The Iberian Peninsula has always held a special place in my heart. The place, however, would be strictly Spain-shaped as I have never ventured westward and taken in what Portugal has to offer. My knowledge and experience of the country were relegated to the African slave trade, HUGE waves on the Azores from Instagram reels, and, well, dare I say it, Cristiano Ronaldo. Forever my footballing number two. So, when by lucky happenchance, an opportunity to visit, Lisbon based, it would have been foolhardy to give it up.
Lisbon is an old city. Lisbon is a big city. Lisbon is a hilly city. A city full of history, wonderful architecture, picturesque vistas, and serene beaches. It is a city of so many facets and myriad opportunities. And I got that for four short days. A simple flight from my Heathrow hub landed me at Lisbon airport where Ricardo, a la Queresma, I’ll stop with the football references, I swear. Where Ricardo, whisked me across town to the Palacio Dos Governador, a stone, or perhaps two, throw away from Belem Tower and the waterfront. The building was the former residence of the military governor who oversaw the fortified towers that marked the mouth of the Tagus. The hotel made sure to take note, preserve, and include many features of its historical past within the fabric and design of the property. Thick stone walls, a vaulted ceiling throughout the basement and tiled frescoes hark back to its period of occupancy and the grandeur that was obviously evident. Little may have changed. The aesthetic is very much colonial Portuguese luxury. Amenities are heavy, but so, so subtle. Yes, there is an outside pool area that we could see from the room and the breakfast patio, but there is also a spa, the like of which I have rarely seen. A huge indoor pool, treatment rooms galore, a sauna and a hammam set up, that includes a rainforest shower, animal noises included. All of this is actually cleverly accessible from the basement car park, so for non-residents, people can access a private entry straight into the bosom of the complex.
Rooms are many and varied, but this is by no means a large hotel. There is an intimacy to the space that makes sit feel very relaxed and unobtrusive. Rarely did we pass other guests in the hallways, only coming across others at breakfast, the pool and the bar. The aesthetic mentioned above also adds to the intimate and tranquil feel of the hotel spaces. Soft lighting and porthole-esque windows dapple the light and a colour palette heavy in marine tones means that no area is gaudy or out of place. It all, just, well, fits so well. Rooms on the lower ground floor have feature vaulted ceilings that, like in their heyday, keep the room’s ambient temperature cool even in the height of an Iberian summer.
Food is certainly a feature of Portuguese life and one could see this from the food and beverage offering at Palacio. We ate at their signature restaurant, Po Tat, an Asian and Portuguese fusion restaurant that is as unpretentious as it is accomplished. Marrying traditional Portuguese flavours with Asian hints made for an interesting and flavour-packed menu. We had an elevated and, most of all, interesting meal. The menu is awash with flavours and the Asian-Portuguese theme is applied with artistry not a crowbar. Anchovies on brioche toast with a whipped buttermilk crème and preserved lemons. Simple, delicate. Bloody delicious. Seabass with a seaweed beurre blanc was another standout dish. They even managed to elevate a side of carrots into something otherworldly. All wrapped up in an elegant and relaxed atmosphere. One for the annals.
Breakfast the following morning also brought culinary excellence. Not necessarily a heavy breakfast eater, I opted for a side of bacon, as many espressos as they could fit in a cup, and a house-made, fresh that morning, pastel de nata, the famed Portuguese pastry. It is not for drama that when I say I nearly shed a tear at the pastel so good, so creamy, so warm and so cinnamony that I could barely contain my emotions.
The Palacio, as I said, is situated at the south of the city, by the Belem Tower and surrounding the hotel are various sights to take in whilst in Lisbon, or none of them. There is a huge Brutalist edifice that houses the museum of the locality, but at every turn there is something to see, visit, climb, ride, eat or drink.
We visited during the month of fiesta, which made for a vibrant city upping its own ante on vibrancy. There is such an expanse of city, that rarely does one feel like they’re in the midst of traditional tourist fayre. The majority of the city, and its inhabitants seem to ebb and flow through the streets. Or, given the topology, up hill and down dale. Music performances, street food vendors, arcades, firecrackers and processions occupied the old town area of Alfamha. Marvilla, riverside just north of the old town, feels like its own Shoreditch or Soho. Huge warehouses repurposed as event spaces or retail areas. Bars and pop-up restaurants feature at nearly every junction. Whilst it was my first time in the city, I was buoyed by how the young and old are intermingling in all aspects. People, buildings, traditions. All can be seen across the square, what, five miles that the city occupies. Back at the Palacio on our second evening, venturing 200 metres away, you are met by wide, flowing Jacaranda-lined avenues with palatial detached residences dotted along the tree line. It’s a suburb, in the city. We dined at a restaurant opposite the Palacio, one famed in Lisbon for its seafood, Nunes. Ever the optimist, we strolled over and the maitre’d took enough pity on us weary travellers that we bagged a table for two and set to work. Oysters, caviar, goose neck barnacles and a lamb so young, I wonder whether it had a chance to draw breath. My god, it was good. As I was finding so much of Lisbon to be.
After another wonderful, sun-dappled breakfast at the Palacio, we jumped into an Uber which, via the highest point of the city, made a swift trip across to our home for the next two nights, the Martinhal in Oriente. It is worth noting that with the geography, using the coast, this would have been an hour in the car, such is the span of the riverfront and the attractions that the city offers. The Martinhal brand is well known in the south of Portugal, mainly as a family-forward luxury brand catering for a large and thriving golf and family holiday market. Here in the top of the city, the hotel is in a thriving suburb that sprang from the initial development made for the Lisbon World Expo in 1998. What has emerged subsequently is a lovely residential area that encompasses much of the more locally directed infrastructure. An international school, a large shopping centre, a hospital and quick access to the airport all contribute to making the area a favoured destination for Lisbon residents and those moving to the wider city as the area is home to many multinational hubs. But back to the hotel… The Martinhal Is home to many secrets, with many of the amenities that make it tick, hidden away from view. As the hotel is also home to some permanent residents in their residences, many functions that are less say, hotel guests and more residents, occur behind closed doors, or through separate stairwells. A vast kids club. Office space with meeting rooms and breakout spaces were all revealed on my tour, as, quite frankly, I would not have been otherwise aware of their existence which really spoke to the efficiency of the staff to make the hotel seem so effortless, and almost, empty. Despite knowing full well that it wasn’t. Oriente, riverside location that it is, is still a bustling area. The aquarium, a conference centre and an exhibition centre occupy the major sites, but apartment complexes, a huge shopping centre and many, many restaurants still pepper the area which means travellers have an almost endless choice for downtime in the local area.
For the more seasonal travellers at Martinhal there are still may reasons to enjoy the space. Bright, well-appointed rooms make for peaceful slumber. The aesthetic of the building itself is also beautiful when lit at night. The hotel boasts an indoor and an outdoor pool. Outside, capped with the brand’s signature trampoline space. Their restaurant, The Terrace, is also worth a visit outside of the breakfast sitting. I will, however, mention that the breakfast itself is of a great standard. Staff are hugely attentive, but it was the addition of sparkling wine at the juice bar that had me sold. Well played Martinhal, well played. We also enjoyed lunch at The Terrace before our departure, and I lamented not having more time so good was the meal. I opted for sardines as is de rigueur in these parts, and they came, plump, deboned, filleted and served with warm potatoes and pickled shallots. Superb. The Portuguese speciality of vino verde, an ever-so-slightly effervescent white, paired well with basically everything throughout our stay. I think good food and beverage options at a hotel can make one’s life instantaneously easier. Long day, stay in, late rise, lunch at the hotel. It fills an easy gap, and The Terrace at Martinhal certainly fulfilled the brief.
As for Lisbon, and by extension, Portugal? Well, I loved it. Lisbon is a city that I can certainly get used to. The pace and size made me feel as though I had only scratched the surface. There didn’t seem to be a tourist gauntlet present in so many cities. No tourist traps of note. Not that I could see anyway. Food and community seem to be hugely important, as I have certainly found in Spain as well. I don’t think we had a bad food or drink experience, and we tried many options. Had it been bad, the rule of averages would mean we would have likely had one bad experience, but no. Good from start to finish. Excellent in places. We spent three hours at a wonderful lunch at Bico dos Cavalos, a wonderful restaurant in the old town, more of which can be read on my account online. Bars aplenty line the streets, and strolling from one t’other could be the best way to spend some time. However, as alluded to, you can do so much. There is culture aplenty and the ‘vibe’, in the parlance of our youth, is certainly chill. Do it all, do nothing. You’ll certainly enjoy whichever side of the coin you choose.
