I always send my clients to Alfama, the old Moorish quarter — a labyrinth of whitewashed alleys, viewpoints, and tiled facades cascading down toward the Tagus. Mouraria next door is rawer and honestly one of my favorites. And I love LX Factory for its creative energy — a converted industrial complex full of restaurants, bookshops, and design studios.

I tell everyone Portuguese food is one of Europe's most underrated cuisines — honest, ingredient-led, deeply satisfying. Grilled fish at the tascas in Alfama, pastéis de nata warm from the oven at Antiga Confeitaria de Belém, barnacles and cold wine at a cervejaria. Eating well here just takes an appetite and a willingness to wander.

For a day trip, I always recommend Sintra — just 40 minutes by train, with fairy-tale palaces and misty forests above the Atlantic. Cascais is lovely for beach life and a charming old town. And if you have more time, I love sending clients south to Setúbal, the gateway to Arrábida Natural Park — limestone cliffs plunging into turquoise water that could pass for Croatia.

My advice: go May–June or September–October for warm weather without the summer crowds. If you can time it with the Santos Populares festival in June, the streets of Alfama fill with sardines and dancing — I love that. Lisbon really is a year-round destination, even winter is mild.