The lights go down, the restaurant falls silent and three men and a woman, dressed in black, approach the instruments awaiting them in front of the watching diners.
Their eyes are closed, emotions are heightened and the crowd is transfixed as the quartet begins their mournful, mesmerising songs about life in the second oldest neighbourhood in Europe. After four numbers, the music stops, the band walks away, the lights go back up and dinner resumes for 30 minutes until the next of three sets.
The music is Fado, and the neighbourhood is Alfama, sitting high up in the beautiful city of Lisbon. “Fado is melancholy and a reflection of our melancholy way of life – we are always reflecting on something,” the group explains. “It can be a little bit sad but it’s mostly talking about our daily experiences. We are not always crying.”
Stepping outside Clube de Fado – nothing could seem further from the truth in this vibrant, fun-filled area of a city awash with colour and charm. We were lucky enough to spend a weekend city break in the Portuguese capital during the annual two-week Santo Antonio Festival.
By night during this period, Alfama’s streets, like many across the city, are filled with Portuguese folk music, decorations, dance, pop-up bars and the irresistible waft of grilled sardines on every corner. It is an attack on the senses and a joy to behold. By day, Alfama, with its perfect combination of ancient charm and modern festivities, is a truly infectious place to explore. An earthquake in 1755 devastated the city but Alfama was one of the districts to largely escape destruction, meaning it has kept its original stonework.
A short walk away (or, in our case, a tuk tuk ride with our very knowledgeable driver Paulo), you would be forgiven for thinking you were in an entirely different city. Because most of it, after the earthquake, was completely redesigned with Pombaline-style architecture, which has left us with one of the most beautiful cities you could wish to visit.
We stayed in the new five-star Hyatt Regency and on arrival tucked into incredible food at the hotel’s Viseversa restaurant (the fish tacos and pork cheek are an absolute must). Situated a 10 to 15-minute gentle stroll to the Belem district and around a 45 minute walk to the centre, the Hyatt is the perfect location to unwind and use as a base to explore the city.
My partner Helena and I spent our first few hours of daylight walking to and around Belem. En route to the district from the Hyatt, you can pop in for a coffee at any number of cafes lining the cobbled streets. But in Belem itself there is one place you must visit: Pasteis de Belem. There you will find the traditional Portuguese egg custard tart – a predecessor to the famous pastel de nata.
You know you’re getting close to the shop when every second person is gripping a custard tart, and with good reason. At just €1.30 for one, you cannot go wrong. I bought four! Also in Belem, which lies on the banks of the Tejo Estuary, you can feast your eyes on the Torre de Belem – a UNESCO world heritage site and one of one of Lisbon’s most striking monuments that would not look out of place in Game Of Thrones.
The tower served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and was intended as a fort to defend the city. Indeed, Belem was the location for Lisbon’s shipyards and docks and it was from here that 16th century explorers discovered sea routes to Brazil, East Africa and India.
These trading routes later brought huge wealth for Portugal and funded the construction of Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, a striking monastery still standing at the heart of the district. While visiting the Torre de Belem, walk along the river to see yet another piece of awe-inspiring architecture, the imposing Padrão dos Descobrimentos – which celebrates Portuguese explorers and visionaries. The Hyatt Regency is situated perfectly to make the most of the more tranquil Belem and also to walk, or take a tram or taxi, into the city.
And if you like a run, as we did, it is exactly five kilometres from the Hyatt’s doors and along the waterfront to bring you to the jaw-dropping Praça do Comércio. This huge, water-facing plaza, shadowed by the unmissable Rua Augusta Arch, is surrounded on three sides by distinctive yellow Pombaline-styled buildings.
It is the kind of sprawling plaza where, were you to be inland, the heat would be almost unbearable. But with the river breeze it is a joy. Walk through the plaza and the imposing archway on to Rua Augusta and you are welcomed by central Lisbon with its array of shops, restaurants and bars.
On Rua Augusta, you can stop off at Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau, where you can sample a traditional – and incredibly tasty – codfish cake with cheese, washed down with port. Or a pint of Sagres beer. Or maybe both. After exploring Belem, Alfama and meandering around this picture perfect city, what better way to unwind than a luxury spa treatment? At the Hyatt Regency, which is debuting in Lisbon, you will find just that.
The large Serenity Spa offers nine treatment rooms. There is one oriental room for Thai massages, a couple’s room and a private suite – adjacent to the couple’s room – with separate sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and lounging area. The relaxation rooms alone are worth the visit. Before and after a treatment you can relax in personal booths separated by a walkway surrounded by water and trickling fountains.
In the main spa area, you can take it easy in a hot tub, have a dip in the long, narrow pool benefiting from sunshine beaming through the overhead window and try out the experience showers – and be exposed to aspects of all four seasons in this soaking that you’ll never forget.
Also in the hotel is a state-of-the-art gym. We were given a personal training session by one of the instructors, a great guy named Thiago. What we thought would be a leisurely aerobics class was, in fact, a sweaty session which turned out to be one of the real highlights of the stay in this beautiful residence.
There is also space for activities on the rooftop and ICON rooftop bar with riverside views not to be missed. If you’re after luxury, friendly staff and a perfect location to explore this mesmerising city, look no further than the Hyatt. And if you’re short on time during your city break, a tuk tuk ride is a great way to see it all.
We were picked up from the hotel by our driver working for Segway Tejo. In the space of around three hours, we were able to explore the city’s winding, hilly streets awash with art and murals, Liberty Avenue which inspired the Champs-Élysées, floral-patterned pavements, the beautiful Restauradores Square, viewpoints from high up, football legend Eusébio’s final resting place and much, much more.
But activities aside, just walking around Lisbon is something to behold. It is, simply, beautiful. You are left feeling in awe, endlessly impressed and high spirited by its cobbled streets, decorative tiles gleaming from city walls, multi-coloured buildings and pavements lined with purple Jacaranda trees. Many of the main streets lead to one of the picturesque squares or perfectly-primed gardens dotted around Lisbon.
Puncture these walks with stop-offs at any number of fresh fish eateries or street-facing bars selling Sagres beer and ice cold white wine, there really is little to dislike about the place. Lisbon is a perfect mixture of old and new, of tradition and modernity, of melancholy and cheer. It is hard to disagree with our tuk tuk driver Paulo, when he told us: “Thanks to an earthquake in 1755, we have one of the most beautiful cities in the world.”
Book the holiday
Get there: Ryanair flies from Stansted to Lisbon starting at £95 return. ryanair.com
Stay there: Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Lisbon hotel start at £190 a night room-only. hyattregencylisboa.com
You can also get more information at visitlisboa.com
