From stylish shoemakers and upcycled homeware to chic booksellers and tinned fishFrom stylish shoemakers and upcycled homeware to chic booksellers and tinned fish
Shopping in Lisbon may seem, to the untrained eye, much like other European capitals. The main shopping area – Chiado – is home to high street names you might see anywhere (the second-largest Zara store now sits prominently in an historic building in Rossio square, for example). But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that this is a city that still values craftsmanship. After all, there’s a reason why a ‘made in Portugal’ label inside your t-shirt or shoes indicates quality for many brands around the world.
Shopaholics will love getting under the surface of Lisbon, wandering through its winding streets and discovering treasures to take home. Whether you want quality shoes, classic Portuguese ceramics or sunglasses made bespoke, here’s where to look for the best shopping in Lisbon.
The best book shops in Lisbon
Livraria Bertrand
Lisbon is home to a great number of bookshops, from modern arty spaces to old-school academic purveyors, including the world’s oldest, Livraria Bertrand. Located in Chiado, it has been in operation since 1732, and is now one of the largest booksellers in Portugal. Visitors can pick up literary tomes and English-language versions of works by famous Portuguese poets, such as Fernando Pessoa or Nobel Prize winner José Saramago, as well as join the shop’s historic tertulia (book club).
Website: bertrand.pt
Palavra de Viajante
Over on Rua de São Bento, chic travel bookshop Palavra de Viajante (which translates as “Traveller’s Word”) offers a literary journey around the globe – with recommendations from owner Ana Coelho.
Website: conserveiradelisboa.pt
The best homeware shops in Lisbon
A Vida Portuguesa
Catarina Portas, founder of the popular A Vida Portuguesa brand, renowned for its heritage Portuguese goods, joined forces with craft association Portugal Manual to transform an old foundry on Rua Nova do Desterro into a 4,300-square-foot concept warehouse and shop, Depozito. Here, traditional Portuguese handicrafts – olive wood chopping boards, floral linen place mats – sit alongside more playful works by contemporary artisans and creatives. This approach spotlights regional craft through pottery, carpentry, basketry, cork, jewellery and textiles, and has brought in new Portuguese talents.
Website: avidaportuguesa.com
Oficina Marques
In the lively Bairro Alto area, Oficina Marques is a workshop, gallery and store in a former newspaper printing house, run by José Aparício Gonçalves and Gezo Marques. Among the upcycled wooden sculptures, hand-painted plates, oval-framed prints and Iberian water vases, most of which are made on-site by the duo, there’s a rotating exhibition of their work.
Wesbite: oficinamarques.pt
Principe Real Enxovais
For more traditional homeware, this store next to the botanical gardens, stocks hand-embroidered lace tablecloths, napkins and bed linen from its eau-de-nil boutique.
Website: principereal.com
Ceramicas na Linha
No trip to Portugal is complete without some ceramics shopping. Many of the best factories are outside of the city, but Ceramicas na Linha, in Chiado, brings a vast selection to central Lisbon. There’s a selection of ‘pay per KG’ ceramics including plates, bowls and cups, and towards the back of the store you’ll find brands including Bordallo Pinheiro (famous for his cabbage bowls and plates).
Website: ceramicasnalinha.pt
The best candle shops in Lisbon
Caza das Vellas Loreto
Opened in 1789, candle shop Caza das Vellas Loreto is one of the city’s oldest boutiques and is part of the Lojas com História (shops with history) association. It has always been in the same chapel-like premises in elegant Chiado, producing and showcasing beautiful items in arched perpendicular cabinets. Products range from traditional beeswax candles, hung from their wicks in neat rows, to fragrant botanical creations. The fruit and vegetable-shaped candles, such as lemons overflowing from a basket and remarkably realistic pomegranates, are mini works of art.
Website: cazavellasloreto.com.pt
The best shoe shops in Lisbon
Lachoix
Wearing stilettos in cobbled Lisbon can be particularly tricky. In 2018, spotting a need for elegant flats, entrepreneur Fátima Carvalho founded Lachoix around the idea of smart, practical loafers. Just three years later, she opened a stand-alone shop on Pátio do Tijolo, with lines of flat sandals, Mary Janes, ballerinas and myriad loafer styles. Made in Portugal using Italian leather, and with a specially designed sole that doesn’t slip on Portuguese pavements (even in the rain), Lachoix shoes are sleek, stylish and extremely comfortable. Look out for understated slip-ons in dusty neutrals. lachoix.com
The best fragrance shops in Lisbon
Claus Porto
Although Portugal has lacked a tradition in perfume making, it has been producing quality soaps and colognes since the 19th century. Claus Porto, founded in 1887 and known for its bright art nouveau packaging and colour-pop oval soaps, is one of the nation’s most beloved beauty brands. Its Lisbon shop – which sells gift sets of soap bars and tricky-to-find diffusers, candles and hand creams – occupies an old pharmacy that has been beautifully renovated by local design star Joana Astolfi, who paired the original wood-and-glass cabinets with minimalist polished gold tables. Downstairs is a barbershop, which uses Claus Porto’s Musgo Real line (a scent synonymous with Portugal’s stylish folk).
Website: clausporto.com
Benamôr
Nearby, fellow heritage beauty brand Benamôr has been making creams and fragrances since 1925 from natural ingredients grown under the Portuguese sun: lemon, rose, aloe vera and almond oils.
Website: benamor1925.com
Next Memory Atelier
Hidden inside a former pharmacy on an unassuming road behind Avenida da Liberdade is this impressive perfumier. I’m always surprised that more people don’t rave about this stunning store, where walls are lined with perfumes, reed diffusers and candles, but I’m only too happy to share the love. The solid perfumes make a great gift or travel buy, and you can personalise the leather with your initials.
Website: nextmemory.eu
The best clothes shops in Lisbon
The Feeting Room
Fashion lovers will get lost in this store, which is home to a range of independent clothing and accessories brands. It’s a great place to find unique pieces you’ve never seen before – and you can grab a coffee and hang out at the in-store café at the same time.
Website: thefeetingroom.com
The best jewellery shops in Lisbon
Portugal Jewels
This family-owned jewellery company is Portuguese from start to end. Using local craftsmanship, such as filigree, each piece is designed to embody the essence of Portugal. The Chiado store is housed in a former barber shop, and lots of original detailing has been preserved – including the original tiles, which have been paired with new ones in the brand’s signature blue colour. Be sure to check out the brand’s collaborations, including a recent one with fado singer Ana Moura.
Website: portugaljewels.com
The best accessory shops in Lisbon
André Opticas
Social media fans may have seen this brand’s work on TikTok, after recent success. The Chiado store, pictured, is stunning, but the real magic happens around the corner at the brand’s own Atelier. Here is where a small team of craftsman create completely bespoke glasses, designed from start to end with customers. I visited the atelier myself and I’ve truly never seen anything like it: part workshop, part museum (traditional glasses and trinkets line cabinets), machines and materials filled every space. Visiting here felt like stepping back in time, a truly unique experience (a dream of mine is now to create a pair of bespoke sunglasses here).
Website: andreopticas.com
Luvaria Ulisses
Founded in 1925, this glove shop is still creating handmade, often-bespoke gloves for clients. Most styles use high quality leather, but there’s a selection of newer designs too.
Website: luvariaulisses.com
A Fábrica dos Chapéus
Similarly, here is where you’ll find a store dedicated solely to hats. From traditional styles to sunhats, each style is manufactured and made by the brand.
Website: afabricadoschapeus.com
The best vintage furniture shops in Lisbon
For generations, browsing the antiques shops along Rua de São Bento has been a customary pastime for Lisbon’s residents. Highlights include Miguel Arruda Antiguidades (at number 356), with sculptures and furnishings ranging from midcentury modern to French Regency, and the exquisite art at São Roque Antiguidades e Galeria de Arte (No199), which also organises exhibitions – the latest features celebrity Portugal resident Ai Weiwei. Galeria Bessa Pereira (No426) also offers a splendid selection of art and vintage furniture, or, for more suitcase-sized finds, there’s The World of Vintage (No291), particularly good for table lamps. Additionally, at numbers 234 and 418 are the outlets for Depósito da Marinha Grande, the primary brand of the Portuguese glass industry, and a secret of interior decorators the world over.
Websites: @miguelarruda_art_and_antiques; antiguidadessaoroque.com; galeriabessapereira.com;
@theworldofvintage2011; dmg.com.pt
The best concept stores in Lisbon
EmbaiXada
In the charming Príncipe Real neighbourhood, EmbaiXada set up shop in the iconic neo-Arab Ribeiro da Cunha Palace, originally built in the 1870s. Products from local brands and artisans coexist to showcase Portuguese talent, from Benedita Formosinho’s elegant holiday gear and cotton T-shirts by Isto to modern jewellery by HLC and fun swimwear from Latitid.
Website: embaixadalx.pt
No50
Another great concept store, almost opposite EmbaiXada, is No50, where international brands sit alongside Portuguese creators, such as contemporary jewellery designer Carolina Curado. Converted warehouse 8 Marvila in the ex-industrial area towards the east, has residents including vintage shops Black Mamba and Anomaly, plus upcycled fashion line RO Archive.
Website: 8marvila.com
