Colourful Lisbon: Chic Fashion, Luxe Stays & Where to Eat Like a Local

There are some cities which seduce you from the off, not because they're glamorous or ostentatious but through a quiet charm. Lisbon is a place which gently gets in under your skin. The colour-washed houses, the tiled facades, the ironwork balconies which look down on streets where generations of people have passed through. It has a beautiful energy all of its own. Churches whose spires nudge into bright blue skies, statues and monuments to bygone greatness, the Moorish links and Lisbon's colonial past. It's a city which feels somehow at the very edge of the world, looking out over the Atlantic wide and far. It's a horizon which carries with it the sense of possibility, of discovery, the thrill of travel itself. There's a sense of faded grandeur, of stories whispering along cobbled streets, defiant elegance somehow. This was the briefest of trips, 48 hours of exploring narrow streets, marvelling at the architecture, indulging in the freshest and tastiest of food. I've only been here for a couple of days and already I've fallen in love with the place. I'm going to be taking you on a tour of the city, showing you some of the most beautiful sites, places to eat, places to shop. I think one of the things that really drew me to Lisbon is the sense of fashion, so that Iberian energy that you have in Lisbon fashion. There is a sense of dressing joyfully, dressing colourfully and we're going to be heading out, trying on some clothes, trying to capture that spirit of Lisbon culture. This is really something quite special, not just the rooftop pool, which we will head up to in a moment, but also the room itself. And one of the things that really drew me to this hotel is not just the sense of luxury, it's also the sense of connection to the artistry of the place. So there is a real sense of wanting to buy into the culture of the town, to support local artists. So dotted throughout the rooms, through the reception area, there are local ceramics, handcrafted jugs, pottery, artworks and it's something that I think gives it a really special sense of Lisbon identity. I'm one of those people who's forever seduced by Lisbon fashion, that joyful, colourful, Iberian spirit. It leans into the bright, bold colours of the streets, the sunny yellows, the playful mismatch of pastel shades. After wandering the city, one of my first stops was the Feating Room, where rails of patterned shirts and colourful coords sit at ease with stripes and bold planes. Here I took inspiration for a fashion video I'm soon filming. And if you like joyful dressing, like, subscribe and hit notifications so you don't miss it. I tried on three outfits here at the Feating Room. So this is from a brand, I think this is called French, I'll check and let you know in the caption. It's got a nice cutaway detail here, which feels a little bit quirky. You can just about see it there. And this is a medium, I'm sort of wondering whether maybe this might be a touch on the big side. And I think the thing I like most about this is the print. It's the colour, it's the fabric, the design. And yeah, it feels kind of sunny and sunshiny. And I like this a lot. And this coord, the shorts and top set, is Farm Rio, I'm sure you're familiar with Farm Rio. I've got a number of their dresses, and they're always kind of brilliantly bold, colourful, patterned. And this is a really fun coord. I like the way that the pattern is coordinating. So it's got the colours that tie in together, but it's a much bolder, bigger pattern on the top, slightly smaller on the bottom. This is a medium, I think it's a pretty good size, certainly for the shorts, I wouldn't want to go any smaller than that. There's something quite playful about it, something quite bold. So I'm definitely thinking about this one, and it's going on the wishlist. And I think I might have left the best till last here. So this is from a brand called the Tiny Big Sister. And I think that this is great fun. I really like this. It's, you know, it's quite comfortable, it's quite easy to wear, but it's got some really kind of cool details. I don't know if you can see all the pockets, these little bows. This is a strong contender. But yeah, let me know what you think. Is it the colourful dress with the cutout detail? Is it the co-ord of the shorts? Or is it this orange and cream stripe number? Which would you pick? One of the things I love to do when I travel is to try to experience the sense of place. It's art, it's culture. My top find of the whole trip was a Vida Portuguesa, an old-fashioned department store committed to products which are made in Portugal. Many of them crafted by hand. There are decorative soaps, ceramics from famous Iberian maker Bordello Pinheiro, and handmade textiles, rugs, embroidered tablecloths, straw bags. I got talking to one of the women who works there. She told me of the precious connection between makers and the store. Luckily, some new projects with new people that started recovering old techniques and preserving old techniques to give it a new value. There are lots of crafts in Portugal now that were meant to die, but they didn't. Because of projects like ours, because you have a small village and somewhere there, there's someone doing something. This bag that I bought is crafted using time-worn techniques and has been reimagined by a younger generation, which has fallen in love with the beauty of artisan craft. It's a story of human connection, of preserving beautiful things, of learning how to make something beautiful, and passing on that gift. If I could recommend only one restaurant in Lisbon, it would be this, Fismula, in the northern part of the town, not far from tree-lined streets of designer shops and cafes. It's one of those places which is atmospheric and welcoming, stylish and understated, with natural materials and an industrial edge. The lentil and prawn dish I tried was a real highlight, as well as the cheesecake for dessert, the texture of melted brie, and of course the staff, who somehow made me feel like they were welcoming me into their own home. The hotel was a real treat too. Bathrooms with luxurious marble, freestanding baths, the suites which have a seating area for curling up with your book, and a dressing area for trying on all those clothes. Somehow I managed to pack extremely lightly, a long white linen dress which I paired with a straw hat, and a patterned long-sleeved mini-dress to protect my shoulders from the sun. It's one of those hotels where the attention to detail is incredible. A turndown service which includes a small slab of handmade chocolate wrapped in patterned paper, the cloths left alongside the sunglasses you just put down, the way when you're leaving your phone to charge someone tidies the cable and secures it with a clip. There's the rooftop terrace, the restaurant, the elegant white linens and understated design. But as ever, it's the people who make it, the staff who work behind the scenes, going above and beyond, smilingly. If you're planning a city break to Lisbon, if you're looking for something a little bit luxurious, I think this is a really lovely base from which to explore the city. Thank you for watching. If you're enjoying this channel, do like, subscribe, hype or send to a friend you think might enjoy it too. And I'll see you back here for a peek inside my wardrobe.