Red Frog on Rua do Salitre is Lisbon's prohibition-style speakeasy, opened in 2015, with entry through a doorbell hidden under a red frog and a craft cocktail programme listed on the 2022 World's 50 Best Bars.
Tip: Ring the bell under the red frog to be buzzed in; the room is small, walk-ins welcome on weeknights. The sea fennel gimlet and banana negroni are the headline pours.
Address: Rua do Salitre 5A, 1250-198 Lisboa, Lisbon
Pavilhão Chinês on Rua Dom Pedro V opened in 1986 in a building from 1901, five rooms of glass cabinets stacked floor to ceiling with 4,000 miniatures, toys, masks and military trinkets behind a discreet red door.
Tip: Door is unmarked save two paper lanterns; ring to enter. Classic cocktails over the curiosity cabinets; the back rooms quieter than the front for a long conversation.
Procópio on Alto de São Francisco has run since 1972 down a quiet alley in Príncipe Real, an Art Nouveau room of red velvet, dark wood and stained glass still owned by the founding Mello family.
Tip: Ring the bell to enter; the alley is unsigned, look for the green door behind Jardim das Amoreiras. Cocktails and conversation, no DJ; close at 03:00 weekends.
Foxtrot on Travessa de Santa Teresa opened in 1979 as an English-pub speakeasy on the border of Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real, dark wood, big mirrors and an Art Deco cocktail counter behind a discreet doorbell.
Tip: Ring the bell to enter; the room runs deep with separate snug bays. Closed Sunday; weeknights to midnight, Saturday from 18:00. Classic cocktails and a long single-malt list.
Cinco Lounge on Rua Ruben A Leitão opened in 2004 as a Príncipe Real cocktail room run by a British-Portuguese team, with a long classics list and a quiet lounge layout under low red lighting.
Tip: Reservations available 20:00 to 22:00 through the venue site; walk-ins welcome but tables are limited. Open daily 20:00 to 02:00; the back room is the best for a long sit-down.
Trumps on Rua da Imprensa Nacional opened in 1980 in Príncipe Real and is Portugal's largest LGBTQ+ nightclub, two dancefloors mixing pop with house and techno, plus go-go stages and a drag schedule.
Tip: Doors Wednesday to Saturday from 23:45 to 06:00; the front floor is pop, the back floor is electronic. Cab to the door is easier than walking the Príncipe Real hill late.
Pavilhão Chinês on Rua Dom Pedro V opened in 1986 in a building from 1901, five rooms of glass cabinets stacked floor to ceiling with 4,000 miniatures, toys, masks and military trinkets behind a discreet red door.
Tip: Door is unmarked save two paper lanterns; ring to enter. Classic cocktails over the curiosity cabinets; the back rooms quieter than the front for a long conversation.
Pensão Amor on the Cais do Sodré pink street is the 18th-century brothel reborn as a multi-floor bar, with burlesque shows, pole-dance room, an erotic bookshop and Peruvian cocktail counters across five storeys.
Tip: Bar open from noon daily; burlesque, drag and pole-dance shows after 22:00. The pole-dance room is gold and leopard, the rooftop terrace overlooks Rua Nova do Carvalho.
Procópio on Alto de São Francisco has run since 1972 down a quiet alley in Príncipe Real, an Art Nouveau room of red velvet, dark wood and stained glass still owned by the founding Mello family.
Tip: Ring the bell to enter; the alley is unsigned, look for the green door behind Jardim das Amoreiras. Cocktails and conversation, no DJ; close at 03:00 weekends.
Foxtrot on Travessa de Santa Teresa opened in 1979 as an English-pub speakeasy on the border of Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real, dark wood, big mirrors and an Art Deco cocktail counter behind a discreet doorbell.
Tip: Ring the bell to enter; the room runs deep with separate snug bays. Closed Sunday; weeknights to midnight, Saturday from 18:00. Classic cocktails and a long single-malt list.
Cinco Lounge on Rua Ruben A Leitão opened in 2004 as a Príncipe Real cocktail room run by a British-Portuguese team, with a long classics list and a quiet lounge layout under low red lighting.
Tip: Reservations available 20:00 to 22:00 through the venue site; walk-ins welcome but tables are limited. Open daily 20:00 to 02:00; the back room is the best for a long sit-down.
Trumps on Rua da Imprensa Nacional opened in 1980 in Príncipe Real and is Portugal's largest LGBTQ+ nightclub, two dancefloors mixing pop with house and techno, plus go-go stages and a drag schedule.
Tip: Doors Wednesday to Saturday from 23:45 to 06:00; the front floor is pop, the back floor is electronic. Cab to the door is easier than walking the Príncipe Real hill late.