May 11-12 Lisbon
There’s something about Lisbon that stirs the soul. Maybe it’s the golden light that washes over the tiled buildings or the way music seems to echo through its narrow, cobbled streets. For us and Giddy, it was a small wine bar in Bairro Alto that captured our hearts ten years ago with authentic moments.
Giddy wasn’t searching for anything specific that evening. He was meandering—his favorite way to explore a city. Just after sunset, the Bairro Alto neighborhood was coming alive, buzzing softly with the anticipation of another vibrant Lisbon night.
Hiking through the city on a sense of direction only, no GPS or map. We need to reach the upper level of Lisbon for our reservation at Grapes & Bites. We took the Elevador de Santa Justa was designed by the architect Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard, the former
apprentice and civil engineer of the now celebrity architect Gustav Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. We had to stop at small grocery and ask for directions which they did not know where Norte street was. However, they pointed in a general direction and after a few turns, that’s when we saw it: Grapes & Bites.
We were welcomed with a smile and something rarer: genuine hospitality. No pressure. No pretense. First came the wine a selected Duoro valley red with Azeitão cheese, soft and tangy, paired with cured meats and a drizzle of local honey. We ordered octopus wit azzore rice, and Portuguese steak dish and Giddy of course had to have the crispy codfish cakes with a hint of citrus, followed by flamed chouriço—a spicy sausage brought to life with a table-side flambé. For desert chocolate mousse which was made from dark chocolate.
Each bite was bold but balanced, and every course was matched with our handpicked Portuguese wine. Giddy sipped a Douro Valley red that lingered like a good conversation, full-bodied and deep.
As the night unfolded, a live Fado singer began to play. The room hushed. It wasn’t loud—it was intimate, soulful. Giddy didn’t understand all the lyrics, but he understood the feeling. Melancholic, beautiful, honest.
By the time we and Giddy left Grapes & Bites, he was out, and the city felt like it was holding its breath. He walked back to our ship with a the taste of red wine still on our tongues, the Fado still echoing in his head.
This wasn’t just dinner. It was Lisbon—raw, rich, and real.
The second day our tour was cancelled and we just strolled around the plaza and downtown areas which is flat vs walking up the hills. Giddy stayed on the boat, he had too much from night before.
