While Portugal’s second city, Porto, is the traditional home of Port wine, there is no need to travel north to sample some of the best the country has to offer.
Whether you’re looking for a 40-year-old fawn, a late bottled vintage ruby, a white port and a tonic, or all of the above, there are several places in Lisbon where visitors and locals can get a taste of their own. Douro Valley. Here are the five best places in Lisbon to test the port.
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Port Wine Solar
Direction
Rua da Ferreirinha 114-14 , 5050-261 Peso da Régua , PortugalGet directions
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Associated with the official Portuguese port wine agency, Solar do Vinho do Porto is located in front of one of Lisbon’s majestic viewpoints, inside the Ludovic Palace at the top of a steep walk or a funicular in the Bairro Alto.
Resembling an old smoking room, the luxurious and tranquil setting is the perfect place to spend an hour or two in the company of expert waiters and several glasses of port from their huge range.
Prices start at just a couple of euros, although you’ll pay a bit more if you start exploring some of the vintage varieties. While you can also buy a limited variety of snacks, the focus is entirely on the port, so reserve a nearby dining spot to head on afterward. Expect professional rather than warm service here.
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Grapes and bites
Direction
R. do Norte 83 , 1200-284 Lisbon , PortugalGet directions
Telephone
+351 21 346 0912
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Also in the Bairro Alto neighborhood, Grapes & Bites is located a little further down the hill. It is both a hostel and, more interesting for lovers of the port, a wine bar and a restaurant. Some of the local tour companies host their port tastings here, so with a wide selection and enthusiastic staff, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a delicious tapas-style meal, paired with a glass or two of a wine. fortified appropriate.
Grape and Bites often has live music in the evenings, making it a fun and boisterous atmosphere to spend a couple of hours. However, be aware if you plan to stay overnight here – noise from the restaurant and surrounding streets means you shouldn’t expect to be early!
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Wine Fountain Enoteca
Direction
Rua da Mãe d’Água to Praça da Alegria, 1250-000 Lisbon, PortugalGet directions
Telephone
+351 21 342 2079
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Of all the places listed here, Enoteca Chafariz do Vinho has undoubtedly the most interesting location. Found at the end of a small road down some stairs in the Príncipe Real neighborhood, it is in part of the old aqueduct that used to supply much of Lisbon’s drinking water.
Open for dinner only, it’s a small place, so book early (especially on weekends). It is well worth the effort, with a wide variety of tapas dishes and wines available by the glass.
However, for those who love ports, the highlight is the “100 year old” tasting, which offers 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old ports in casks, and the “radical tasting menu” that combines four dishes with ports and Medeira wines
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Lisbon Winery
Direction
R. da Barroca 13 , 1200-047 Lisbon , PortugalGet directions
Telephone
+351 21 826 0132
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If you are looking for a more typical tasting experience, look no further than Lisbon Winery in Bairro Alto. Tastings can be booked online, are offered in English, and are paired with local charcuterie, cheeses and jams.
You can choose between two tastings: ‘premium’ and ‘deluxe’. Both include five ports and various artisan products, with the most expensive luxury tasting consisting of the best ports in stock, including a vintage bottle opened by the traditional stem heating method, rather than a corkscrew. Whether you’re attending alone or as a couple, that tasting takes place in the company’s 16th-century cistern, a nice touch.
You will pay 65 euros for the standard tasting and 150 euros for the luxury. Either way, expect to spend around two hours learning and tasting a variety of delicious ports.
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Castle winebar
Direction
R. Bartolomeu de Gusmão 11 , 1100-509 Lisbon , PortugalGet directions
Telephone
+351 21 887 9093
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If you are staying in the Alfama neighborhood, visit Winebar do Castelo, it is easy to find, at the base of the castle that dominates the downtown landscape. This unique wine bar is a delight, with hundreds of Portuguese varieties on offer, and the staff are more than happy to explain and recommend ports by the glass to match your preferences.
Meat and cheese boards are available if you’re hungry, or you can just enjoy the ports as is. You may not enter Winebar do Castelo like a port expert, but you’ll be a lot closer when you stumble out the door a bit!
