Lisbon Nightlife Guide: Bairro Alto, Cais do Sodré and How to Do Both in One Night

Lisbon goes out late. Dinner starts around 8 or 9 pm, the bars fill up after 11, and the night in Cais do Sodré can go on until the sun rises over the Tagus. Most of it happens in two neighbourhoods a short walk apart: Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré.

Bairro Alto: the street party on the hill

Bairro Alto was laid out in the early 16th century as one of Lisbon’s first planned neighbourhoods. Its grid of narrow, steep lanes survived the 1755 earthquake and was for generations the home of printers and newspapers. Today hundreds of tiny bars open onto those lanes, and on warm nights the crowd stands outside with a drink in hand. It is casual, cheap and friendly, and the best place to start.

Cais do Sodré: Pink Street and late nights

Down the hill by the river, Cais do Sodré was the sailors’ quarter of the port. Its main street, Rua Nova do Carvalho, is now painted pink and known as Pink Street, lined with bars and small clubs that stay open later than Bairro Alto. Most people move here after midnight.

What to drink

Start with a ginjinha, the sour-cherry liqueur sold by the glass in tiny bars, sometimes served in a chocolate cup. Try a local beer, a glass of vinho verde in summer, or a port tonic, the Portuguese answer to the gin and tonic.

How to do both in one night

The easiest way is to follow a local. On our Lisbon pub crawl through Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré, a host meets the group in Chiado, leads the way through the best bars of Bairro Alto, stops at a viewpoint and finishes on Pink Street. If you prefer a calmer evening, watch the sunset from the water on our sunset sail on the Tagus.

Tips

Wear comfortable shoes, because the streets are steep and the cobbles are slippery. Carry an ID, keep an eye on your phone in crowded streets, and use the metro or a taxi app to get home. More ideas on our Lisbon page and our nightlife tours in Portugal.