First Evening in Lisbon: 12 Things Nobody Tells You

Your first evening in Lisbon is when most of the small surprises happen. Nearly all of them are minor: a plate of olives you did not order, a restaurant that is still empty at 7 pm, shoes that slide on polished stone. Here are the twelve things worth knowing before you head out.

1. The bread and olives on your table are not free

Sit down in almost any Lisbon restaurant and a waiter will bring bread, butter, olives, sometimes cheese or a small spread. This is the couvert, and each item has a price on the menu. Portuguese rules say no dish, food or drink, couvert included, can be charged if you did not ask for it. The catch, according to the consumer group DECO PROteste: once you eat it, you pay for it. If you do not want it, say "no, obrigado" (or "obrigada") when it arrives and it will be taken away.

2. Tap water is free with your meal

Restaurants in Portugal must have tap water and reusable glasses available, and that water must be free. Ask for água da torneira and save the price of a bottle on every meal.

3. Dinner starts later than you think

Many restaurants open for dinner at 7 or 8 pm and serve until around midnight. Locals tend to sit down at 8 pm or later, so a table at 7 pm usually means an empty dining room. Most places also close one day a week, often Sunday, Monday or Wednesday. Check before you walk across town.

4. The hills are real, and so is the stone

Lisbon is built on steep hills, and many sidewalks are paved with calçada portuguesa: small cubes of white limestone and black basalt set in patterns. Years of footsteps polish them smooth. They are slippery in sandals with flat soles and treacherous after rain. Wear shoes with real grip, and on steep streets take the side with a handrail.

5. Tram 28 is a queue, not a shortcut

Tram 28E runs between Martim Moniz and Campo de Ourique (Prazeres), climbing through Graça, past the Santa Luzia viewpoint and down by the cathedral. It is beautiful and very popular, and the stop at Martim Moniz often has a long line. Two tips:

• Pay with a loaded card. A trip on a Navegante card costs €1.90, while the ticket bought on board costs €3.30.
• Ride early in the morning, or board at a stop along the route instead of the end of the line. Walking the Alfama stretch downhill is a fine alternative.

6. Get a Navegante card on day one

The reusable navegante ocasional card costs €0.50 from machines in metro stations. Load it with single trips (€1.90, valid one hour across Carris and the metro, but not for two metro entries in a row), a 24-hour Carris and metro ticket (€7.25), or pay-as-you-go Zapping credit (€1.72 per metro trip). On the metro you can also tap a contactless bank card at the gate for €1.92 a trip. Each traveler needs their own card or bank card.

7. Ginjinha is a one-shot ritual

Ginjinha, or ginja, is a sour-cherry liqueur served in a small glass, with or without a cherry. The classic place is A Ginjinha, a tiny counter on Largo de São Domingos next to Rossio. A glass costs about €1.50. People drink it standing in the square, then move on. It is strong and sweet, so one is usually enough before dinner.

8. Fado has house rules

Fado houses in Alfama, Mouraria and Bairro Alto serve dinner around live singing. The rule every house enforces: total silence during the songs. Put your phone on silent and save conversation for the breaks between songs. Many houses serve a set dinner menu, so check the price when you book by phone or email, and arrive 15 minutes early to settle in before the first set.

9. Pick the right viewpoint for sunset

Lisbon's miradouros are free, open-air and open at all hours. For sunset, Miradouro da Senhora do Monte above Graça looks west across the rooftops toward the river and the 25 de Abril bridge, as in the photo at the top of this page. Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol, both on the tram 28 route in Alfama, are closer to the center and fill up fast. Arrive 30 minutes before sunset to find a spot on the wall.

10. Watch your pockets in crowds

Pickpockets work the crowded places: tram 28, the queue at Martim Moniz, the streets of Baixa and the viewpoints at sunset. Thefts tend to happen in the push to board or get off a packed tram. Keep your phone in a front pocket, wear your bag in front and keep it zipped. If something is taken, report it to the PSP (the city police) and keep the report for your insurer.

11. Pharmacies have a green cross and a duty rota

Pharmacies are marked with a green cross and keep shop hours. After hours, a farmácia de serviço (duty pharmacy) stays open on a rota. To find the nearest one, call the national line 1400 or use its website, 1400safe.pt, which is free to use at any time. Calls are free from 7 pm to 9 am, on weekends and on public holidays.

12. Tips are small and optional

Tipping in Portugal is not compulsory. Leave the coins, round up, or add a little more at a sit-down dinner if the service was good. If a tip line has been added to the bill without your agreement, you can refuse to pay it.

Getting from Lisbon airport to the city

Lisbon's airport is close to the center, which makes arrival easy whatever your budget. One update for 2026: the Aerobus shuttle no longer runs, even though older guides still list it.

The metro station is in the arrivals building. Red line trains run every 6-10 minutes. Change at Alameda for the green line to Baixa-Chiado, Rossio and Cais do Sodré, or at Saldanha or São Sebastião for other lines. For most travelers with a carry-on, this is the best choice.

Since 15 October 2026, taxis from the airport rank charge fixed fares by zone. The historic center (Santa Maria Maior, Misericórdia and neighboring parishes) is zone 2: €19 on weekdays from 07:00 to 22:00, €23 at night, on weekends and on public holidays. Zone 1, which includes Parque das Nações and Alvalade, costs €16 or €20. Vouchers are sold at the Turismo de Lisboa counter in arrivals, and taxis in the scheme must accept cards. The taxi federation expects the system to be fully running in early November, so confirm the fixed price before you get in.

If you land after the metro closes, travel with small children or have more bags than hands, a pickup booked ahead saves the taxi queue. ShuttleHero runs Lisbon airport transfers from €35 per car for 1-3 passengers, paid by card in advance; the driver waits in arrivals with a name sign, tracks your flight and includes 60 minutes of free waiting after you actually land, and you get a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before pickup. Groups of 4-8 can book a van.