Lisbon in August might be crowded with tourists, but there are still hidden corners in town that feel authentic and enjoyable to stay in — a small boutique hotel in an artistic neighbourhood, a coffee place that looks like a tea party at home, and a French couple who started their atelier in Lisbon, making sandals by hand that are one of a kind, and much more.
Here, IRMASWORLD opens the address book for a perfect day in the city, from a courtyard breakfast to a Nordic dinner table.
STAY FOR BREAKFAST
Tucked behind a restrained facade near Praça das Amoreiras, this is a small luxury address that trades scale for calm — close enough to Chiado and Príncipe Real to reach everything on foot, yet far enough from the crowds to actually rest. It’s exactly that balance that brings IRMA back here.
The rooms are dressed in warm neutrals, hushed and garden-facing. Breakfast is served in a leafy courtyard: warm pastries, seasonal fruit, and juice pressed to order, sourced from small, mostly family-run producers. Start your day here — nothing sets the tone for a day of walking quite like a slow breakfast under the trees.
Praça das Amoreiras 34, 1250-020 Lisboa
STAY
A PASTRY STOP
Etma Bakery.
A small, sculptural bakery with a linen skirted counter and loaves lined up like little works of art, best known for its chocolate babka and a properly pulled coffee. A mid morning coffee break here turns a second coffee into a small occasion rather than a habit.
Rua Silva Carvalho 64B, Lisboa
SHOPPING
Mama Praïa. Every pair of sandals here is handmade in vegetable tanned leather in small, limited runs, from fisherman styles to simple toe straps, in a Campo de Ourique atelier open by appointment. We love the label for the same reason we love Lisbon in August: it is unpretentious, sun ready and built to be worn for years.
By appointment, Rua Bombeiro Catana Ramos 18, Campo de Ourique, Lisboa
JEWELLERY
Antique 1959.
Inside the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, this family run boutique has curated jewellery, silverware and leather goods since 1959, now hand selected by third generation owner Luísa Lencastre. IRMA drops by for the antique pieces alone, objects with real history that were never designed to follow a trend.
Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca 88, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, 1099-039 Lisboa
VINTAGE
Refuse.
A tightly edited Chiado address for pre loved luxury, with racks that turn up Saint Laurent, Prada and Gucci alongside jewellery and accessories in genuinely excellent condition. Lisbon is not bad at all for a treasure hunt — the thrill of a well cut vintage find beats a new arrival every time.
R. da Horta Seca 24, 1200-221 Lisboa
FASHION
Franka.
This concept boutique pairs Nordic labels like Skall Studio, Rodebjer and Herskind with Italian house Barena Venezia, alongside jewellery, shoes and bags chosen with the same restraint. IRMA finds her uniform here: clean lines and quiet colours that carry from a Lisbon afternoon straight into a Munich fall.
Rua Silva Carvalho 148, 1250-257 Lisboa
DINNER
Familjen.
Chef Petter Nyström brings twenty five years of Nordic cooking to this cosy Madragoa dining room, pairing seasonal Portuguese produce with bold, Scandinavian leaning flavours and a serious natural wine list. We end the day here, because a laid back neighbourhood table beats a formal one every single time.
R. Machadinho 56, Lisboa
“Twenty-four hours is never really enough for Lisbon, it just leaves you already planning the next one.”