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Lisbon is in fashion. With its Atlantic breezes, rolling hills and iconic trams, the beautiful Portuguese capital seduces today more than ever, and there are more and more foreign tourists traveling to the city to get to know its most famous neighborhoods: Chiado, Baixa, Alfama, Castelo and the Mouraria.
Although these areas have their undeniable charm, it cannot be ignored that the popularity of Lisbon in recent years has made its small historic center quite overwhelmed by the tourist influence .
One day yes and the other too, the streets of the classic neighborhoods are collapsed by the endless rows of tuk-tuks, while the pedestrian traffic in the narrowest roads of the city is impossible when guided groups circulate, many of the which have about fifty curious travelers. And that is not to mention the massive influx that ends up turning visits to the Castle of San Jorge or the Elevador de Santa Justa , and the traditional trip on Tram 28 , in a real hell.
Confronted with such conditions in the best known Lisbon, the number of foreign explorers seeking to know the most alternative and less congested parts of the city is growing, and although neighborhoods such as the bohemian Marvila and the elegant Madragoa are well worth the visit, they win by Goleada Arroios , an area of the city that mixes the retro customs of the past with the multicultural hipsterism that currently defines the Portuguese capital. Such are its attractions that the editors of Time Out magazine have selected the Lisbon neighborhood as the number one among the 50 coolest in the world.
Located in the interior of the city, halfway between the Tagus and the Humberto Delgado Airport, Arroios is a working-class and student neighborhood that still preserves the real atmosphere of Lisbon , very different from the disneyficated version of the Portuguese capital seen in la Baixa, where tourist pressure has meant that practically all stores are dedicated to selling tiles made in China and cork cartridges that no Portuguese would buy. By subway from Praça do Comércio it takes just 10 minutes to get here, but when you emerge from the Blue Line you will find streets where family businesses still survive where you can find everything.
Although it was established as a freguesia -district- of the capital in the 16th century, a large part of the buildings in the neighborhood were built during the dictatorial regime of Estado Novo (1933-1974) in the architectural style known as Soft Portuguese, which mixes art Deco with classic elements of the Portuguese buildings of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The result is an area with a clear modernist look that transports visitors to the 50s , which can be enjoyed along Almirante Reis Avenue - the main road in the area - until reaching Alameda Dom Afonso Henriques, the huge garden square that boasts the spectacular Light Source .
Other jewels of the area are the Library of São Lázaro -the oldest in Lisbon-, the Mercado Forno de Tijolo -which frequently hosts exhibitions and concerts, and which will soon also host the Casa da Diversidade, a municipal support center for the community LGTBI and the minorities of the Portuguese capital-, and spaces such as the basketball zone of the Mártires da Pátria Field, where Akacorleone has executed a mural that is already celebrated as a new jewel among the urban art works of which the city presumes so much .
The real estate bubble that affects Lisbon has made many of the city's new residents - among them the young entrepreneurs who have come to it to take advantage of the tax regime favorable to start-ups - settle in Arroios. That presence has resulted in a real boom of new and exotic options at lunchtime , including the Mexican El Taco Chingón and the Chinese Grande Palácio Hong Kong, which stands out for having the best dim-sum in Portugal.
Classic options also survive: for a trip to the past, it deserves to visit the legendary Café Império -which retains the same aesthetic it had when it opened in 1955-, while seafood lovers should go to Ramiro , where the quality of the raw material justifies prices.
Arroios also abound with options for those who want a little party. Casa Independente always has scheduled concerts and an adorable tropical patio that is ideal for a drink in peace. The hidden Anjos 70 programs swing, samba and flamenco sessions, while the BUS - Paragem Cultural offers capoeira and cultural test nights in which your knowledge can be worth a free drink.
For something more intimate, another good option is Café Klandestino - whose aesthetic and cocktail list is inspired by the smuggling of coffee between Portugal and Spain in the 50s - or Pharmácia Musical , a perfect place to enjoy a good wine and better conversation while the Lisbon night passes.
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