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Newcomers to Lisbon often hit the bars around 9 pm and head home at midnight thinking that the bar scene is rather quiet. In fact, Lisbon bars don't get going until after midnight, clubs even later. On weekends, lively groups spill out of bars and stand shoulder to shoulder in the streets, especially in the lively Bairro Alto and the revamped Cais do Sodré. Many places are rather quiet from Sunday through Wednesday although, in the summer high season, bars fill every night of the week with holidaymakers who don't need to rise early the next day.
Some dance clubs charge a cover of €15 (more on weekends), which includes one drink; if you come early you may get in free. Clubs are open from about 10 or 11 pm (but only start filling up well after midnight) until 4 or 5 am; a few stay open until 8 am. Be aware that some unscrupulous door staff will try to overcharge out-of-towners; if the price seems way over the odds, walk away.
For a less boisterous evening out, visit a café-bar or a casa de fado, where professional or amateur performers sing the city’s world-renowned, beautifully mournful style of music.
Lisbon has a well-established gay and lesbian scene, concentrated primarily in and around the Bairro Alto and the neighboring Príncipe Real area, on the way to Rato.
One of Lisbon's first craft breweries and its first taproom, Dois Corvos is a brewer-owned outfit known for its range of beers, from dependable session beers and IPAs to big barrel-aged stouts, experimental ales, and mixed fermentations. The taproom is a place where you can quaff with other beer lovers and brewers. All the core beers are on tap, along with seasonal experiments and a guest tap for other breweries.
MUSA makes a range of small-batch artisanal beer using traditional methods and archival recipes. The taproom here is less a cathedral of hops and more a place to have a good time. After a few location changes, the brewing equipment is still visible inside, but on sunny days, the action is outside, on the colorful terrace. There's a roster of live music and a menu of beer-friendly snacks.
Intendente's cool factor was established with the opening of this taproom, a spin-off of the popular Dois Corvos brewery in hipster Marvila. The train-station-style map here lists an ever-changing array of beers, ranging from oat cream IPAs to dry-hopped sours to breakfast stouts.
A group of friends got together in 2015 and created their own craft beer, which resulted in Lisbon’s first brewpub. It’s found on a steep street with steps linking downtown to Chiado and Bairro Alto and has tables outside for afternoon or after-dark drinks and snacks. In addition to its own brand, it offers five other made-in-Portugal craft beers on tap.
The newest brewpub in Marvila's nightlife lineup, Fermentage not only takes its name from the process of brewing beer but also offers a snack menu that celebrates fermented foods. Come here for the beer—there are more than a dozen hyperspecific varieties on tap—and the table games and occasional live entertainment.
