This is the rhythm of the night
The city’s nightlife – which only ends at daybreak – seems to get better every year and there are clubs for every taste, from rock to techno, from cumbia or samba to suburban electro. Can we ask you for a dance?
Ministerium BAIXA
This club opened on 1 December 2012 in the old Ministry of Finance building. It originally only opened on Saturdays and gradually made a name for its electronic music, with big Portuguese and international techno and house names every weekend. The club’s parties extend to all genres, however. It hosts the LGBT+ Music Festival, one of the city’s most important LGBT events.àPraça do Comércio, 72. Fri-Sat 11.30pm-8am.
Lounge CAIS DO SODRÉ
Lounge numbers among the best places in Lisbon for a night out. And we mean every word. The music is one of the bar’s most outstanding features, designed to please all tastes. On a normal night – it could even be a Sunday – you may start off with raw, sweaty rock’n’roll and end up grooving to little-known disco gems at four in the morning.
And best of all, admission is free. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the bar is so crowded that it’s hard to find a square foot to dance in – not to mention the queue for the loo.àRua da Moeda, 1, Porta O/P. Tue-Sun 10pm-4am.
Musicbox CAIS DO SODRÉ
This club in the pink street has a vast programme of concerts lasting till the wee small hours. We’re not going to use the word “eclectic” to define what Musicbox has to offer, because we’re saving it for when someone we hardly know says, “I like everything; I’m very eclectic,” about music. The club opened in 2006 and is the epicentre of the work done by CTL – Cultural Trend Lisbon. It has music every day except Sunday. While most of the Cais do Sodré bars close around four in the morning, the night is still young at Musicbox and goes on until six.àRua Nova do Carvalho, 24. Mon-Sat 11pm-6am.
Damas GRAÇA
Few places in recent years have managed to make such a splash in Lisbon’s nightlife. Damas opened in Rua da Voz do Operário in 2015 and its mix of a restaurant, bar and concert
venue changed the nights in Graça (did Graça actually have nights before that?) and poached punters from Bica and Bairro Alto to an even steeper hill. The music varies, ranging from African, electronic music to indie rock and everything in between. Admission is normally free. The food in the restaurant (daily specials, veggie options and great snacks with craft beer to wash them down) and the place’s great atmosphere – the old bakery’s ovens are still there in the concert venue – have made Damas the meeting point that the city needed for a long time.àRua da Voz do Operário, 60. +351 964 964 416. Sun-Mon 7pm-1am, Tue 12.30pm-5pm, Wed-Thu 12.30pm-1am, FriSat 12.30pm-4am.
Casa Independente INTENDENTE
This cultural association, concert hall, bar and restaurant opened in Largo do Intendente in 2012. It played a crucial role in the urban renewal of Intendente, which had been a bit of a no-go area in Lisbon’s nightlife until then. It’s located in an old palace and organises regular parties and concerts. In late 2016, Casa Independente expanded to the Upper Floor, as they call it. It serves as another bar and concert hall and boasts one of the best balconies in Lisbon.àLargo do Intendente, 45. Tue-Thu 5pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 5pm-2am.
Crew Hassan INTENDENTE
It’s on the Metro’s Green
Line, which is the one with most cultural associations in Lisbon. Crew Hassan is one of them. It has daytime and evening activities, ranging from workshops to concerts and yoga, ju-jitsu and tai chi classes. Keep an eye on its Facebook page to look out for theme nights.àRua Andrade, 8A. Mon-Sun 3pm-11pm.
Lux SANTA APOLÓNIA
Watching the sunrise from the Lux balcony is a must in the life of every visitor or Lisbonner for that matter. In 2014, The Guardian voted Lux one of the best 25 clubs in Europe, but we had known that for a long time already. This is the city’s and, actually, the country’s most famous club. It opened on 29 September 1998, just before Expo 98 closed. The owner had already opened Frágil, which took Bairro Alto by storm, and Rive-Rouge at the Time Out Market in 2014.àAvenida Infante D. Henrique, Armazém A, Cais da Pedra a Sta. Apolónia. Thu-Sat 11pm–6am.
Incógnito SÃO BENTO
It’s probably the most respected institution down São Bento way, a bastion of reason and integrity, where the state of song has been discussed for a long time. It’s a decent, small venue that covers all ages, is low on posers and permits smoking. It’s a well known alternative stop for indie music lovers but the music goes well beyond that – synthpop, new wave and post-punk music often fuel the crowd. You can find the dance floor on the lower level, where all the dance lovers are. It might be crowded but that’s also part of the experience. Swashbuckling doorman D’Artagnan is a famous figure on the local scene.àRua Poiais de São Bento, 37. Thu-Sat 11pm-4am.