, or prepare original and personalized cocktails and shots.

The most famous are his fire shots, they are shots that have a fire trick associated, absolutely innocuous and certainly very funny. 

Near closure time, instead of sending you out, João allows you to stay inside and finish your drink without any stress or hurry.

There is no payment at the entrance, and consumption is not mandatory, the prices are below average, the atmosphere is very pleasant, and if you get to know João, he always offers you a drink.

At the anniversary of the bar's opening... desserts and drinks are free for all ... Also for those who enter for the first time!

Choose to visit the spots that you like, get the feeling of the "movida lisboeta", discover the nightlife of the capital and have fun, be youself!

The pool of pillows

 

 

In Lisbon there is a hidden place with a swimming pool cushions inside.  One day, walking casually through the streets of Bairro Alto, I found an open door that led to a secret garden ... attracted by the noise coming from the inside i decided to go in. And so I found a beautiful garden with pillows, deck chairs and sun loungers surrounding a swimming pool filled with big white pillows. At the bar you could drink and eat something and then ... enjoy Lisbon from this garden / terrace that overlooked the city.

Choose what you want to visit, in which local hang out, where you want rest, create your own personal tour, be yourself!

BAIRRO ALTO - District

"Bairro Alto" is one of the most ancient neighbourhoods of Lisbon, sitting on the western hills surrounding the city. It is a complicated grid of narrow alleys based on four parallel-running avenues, hiking up to the top of the hill. Because of its peculiar topography it is quite easy to lose your way when walking around, but this incident just contributes to amplify its mysterious charm. Despite a surreal calm aura hangs upon it during the day – old people just dwell around to have a chat while the kids are playing football in the streets – the barrio suddenly lights up with life at night.

At sunset, a rainbow of colours makes the azulejos shine with a magnetic light. The smell of the Portoguese, Italian, Spanish and Japanese delicatessen roasting on the grills tickles the noses of the youngsters drifting around looking for the best time of their lives. The nightclubs become adventurous experiences.

The all-year-long pleasant weather encourages the movida: hanging out literally means grabbing a beer, get out of the place and meet new people on the streets, moving from bar to bar. 

Live music pumps out of the speakers every day, with cultural associations offering entertainment on the esplanadas (terraces) and nearby the fantastic Miradouro de São Pedro d'Alcantara. Visiting the Bairro Alto is like a treasure hunt: the gold is hidden everywhere, you just have to look for it.