The Best Cafe in Lisbon – Cafe da Garagem

It really is the best cafe in Lisbon. We figured this out as soon as we stepped inside.

The place is relaxed, well-decorated and offers comfy chairs perfectly positioned in front of huge windows overlooking the city below. There’s a great balcony with tables, too. I think the view from this cafe is one of the best views of the city by far.

The food and drink here are excellent and cheap. We enjoyed coffee followed by a bottle of vinho verde (12 Euros) and a huge cheese and homemade jam platter that was more than enough for two people to get stuffed on.

The staff are friendly, the atmosphere cozy and I can’t think of a better spot to spend a couple of hours in Lisbon, especially in the evening as the sun sets in front of you. (The cafe opens at 3pm or 5pm depending on the day.)

As one review I read put it, “Place should be packed, but it’s amazingly quiet.”

I absolutely agree with that statement. It’s the best cafe in Lisbon that apparently not many people know about.

This is Cafe da Garagem.

My girlfriend found it online one day when we wanted to escape the very touristy Rossio Square. We were looking for something different and this place popped up, along with the words ‘hidden gem’.

It’s a funny place to reach, I’ll say that. Located on the same hill as, but underneath, the imposing Castelo de Sao Jorge, we had to take two long outdoor escalators upwards, meander along a couple of narrow residential lanes, walk up two big flights of stairs and then find the relatively simple entrance. It’s about a 15 minute wander from Rossio Square in the end.

But all that climbing and meandering is worth it!

As soon as we took a seat in front of the windows, we were thrilled that we chose this cafe for our evening break. It wasn’t too crowded at all, the wifi worked quite well in case you want to browse or do some work on your laptop and nobody seems to care how long you stay there. It’s open until midnight as well.

However, it really comes down to the view. It’s worth it just for that, especially since you’ll be far away from the tourist crowds on the Santa Justa viewpoint or any of the other well-known lookout spots that most tourists flock to.

Why not enjoy a perfect combination of atmosphere, comfort, quality food and drink and a slightly off the beaten path location along with that view instead? That’s the combination that made Cafe da Garagem the best cafe in Lisbon in our opinion.

Enjoy!

(Want to know the one place you need to visit in Cascais, Portugal? Check out my post: The Bookbinder of Cascais)