Autumn has arrived and with it, the colder days. We have gathered a selection of addresses to let you better enjoy the new Season. We have divided our suggestions by themes, so that you can find exactly what you are wishing for.
Coffee shops that warm us up in the winter
It feels good to go around Baixa and Chiado and pause for a coffee at the Royale Café or at the Boutique Nespresso. One cannot go past Versailles and not go in for exceptionally good patisserie, served in a well-appointed ambience; or, following a visit to Belém, resist to a pastel de Belém, the famous local custard pies. You will taste ‘the best’ scones at Casa de Chá de Santa Isabel, but Café da Natália, Chaleira and Dona Tília also extend the invitation for a tea in a warm and rustic ambient, bringing back memories of grandparents’ homes. For those craving for warm bread straight out of the oven, there is Tartine bread store, specialized in the namesake pastry and a delicacy for many; and pastry store Garrett, from where the best cakes come from. Set amidst the nature, enveloped in the energizing sea smell and with an impressive view of the Atlantic and the Sintra Hills, the Bar do Guincho is the perfect refuge in cold days. For those that like to combine healthy and tasty, the Organic Caffe is perfect, not only for its great location, but also because the Chef’s creations are simply to do die for.
Comfortable restaurants with fireplace
One can find restaurants in Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra where the table is placed right in front of the fireplace. Among the several places along the coastal Marginal road that have the sea as a backdrop and a fireplace warming the winter nights, Toscano is one of them, offering marine products served by means of traditional recipes. At 5 sentidos, you can enjoy both the warmth of a fireplace and a sunset dinner. In Sintra’s historic center, Romaria de Baco serves traditional flavors with a contemporary touch, in a warm ambient that one wants to prolong. Down on the road to Roca’s Cape, with the sea on one side and the hills on the other, it’s difficult to be indifferent to Moinho Dom Quixote’s Mexican styled setting.
Activities for kids and grown-ups
For the “grown-ups” looking for amusement on a rainy day, there is the Puzzle Room and the Escape Hunt Experience, escape games where the participants have 60 minutes to get out of a room full of puzzles, charades and clues; what counts here is imagination and team work. For the younger ones, we suggest the Vertigo Climbing Center for climbing practice, and the Spot Real ‘parkour’ academy. And we must always remember the KidZania, the thematic park where the little ones can play just like big people.
Spas and indoor pools to warm up the body on those colder days
Try out the benefits of Hotel The Oitavos’ indoor sea water pool or the one at Villa Itália; or simply relax and enjoy the view over the Tejo at the Altis Belém spa. Take also advantage of the spa evenings and four-hands massages at the Corinthia, where treatments for children are also possible.
Bring on the red
There is
nothing better on cold days than a glass of red wine to warm up the soul.
Garrafeira Alfaia is a special place where the
appreciation for wine and for portuguese appetizers awakes other shareable
pleasures and feelings of wellness. Since what really goes well with a glass of
wine are some good Portuguese starters, the Enoteca Chafariz do Vinho proposes a tasting menu of
delicious ‘petiscos’.
Article in partnership with INS
