One of the easier places to cut your expenses it’s the food. I always try to eat something traditional of the area I’m visiting, but I don’t do it everyday. And since my days are spent in historical neighborhoods, it’s kind of hard to find cheap places to eat. It then that fast-food comes to my mind, as a safe and inexpensive solution.

On this year vacation I found myself in a situation where I had to have dinner and had no idea where could I eat : it was late, and I didn’t want to go around searching for a place to spend my money. I wanted a McDonald’s, and I want it fast. So, to avoid that you have this same problem, I leave you a collection of McDonalds addresses in Lisbon!

• Allegro Alfragide – Ok, this is not really Lisbon, but it’s located in a big shopping mall close to Lisboa Camping, so it may be handy if you are staying there.
  Schedule : Everyday from 10 am to 11 pm.
• Chiado and Rossio – Both are located in the downtown area and are easy to find.
  Chiado : Rua do Carmo, 2
  Rossio : Praca D. Pedro V, 83
  Schedule : Everyday from 10 am to 11 pm (Chiado) and 10 am to 02 am (Rossio).
• Belém – Between Jeronimos Monastery and the Belem Palace, close to the Pasteis de Belem shop.
  Schedule : Everyday from 10 am to 12 pm.
• Colombo, Vasco da Gama and Amoreiras – Located in the shopping malls with the same names.
  Schedule : Everyday from 10 am to 12 pm.
• Airport – If you think that airplane food isn’t lousy enough.
  Schedule : Everyday from 06:30 am to 11 pm.
• Av. Padre Cruz – Good if you are traveling by car, it is open 24h a day.
  Schedule : Everyday, all day.
• Saldanha – In the uptown part of the city, the economic center.
  Av. Republica, 10F
  Schedule : Everyday, from 11 am to 23 pm
• D. Carlos I – Close to the river, in the Santos area.
  Av. D. Carlos I, 17
  Schedule : Everyday from 11am to 12 pm (02 am from thurday to saturday)

While the number of festivals grew, so did the idea of having rock festivals in urban centers like Lisbon or Oporto. Although there are rock festival in Lisbon every year, seldom are the one’s that seem to last for a great period of years, either by a lack of audience in the summer months, lack of sponsorship or simply a bad choice of the space used for the festival. This last point comes mainly because of a city hall law that prohibits concerts after midnight, as a form of respect to the citizens rest (which is kind of silly if you check the noise on Bairro Alto area at 2am).

So, let’s talk about the three major rock festival take seem to be here to stay :

• Super Bock Super Rock
  Of the three festivals, it is clearly the oldest one, and had in 2008 it’s 13th edition. In all of these years Super Bock Super Rock has taken different shapes and happen in different places. It started at Passeio Maritimo de Algés (where Optimus Alive! now takes place) and has switched between a tipical 3 or 4 days of rock festival in Lisbon to single band concerts in Lisbon, Porto and Vigo (Spain) or, like this last edition, has a two day festival in Oporto and another two day festival in Lisbon. In the last four edition it has always taken place in Parque Tejo, in the northern part of the city, close to Parque das Nações and Vasco da Gama Bridge area (outside of Lisbon area, where the midnight law doesn’t apply). The festival is mainly sponsored by Super Bock, one of the two top selling beers in Portugal. Just as an example, in this year edition, the festival brought to Lisbon metal bands like Iron Maiden or Slayer in one day, and a more pop/rock version on the second day with performers like Beck, Duran Duran, Mika or DJ Tiesto.
• Rock In Rio Lisboa
  Rock in Rio is a franchising business that was exported from Brazil by the original creators of the Rock In Rio festival, that happens from time to time in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. It has had it’s third edition this year, and it happens every two years, in Parque Bela Vista, again close to the Parque das Nações area. Rock In Rio it is not just a festival : it’s a well oiled marketing machine, that brings along big sponsors and lot’s of money, presenting the most mainstream and generally accepted bands. It is presented and recognized by it’s audience has a “family festival”, as it offers much more than rock music and beer. The place it self is a nice green park, with some hills that help to create the ideia of a large natural amphiteather. This year edition had shows by Alanis Morissette, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Rod Stewart, Amy Winehouse, Lenny Kravitz or Muse. More relevant that the bands are the audience numbers, with two of the days bringing more that 90.000 people to the Bela Vista park.
• Optimus Alive!
  It is the youngest of the three festivals, but even in it’s first edition (that happend last year, this year was only it’s second edition) has shown a set of bands and and dragged so many sponsorship that made it a sure bet to keep on happening in the years to come. The festival takes place in the Passeio Maritimo de Algés (again outside Lisbon city limit), just right by the Tagus river mouth to the Atlantic Ocean. The organization has made on this two editions a great effort to have one of the best european rock festivals, investing in capturing interess even in spectators from abroad. In 2008, the festival has brought bands like Rage Against The Machine, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ben Harper or The National.

Located in the Parque das Nações area (former Expo 98 ground) it is side by side with the Gare do Oriente station, the main entry point by train in the city. At a short walking distance from it you can find FIL (International Fair and Congress Room), concert room Atlantico Pavilion, the Oceanário, the Casino Lisboa and a few other points of interest in this modern and new area. The building itself was the main gate to the Expo 98 exhibition and has converted to the existing infrastructure right after it’s end. The shopping has a large supermarket, cinemas and an underground parking lot. Keep in mind it’s existence because :

• Eating – Since it has a area dedicated to restaurants and most of them being fast food / menu choices, it’s easy to get a cheap meal here, if you sightseeing in the Parque das Nações (Expo 98) area. On the top floor you also have some more expensive restaurants, if you prefer a quieter and better meal.
• Sights – The building is modern and connected physically with the Gare do Oriente station. On top of it, two towers where built in the last few years, the S.Gabriel and S. Rafael Towers. They were named after two ships that the sea captain Vasco da Gama used when he discovered a sea-route to India, in 1497.  I recommend the top balcony, that you can access by stairs close to the restaurant area. The balcony has a great view of the Expo area and of the Tagus river and has some shady spots with chairs were you can relax and have a drink.
• Shopping – Well, it’s a shopping, so yes, you can do that there. 

General Info – Schedules

Shopping : 09:00h to 24:00h 
Supermarket : Monday to Saturday : 9h00 to 24h00; Sundays and Holidays: 9h00 to 13h00
Health Club Solinca: De Monday to Friday: 7h00 to 22h00;  Weekends and Holidays : 9h00 to 20h00
Cinemas : Tickets : Monday to Saturday: 11h30 to 24h30; Sundays and Holidays : 10h00 to 24h:30.

• Pasteis de Belém – They can be found in one of the oldest pastry houses in Lisbon, located right by the Jeronimos Monastery, in Belém area (between and the Monastery and the Belem Palace, where you can also find the Coches Museum). The “Pastel de Belém” is a unique recipe for a nationwide cake, the “Pastel de Nata”. The version you’ll be eating here is something you won’t find anywhere else. Choose a table, have your breakfast or afternoon snack here.

• Ginjinha – You may not be a big fan of alcoolic drinks, but don’t worry, as the ginjinha is a shot size drink, that won’t get in your system, at least if you have just one. The drink is a sweet version of brandy, and has in name (and taste) from the Ginja, a special kind of cherries that grow in Portugal. You can get one almost everywhere in town, but the most tipical spot to get one is in Praça de São Domingos, between Rua Portas de Santo Antão and the Rossio square.

• The Sun And The Sea – Like the title of our blog says, Lisbon in a sunny city, and located right by the ocean. The weather here is normally sunny, and even in the winter months when the temperature drops, you can almost everyday catch the sun outside. So enjoy yourself, take a train to Cascais and Estoril, have a walk by the beach, breath the salty air and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.

• Fado - You’ll find it in every city guide, and it’s not enough to stress it. Lisboa spirit lives in Fado houses, little restaurants in the Alfama district where Fado, the national music, is sang, not by big stars, but by amateurs and residents, keeping it’s true nature. The songs are melancholic and sad, just like the blues. They speak of “saudade” the portuguese word, for missing something or someone.
• The Nightlife – When it’s time to party in Lisbon, schedules and clocks are left at home. The nightlife in the city starts late (around midnight) and ends up at… well whenever you feel like it, since there are houses open until 9 or 10 in morning. Enjoy the Bairro Alto district with is small bars or the riverside are of 24 de Julho, with it’s dance clubs. Have a beer and have fun, enjoy yourself.

The Casino Lisbon is worth seeing at night, when it’s working at full steam. It’s design is modern and it target a younger audience than the one that for instance Casino Estoril bets on. It has a lot of sitting space to take a drink, live music and circus performances. About the prices, their are about right, nothing too expensive. The casino also has a restaurant, but not the cheapest place around.

If you like gambling, welcome aboard. Casino Lisboa has more than 1000 slot machines, Black Jack and Roulette tables. Keep in mind restriction while traveling with children, since access is only allowed to people older than 18 years old.

Unless you are really into gambling, I would say that the casino is not worth the trip alone. But given what you can find the surrounding area, I would suggest an  afternoon walk through Parque das Nações (where you can visit the Oceanário, one of the world biggest aquariums), have dinner close by and have a drink at the Casino before returning “home” for a good night sleep.

When I visit the place I always get the feeling that I’m not in Lisbon, but somewhere else in the world, since it’s costumers are, it’s majority, from abroad. This can be justified by the fact that :

• It’s located in Restauradores square, in the downtown area. This means that tourists will, by default, come here for some nightlife, which can be a mistake in Lisbon. Areas like Bairro Alto, Docas or Santos are more typically associated with Lisboa nightlife than downtown is. Being located here also means to be two steps away from Rua Portas de Santo Antão, which is filled with restaurants and it’s very lively all day and night long.
• Everyone knows the brand. This is a fact, may you love or hate the globalization phenomenon. I, for instance, have eaten more times in MacDonalds while traveling abroad than I do while in Portugal. When nothing else appeals to me I play safe : I know what I’ll be getting and at what price I’ll be getting it.
• Personnel are very friendly and they all speak English. The language can be a problem in Lisbon. Rest assure that people will not refuse to help you to get somewhere even if they don’t understand you, but it’s a fact that English is spoken mainly by younger people.

Location

For some general info of the place, let me tell you that it’s located in Avenida da Liberdade, number 2. The building used to be an old cinema, named Condes (the name is still on top of the build, so you can’t miss it).

Schedule

Restaurant
Mon – Sun 12:00PM – 2:00AM
Kitchen closes at 1:00AM

Bar:
Mon – Fri 11:00AM – 2:00AM
Weekends and Public Holidays 11:00AM – 3:00AM