CAIS DO SODRE - REDLIGHT FUN

Its backstreets were the haunt of whisky-slugingsailors craving a little after-dark sleaze, a lacklustre place where brothels sidled up to sweaty  clubs. Then suddenly everything changed. In late 2011, the district was given a makeover. Its main street was painted a welcoming bright pink and the call girls were sent packing but the place's attraction remained.

 Live music venues, burlesque clubs and tapas bars began to pop up with astonishing frequency, and soon thereafter, Cais do Sodré had upstaged Bairro Alto as Lisbon's most happening nightlife district. Similar to Bairro Alto, the vibe in Cais do Sodré is similarly bohemian.

Although in former times it was the place of arrival and departure for sailors from all over the world who filled the streets in search of short-term romance, Cais do Sodré is now one of the Portuguese capital’s trendiest districts, offering both variety and quality.
Cais do Sodres' main street which was recently painted bright pink to promote the new spirit, doesn’t seem to miss the good old days, and has hapily embraced its recently acquired status as the newest most hip place to be in Lisbon.



Here you can find the now mythical nightclubs Jamaica, Europa and Tóquio, the revamped Roterdam, the more recent Music Box and the new projects accommodated in Pensão Amor.

In this traffic-free area it is now possible to find several outdoor terraces as well as innovative concepts such as a restaurant (Sol e Pesca) devoted to Portuguese conserves and an erotic bookshop. The ground floor of this project also houses the bars Povo and Velha Senhora. Inspired by Lisboa’s typical tascas (cheap taverns), Povo belongs to the same owners as Music Box and was created as a complement to it. This no-frills space serves traditional snacks like salada de polvo (octopus salad), peixinhos da horta (deep-fried green beans in batter) and ovos verdes (fried devilled eggs) to the sound of Fado, with live music, resident artists and a special preference for the new generation of Fado performers.


Bar da Velha Senhora sought its inspiration in the Cais do Sodré of the old days in order to present a contemporary, uninhibited cabaret. This venue hosts a variety of shows and the menu is typically Portuguese.

Pensão Amor (meaning  lovers'inn)  is notable for its trendy burlesque decor, where no chair or sofa is the same but all are upholstered in glossy velvet. The walls are covered with red materials and hung with photographs and the ceilings are painted with replicas of frescoes.

A new way of being is taking over this district of Lisboa and transforming its reputation from that of a rundown, somewhat unsafe area to a popular modern nightspot area whose varied and authentic offering preserves the memories of the old days. This is the new Cais do Sodré.





But...if you want to get a full taste of the área do not bother turning up anywhere much before midnight, as this is when the crowds descend and the setting becomes perfect for a late night bar crawl.

 

Tucked under the arches of a bridge, the cave-like Music Box is, as its name suggests, all about the music. Locals are right when they say that this is one of the city's best gig venues..
The concerts cover the entire spectrum, from jazz to indie, rock to metal, and British bands like Fink and sweet-voiced soloist Martina Topley Bird recently played here. DJs take over when the gigs finish, spinning everything from house to electro and techno until 7 am.



AS TOUR OPERATORS WE ARE QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA AND WILL SAFELY LEAD YOU THROUGH THE MAZE OF NIGHT CLUBS, SHOWS, BARS....FOR ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING AND UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES YOU CAN IMAGIGE WHILE IN LISBON.
DON'T MISS IT.....