Lisbon, Shortlisted
Hi all!
This month, we’re heading to Portugal — Lisbon, specifically. While I’ve had the honor to visit / live out my tinned fish dreams a handful of times in the past few years, my most recent trip (at the end of last month) had me scrambling to balance the spots I love to return to with all the new (and very cool) restaurant and bar and coffee openings. A fun balance to find but I’ve distilled them down in proper shortlist form for you here so you don’t have to do the same!
There’s also a petite side trip to Alentejo (+ a favorite property there) to add to your itinerary should you want to get out of town for a few nights — it’s an easy 2ish hour drive and the scenery is stunning.
Last but certainly not least, un grand merci à Sézane for not only crafting my ideal autumn in Lisbon travel wardrobe but also partnering with me to sponsor this month’s Shortlisted! As a longtime fan of the brand *and* of carry-on only travel, I was thrilled to pack a tight edit of pieces that took me seamlessly from early morning travel day to lunch + daytime wandering through drinks and dinner. Shortlisted x Sézane edit as follows: this coat (wear it on the plane! wear it to dinner!) | two pairs of jeans in two different cuts and washes | a white button up (obviously, have you met me) | a pair of loafers that hit that covetable spot in the matrix of: comfortable x day to night x *the* color of the season | this perfectly slouchy trench (which came in handy as we got caught in not a few rain/sun showers + Laila stole whenever I wasn’t in it) | and this bag that I got complimented on left and right and have continued to wear on the daily back home in Paris.
As always, thank you for being here, have a beautiful rest of your month, and see you in December.
xR
[food + drink]
Taberna da Rua das Flores | one of my longtime favorites and always up there on the list. Go for lunch and aim to get there just before they open to snag a table (it’s walk in- and cash- only). The chalkboard menu is rotating with a mix of classic specialities and nouveau. If they have vieirinhas na brasa (grilled scallops with miso butter) + peixinhos da horta (deep fried green beans) on the menu, don’t miss them.
Tricky’s | hands down one of the best meals of the trip, we snagged a counter reservation and spent the night happily watching the team in the open kitchen at work. Their daily made focaccia is amazing (the night we were there, they served it with an olive oil they had used to cook their octopus in so it had a wonderful layer of flavor + we watched them prep the next round of dough), the natural wine list doesn’t miss (and there are more by the glass than not which is a dream if you want to try a bunch of things). Cash only!
Taberna do Calhau | all hits at a recent lunch here but there was a potato + mushroom dish that was so simple and so perfect and, while I fear I’ll never be able to recreate it at home, it’s just the excuse I need to book a flight back to Lisbon. Also, the wine list is spot on.