Santo António, Lisbon guide

Santo António gives you easy access to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, possibly the best spot to look over Lisbon. The panoramic views are especially popular at sunset, when its cobbled square and gardens fill with musicians and food and drink vendors. Don’t miss the exquisitely tiled interiors of the nearby convent — or the famous Glória Funicular that can take you back downtown.

Many of Lisbon’s oldest performing arts venues are clustered on and around Avenida da Liberdade. Catch a concert, ballet or even a circus act at the Coliseu dos Recreios, built in 1890. You’ll find classical music, dance and plays at the century-old Teatro Tivoli, renovated in 2018. The Cineteatro Capitólio, reopened after decades of neglect, now hosts live arts and cinema.

The parks scattered around Santo António offer plenty of respite on Lisbon’s sunniest days. The Jardim do Torel has its own tiny swimming pool. For a different kind of water feature, head to Jardim Marcelino de Mesquita. Its neighbouring reservoir was designed in the 18th century, complete with statues, fountains and a rooftop terrace.

Want to feel like an explorer? The Jardim Botânico offers a true taste of adventure. Portugal’s earliest botanical garden was created in 1768. Its hectares of greenery are so well hidden that you’ll feel like you’ve stumbled on a secret tropical jungle. You’ll find lakes, bridges, a butterfly house and plants dating back to the Jurassic era.

Of the many museums in Santo António, don’t miss the National Museum of Natural History and Science. It has a hands-on laboratory for kids alongside its more traditional 19th-century observatory and riding school. Spend some time at the Museu Medeiros e Almeida, a mansion housing a vast collection of decorative arts. Or indulge in movie madness at the Cinemateca Portuguesa, whose film museum hosts regular screenings.

Follow the Rua da Escola Politécnica as it becomes the elegant Rua Dom Pedro V for some of the best restaurants in Santo António. Here, you can indulge in Latin American cuisine from Argentina and Peru. The streets surrounding Avenida da Liberdade offer a wide range, from seafood-based cuisine to Portuguese home cooking. You’ll also find vegetarian restaurants and lots of yummy, authentic Italian gelato.

You’ll have your pick of sophisticated bars in Príncipe Real, which spreads west from Avenida da Liberdade. Its hip local joints can serve you champagne cocktails accompanied by oysters and bar snacks. It’s also Lisbon’s LGBTQ+ district, with popular clubs playing everything from disco to house music. Check out the late-night drag acts at Finalmente Club, which has been running since 1976.

The grand boulevard of Avenida da Liberdade is lined with chic luxury brands, from Chanel to Cartier. Think of it as Lisbon’s Champs-Élysées or 5th Avenue. But just as eye-catching are the former residences repurposed as shopping arcades. At Embaixada, extravagant Moorish Revival interiors now house fashion and concept stores.

Lisbon’s biggest annual festival takes place here each June, celebrating Saint Anthony himself. Two weeks of parades, night parties and musical performances take over the streets, along with loads of grilled sardines that symbolise the saint’s vow of poverty. On 12 June, the festivities climax with a street procession that starts at Igreja de Santo António and gathers momentum until the early hours.