The Lisbon hotels that will make you feel like a city insider

When you are on holiday, do you ever get the feeling that the action is going on elsewhere? I do. All the time. Which is why the real joy on any trip comes when you stumble upon something only locals seem to know about. Discover a “secret” bistro or taverna, an underground music or art spot, and that city break is immediately transformed into an unforgettable experience.

The team behind two amazing Lisbon hotels know this. Esqina Cosmopolitan Lodge and the Independente Suites & Terrace are on opposite sides of the city, but both opened with the same vision – to bring an insider indie vibe to outside visitors.

Located in the Principe Real area, popular with a hip crowd, the Independente’s ornate building was built as the Swiss ambassador’s official residence at the start of the 20th century. With sweeping staircases and floor-to-ceiling windows that open on to magnificent views across Lisbon towards the Miradouro da Graca and Castelo Sao Jorge, this is about as grand as it gets. Owned today by four Portuguese brothers (all avid travellers themselves before the pandemic hit), the idea was to create a kind of hub that was quirky enough for locals to want to frequent, and lavish enough for tourists to still feel comfortable in. This inclusive/exclusive vibe is difficult to pull off, but check in to what is part palace, part Mad Hatter’s tea party and you’ll see they have conjured up something quite dreamy.

BC (before coronavirus), this was the choice venue for music, art and literary launches, with a similar vibe to what I imagine the Chelsea Hotel in New York would’ve been like in the 1970s. Eccentric and eclectic, the decor is Portuguese vintage meets Scandi chic with Warholesque curveballs thrown in for good measure. It has the oldest working lift in Lisbon – reminiscent of a small wardrobe from Alice in Wonderland – which, if you’re brave enough to climb into it, will rattle you up to the top floor.

In normal times, this is a kind of Soho House for locals, where they can have cocktails and dinner at downstairs restaurant Decadente, which will reopen on September 10 as a contemporary Portugese eatery. The Insolito rooftop space will follow, reopening on October 1.

Decadente’s cool and airy restaurant space has had a modern industrial makeover; a canteen vibe with long tables well spaced out so that Lisboetas and travellers can meet safely. It also has an outside garden and two more esplanades have been added, with great views of downtown Lisbon, if you want to keep the air flowing freely around you.

If you are being extra Covid-cautious about indoor venues, outside the Independente is a viewing platform across the city, which BC would double up as a stage to a regular roster of musicians and artists who would casually gather there. Also, just up from here you’ll find the Principe Real Garden, once known as the Franca Borges Garden – famous for its centuries-old cedar trees dotted through this green city space that spreads out just over 2.5 acres. There is an organic produce market every Saturday and this is also where locals head after work to meet friends at little pop-up beer and food stalls, and spend evenings just chilling out to the hum of the Bairro Alto surrounds.

Across town is this postcode’s historical sister, Alfama. For those in search of something more traditional, here is where you will find the best fado singers in the city. My favourite place is Mesa de Frades – a tiny chapel tiled with exquisite azulejos (Portuguese hand-painted tiles). Before “the plague” hit, local fado musicians would casually pop in here for impromptu collaborations that would happen late into the night. It was closed during the pandemic but is definitely worth a visit now it’s reopened.

A small walk away is Esqina Cosmopolitan Lodge, which, like the Independente, is a hotel originally designed to bring locals and guests from different nations together (remember a time when that was seen as a good thing?). The owners wanted it to be a living embodiment of “art, music and life”. Pre-pandemic, regular film screenings, cooking classes and poetry readings were all on the schedule. Now, with live events still limited and curfews in place (10.30pm and no ordering drinks without a meal after 9pm), the art residencies remain, while everything else, plus a new bar – the Static, which will act as a creative hub – is set to open up mid-September, Covid-willing.

The hotel’s 35 rooms are slick and modern, with furniture made by Portuguese brands or local artisans and carefully curated by the owners. I stayed in a room that gave incredible views across the city and delivered the most sensational sunsets over the Tagus each night. There is also an outside terrace for an evening drink under the pinking sky.

Lisbon was the last place I visited before the pandemic hit. Months on, lockdown can still cast a shadow, and the darkness of the days we have lived through can hang heavy. With that in mind, I cannot think of a better tonic than to head here. To Lisbon, the City of Light.

Rooms at the Independente Suites & Terrace cost from €80 (￡68); at the Esqina Cosmopolitan Lodge from €120 (￡102). For more recommendations of where to stay in Lisbon, see our guide to its best hotels. For the latest advice on travel to Portugal, read our advice and guide.