Lisbon is not a big shopping city, but if you know where to look you can discover some excellent local products, as well as a few bargains. The vintage character of the city center, especially around Baixa, is inspired by the centuries-old shops that have been run by the same families for generations. The old-world feel of many of the haberdashery and fabric shops, which are overflowing with colorful beads and accessories, is a real treat for lovers of old-fashioned crafts and decorations.
Below our expert picks the best places to shop in Lisbon, while here we have our guides to the city’s best hotels, restaurants, bars, attractions and how to spend a weekend in Lisbon.
Baixa
Manteigaria Silva
This delicatessen is truly a Lisbon institution and one of the capital’s oldest shops, opened in 1890 when it sold its butter (manteiga) of his name per kilo, wrapped in paper. Now it is known for its cured hams, which they debone on the spot and slice so thinly that they are almost transparent. There is also a wide range of artisanal cheeses. Try the famous Serra da Estrela sheep’s milk cheese, which is carefully matured here, or the many regional dried sausages and of course a matching wine.
Contact: manteigariasilva.pt
Prices: ££
Chiado
Burel Chiado
Using pure wool sourced from the shepherds who tend their flocks in the northern mountains of Serra da Estrela, creative designers have brought an ancient tradition into the 21st century with a series of colorful blankets made on an ancestral loom and finished by hand. Designs and colors are very Portuguese, such as the azulejos (tile) pattern, which is a nod to the characteristic cladding of the buildings here. In this store you will also find jackets, handbags, pillows and cuddly toys for children, all woven in Burel wool. The fabric is even durable and impermeable enough to use for shoes.
Contact: burelfactory.com
Prices: £££
Claus Porto
Hand-wrapped in stylish Belle-Époque packaging, this brand’s wonderfully scented fragrances and soaps have stood the test of time since its birth in 1887, but in recent years a whole new chapter has begun with the opening a flagship store in Porto and a new, aesthetically pleasing store in Lisbon. Here you can browse the ranges at your leisure, from the scents created by perfumer Lyn Harris that takes you on a sensory journey through Portugal, to the unbeatable citrus-fresh Banho soap or the delicious new Alface range.
Contact: clausporto.com
Prices: £££
Lachoix
This new luxury Portuguese brand is getting a lot of attention for its vibrant designs that bring mules and loafers with aplomb to the lounges and lobbies of Lisbon. Choose (and there is a wide choice, hence the name) between chunky penny loafers in black or sleek black velvet evening slippers embroidered with the message HOPE, lined with camel leather. Mules are available in black fur, loafers in lilac velvet and leather loafers with python print. And for the summer there are even sandals with double buckle in camel zebra.
Contact: lachoix.com
Prices: £££
Paris in Lisbon
Open since 1888 and awarded a royal warrant by Queen Amélie in 1902, this beautiful shop still has the same old Art Nouveau shopfront and wooden interiors and is the place to go for exquisite table linen, bath towels, linen sheets and high-quality cottons. The name comes from the days when fabrics came from Paris, but the shop has since expanded to include sheets and table linen and now sources products from all over Europe, including Portugal, which is rightly famous for its cotton. There are three floors to browse, all connected by an elegantly curved wooden staircase.
Contact: parisemlisboa.pt
Prices: £££
A Vida Portuguesa
Born from the desire to showcase the very best of Portugal – the brands that have survived the passage of time; the enduring quality of Portuguese production – A Vida Portuguesa’s showpiece is a wonderful treasure trove of memories for those who grew up in Lisbon. For those who haven’t, there will be no less enjoyment in exploring the cluttered shelves and wooden cupboards in this century-old warehouse and former perfume factory. There are ceramics and soaps, stationery and jewelry (much of the filigree work typical of the north of the country), flower vases and pottery – all make perfect gifts.
Contact: avidaportuguesa.com
Prices: £
View Alegre
This Portuguese porcelain has adorned the most beautiful tables around the world since 1824, from royal palaces to the White House. Here, in their flagship store, you will find a wide range of tableware, the plates they have reproduced from archive materials and their gilded bird and fish ornaments. Their children’s plates and fun coffee cups are excellent purchases. Atlantis, maker of Portugal’s finest glass and crystal, is also here with its decanters, candlesticks and flower vases, as is the bold, colorful pottery of Bordalho Pinheiro. Stock up on watermelon bowls to bring back some sunshine.
Contact: vistaalegre.com
Prices: ££
Avenida Novas
El Corte Ingles
This is Lisbon’s only department store and, spread over 13 floors, houses a wealth of high-quality domestic and international designer labels in the fields of fashion, cosmetics, accessories and electronics. On the top floor there is a gourmet shop offering a well-chosen range of Portuguese wines, ports, olive oil, cheeses, sea salt, pumpkin jam, Landeau chocolates and French Dammann Frères tea. Newly opened next door is a food court where several of Lisbon’s best chefs have branches from Jose Avillez’s, Tasca Chic, Henrique Sá Pessoa’s, Balcão and Kiko Martins’s, O Poke.
Contact: elcorteingles.pt
Prices: £££
Avenida da Liberdade
David Rosas
Long respected as one of Portugal’s leading jewelers, this flagship store of the Porto-born brand is a relatively new addition to the streets of Lisbon. In addition to the many international brands represented here, the designs of Luisa Rosas, the daughter of the late David, are worth serious discovery. Originally trained as an architect, Luisa has built an impressive following with her delicate jewelry, from her nature-inspired Essences line (representing wood, water, grass, stone and leaf) to the feather-light Tribe, which is based on the small, overlapping, veined leaves, each one a tactile pleasure to hold.
Contact: davidrosas.com
Prices: £££
Campo das Cebolas
Benamôr
It’s just as much fun to go in and look around this store as it is to try out the different lotions and potions on the shelves. Glossy white walls provide a perfect backdrop for Benamôr’s retro packaging, from fresh lime green for their Alaintoíne miracle hand cream to the purple hues of their Jacaranda soaps, a nod to the vibrant trees that surround many a Lisbon street scene. The store is a relatively new venture for the brand, which has been around since 1925 (the aforementioned Queen Amélie was a fan), but the recipes for the products have remained virtually unchanged in almost a century.
Contact: benamor1925.com
Prices: £