Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
FACTORY OF THE ARTS
Set in a converted 19th-century industrial complex,
LX Factory
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(
www.lxfactory.com
;
Rua Rodrigues de Faria 103, Alcântara) is Lisbon's new hub of creativity. In 2007 some
23,000 sq m of abandoned warehouses were transformed into art studios, galleries, and printing and design com-
panies. Creative restaurants, bars and shops have added to the energy, and today LX Factory is a great spot to
check out an alternative side of Lisbon. It's liveliest on weekend nights, though it's also worth stopping by the
open-air market (vintage clothes, crafts) held on Sundays from 11am to 7pm. Get there on tram 15 or 18.
Other highlights include the following:
English).
massage.
the wild exhibits on upper floors.
213 649 170;
www.1300taberna.com
; five-course menu
€30;
lunch & dinner Tue-Sat) Excellent restaurant featuring creative takes on Portuguese fare.
4pm-4am Tue-Sat) Atmospheric bar with DJs spinning vintage
grooves, and occasional live concerts.
Faktory
( 11pm-5am Fri & Sat) Two-floor club with lounge space (couches beneath chandeliers and tall ceil-
ings) and a dance floor.
Fado
Infused by Moorish song and the ditties of homesick sailors, bluesy, bittersweet fado en-
capsulates the Lisbon psyche like nothing else. Ask 10
lisboêtas
to explain it and each
will give a different version. This is because fado is deeply personal and explanations
hinge on the mood of the moment. Recurring themes are love, destiny, death and the om-
nipresent
saudade
or 'nostalgic longing'; a kind of musical soap opera.
Though a
fadista
is traditionally accompanied by a classical and 12-string Portuguese
guitar, many new-generation stars such as Mariza, Ana Moura and Joana Amendoeira are
putting their own spin on the genre, giving it a twist of Cuban
son
or a dash of Argentine
tango.
