Lucky me. I'm back in Lisbon, this time on a solo spree, greeted by brilliant blue skies, glorious colors, and flowers everywhere. In late October! Apparently, autumn didn't get the memo.
But it's the people behind the bars who've made this visit particularly special.
First up, a return to Quattro Teste, where I simply had to see Alf del Portillo, the Basque-born bartender I've written about before. He's one of the most talented cocktail maestros I know. Just watch him aerate a Martini using a porrón, that traditional Spanish glass vessel with its long, slender spout. Gorgeous!
And the conversation? Equally intoxicating. Alf has a gift for bringing people together, and soon the entire bar was discussing everything from neuroscience and AI to environmental health care and light. Yes, light. Who needs small talk when you can tackle the universe over a Martini?
Another evening brought me to Royal Vessel, a gorgeous little jewel box in Príncipe Real. Behind the bar was Ali, whose winning smile and deftly made drinks gave me just the right lift before dinner. Sometimes that's all a girl needs.
Then there was Snob, a Lisbon institution dating back to the 1960s, now both bar and restaurant. I popped in between a fado concert and dinner, only to discover that Andrew, my young bartender, had never made a Gimlet. Mind you, he knows his way around a Clover Club and an Aviation. But a Gimlet? Happy to oblige with a little cocktail education. Who says you can't teach a young bartender new tricks?
Yet one of my biggest smiles came courtesy of someone wielding an espresso machine rather than a shaker.
Meet João, the man behind Dramático, a seriously stylish coffee shop where the espresso shots are glorious and the hospitality even better. There's something refreshingly genuine about João. Passionate about coffee, meticulous about service, and genuinely interested in conversation. That is, when he's not busy pulling shots and turning out flat whites.
And that's what stays with me. The warmth, curiosity, and generosity of the people who make every drink, and every encounter, memorable.
Lest you think I've been surviving on Gimlets and espresso alone, I've eaten exceedingly well, too.
But that's a story for another day.
Or perhaps you'll just have to ask me for my recos.
Just remember to say please and obrigado.