Best Things to Do in Lisbon | Gastronomic Festivals

You may ask yourself what is the common denominator for sardines and cocktails. It's easy,  Lisbon in April is the answer!

Next month, both Lisbon visitors and locals will have the opportunity to participate in two different gastronomic events that have conquered the public attention and praise in previous years. Lisbon Fish & Flavours (Peixe em Lisboa) and Lisbon Cocktail Week will be expecting your visit with a diversified offer where quality and creativity are the key words.

Starting the 30th March and until the 9th of April, the 10th Lisbon Fish & Flavours week will bring together some of the best restaurants and Chefs of the city, celebrating one of the most emblematic of national products - our fish and seafood. 

In one single space (Pavilhão Carlos Lopes) you will find diversified and innovative fish-based culinary offerings. Of course that desserts and wine pairings have not been forgotten and you can visit the festival with the certainty of having a delicious meal.

There is also an auditorium where cooking workshops,  debates and other activities relating to gastronomy are organized. There will be a gourmet market area, with the exhibition and sale of food products and wine.

A number of Portuguese and international Chefs will participate, representing their restaurants. Visiting the festival can be a way of tasting some of their creations within a much friendlier budget. For instances, the Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Ritz Hotel Lisbon, Pascal Meynard, will represent the Hotel for the second time at this event. Therefore, while visiting Lisbon Fish & Flavours, don't forget to sample the Shrimp and Spinach Salad, with black truffle vinaigrette and parmesan, one of Chef Pascal Meynard's featured recipes. 

For the movies and TV shows fans there are some cocktails that had become iconic. Who can forget Mr Bond's Martini (shaken not stirred, of course!), Don Draper's Old Fashioned or Carrie Bradshaw's Cosmopolitan? Those and many other classical cocktails will be the stars of this year's Lisbon Cocktail Week, that takes place from the 21h to the 29th of April.

Along with the signature cocktails and the mocktails (cocktails without alcohol) every each one of the 62 participating bars will have a classic available for the Cocktail Moment. This Cocktail Moment takes place during the nine days of the event, from 6pm to 11pm. During this period it will be possible to have two cocktails for the price of one in all 62 spaces of the event. 

There will also be  a Shop & Mix itinerary, including shops and places where you can buy mixology utensils and ingredients to make cocktails at home. Finally, each venue will have its own program during the Lisbon Cocktail Week, with concerts, dinners with cocktail pairings and workshops.

The list of 62 participating bars includes some iconic places of Lisbon. The Ritz Bar and the Tempus Lounge  (remember our article on 6 Lisbon Hotels to Fall in Love?) are two of the participants and I'm sure their baristas will mesmerize us with some superb cocktails.