After our lists of the hottest spots in Paris, London, and New York, we’ve now gone around Lisbon to check out what’s new — as always incognito to bring you our independent report on what we find is hot and worthy for the savvy urban traveler.

BRASSERIE ROSSIO GOURMET
The just-opened Altis Avenida Hotel faces two of the city’s main squares, so naturally the top floor was reserved for the restaurant in order to serve fabulous views along with fabulous food. Just like in the hotel rooms, the décor of the restaurant is contemporary but slightly inspired in the 1940s, the decade of the building’s original construction. On the menu you have a selection of classic French dishes under the direction of Michelin-starred chef José Cordeiro, and you can enjoy them on the terrace when the sun is out, bringing you even closer to the views.

FLOWER POWER FOOD
One of Lisbon’s coolest flower shops, one you can always trust for the most special flower arrangements for someone special or a special event, is now also a café. Of course the café space is decorated with plants for a fresh and relaxed ambience, all very laid-back and perfect for a light meal. You can choose a dish of the day, salads, or sandwiches, all for less than 10 euros, or go for just a glass of wine accompanied by Portuguese cheeses. A small area with gourmet products allows you to take the finest ingredients to cook at home.

LARGO
An inexpensive meal at Flower Power Food allows you to save to splurge at the new Largo Restaurant. It’s found right by the city’s opera house, with an interior by Miguel Câncio Martins, the Portuguese designer who created the interior of Paris’ Buddha Bar. The owner is Miguel Castro e Silva, one of Portugal’s most acclaimed chefs, here presenting a menu of contemporary Portuguese and international cuisine. The prices are not the cheapest in the city, but the top quality of the food and the sophistication of the space and service certainly justify them.

MANIFESTO
Another star chef with a new restaurant is Luis Baena, a talent developed next to some of the world’s biggest culinary names such as Paul Bocuse. His restaurant is in the Santos Design District and has a fitting interior revealing a stylish pop/Warholian look. The creative menu is whatever the chef is inspired to prepare, but always blending his Portuguese and international know-how.

PORTAS DO SOL CAFÉ
One of Lisbon’s most beautiful viewpoints is now even more attractive since the opening of Portas do Sol Café. It’s on the terrace of the same name and serves light meals to the beat of a cool, chill-out soundtrack during the day, and drinks to the sounds of live DJs on Friday and Saturday nights. But here’s a warning: the views and ambience will make it hard to leave.

ROSSIO WINE BAR
End your day with a glass of Portuguese wine as you overlook the bustling Rossio Square from the windows of this new bar inside the renovated Internacional Design Hotel. Or you may choose a cocktail instead, either before or after dinner, as the hotel’s restaurant is right on the other side of the room. The menu spans all continents and uses organic products.

TEASE
The coolest shopping street of Lisbon’s Bairro Alto district now has an equally cool café for you to take a break. The big “tease” here are the cupcakes, which are irresistible as soon as you set your eyes on them. In a city so rich in pastries, cupcakes are only now becoming popular, and that’s in no small part thanks to the “Sex and the City” series. The interior is small but decorated in such a glamorous pink/red-hot style that Carrie Bradshaw would certainly approve. Whether or not “Tease” achieves the success of New York’s “Magnolia” with long lines at the door only time will tell, but considering that one of the owners is also behind one of the city’s hottest cocktail bars (Cinco Lounge, recommended in UCityGuides’ Lisbon bars guide), you can say this has a recipe for success.

-See the complete Lisbon city guide.
________________________________________
Back to UCityGuides.com – The Ultimate City Guides
or check out UCityGuides.com Hotels – Design, Boutique, Luxury, Cheap Hotels