Lisbon beyond the crowds

Swerve the tourists and head for lived-in districts, hiding in plain sight in the Portuguese capital

- Estella Shardlow

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the number 28 tram, jostling for space at a Pink Street bar, posing in front of Alfama's azulejo tiled facades - hands up who succumbed to these Lisbon cliches on their first visit? Yet you don't have to venture far beyond the city's postcard panoramas and TikTok-fuelled queues to discover neighbourhoods where Lisboetas still live, work and play unhampered by sightseers.

These surprisingly central enclaves reveal a more varied and nuanced portrait of Lisbon, whether it's the daily ritual of savouring a bica (espresso) at kerbside quiosques (traditional, in-the-round snack bars) or sampling cuisine from diaspora communities. Here are three districts worth a closer look – and where to hang out in each of them.

Arroios

The vibe: Multicultural cuisine meets hipster hangouts

Had your fill of sardines and pastel de nata? Head to Arroios, one of the city's most ethnically diverse neighbourhoods with a dining scene to match. From Nepali dumplings at Annapurna Anjos, and Addis Restaurante's Eritrean flatbreads, to Peruvian snacks at Las Cholas, immigrant communities are cooking up a storm in this working-class stronghold. Springing up rapidly in the early 20th century, the neighbourhood's Art Deco and modernist apartment blocks spread from the grand avenues of Almirante Reis uphill towards Graça.