Lisbon's Creative Cocktail Scene Can Be Found At This Secret, Playful, And Innovative Bar

Between the tours, museums, day trips, and activities travelers love to do on a vacation, it's easy to get exhausted when it finally gets around to dinner time. However in Lisbon, enjoying the nightlife is very much part of the culture, so it's always a great idea to plan on a few late nights where you can enjoy drinks, entertainment, and creative food offerings. There's a reason why Rick Steves calls Lisbon one of the best foodie destinations in Europe, after all. One great place to experience the city's nightlife is Mini Bar, a hidden bar inside another restaurant where you're guaranteed flavorful cocktails, excellent Portuguese wine, and fantastic tapas in a creative atmosphere.

Mini Bar is a speakeasy-like bar and restaurant from Chef José Avillez, one of the premier chefs in Portugal with restaurants in Lisbon, Porto, Cascais, Dubai, and Macau. Mini Bar was once located inside a theater but has relocated to be inside Bairro do Avillez, a complex restaurant concept that includes a pizzeria, a terrace, a tavern, a seafood restaurant, and, of course, Mini Bar in the Chiado neighborhood. To reach the bar, you must go through a cleverly disguised shelf that opens into the chic space. Because of its theatrical past, the menu comes in six "acts" that take guests on a journey of different types of small-plate courses that are designed to work together. Guests are also welcome to order dishes one by one along with their wine, cocktail, or beer.

Milan may be known for its mouth-watering free bar food, but Lisbon's Mini Bar is certainly known for being both local and innovative. The bar prides itself on having an extensive wine list with Portuguese and international wines, as well as craft beers and an impressive cocktail menu of memorable classics, like the negroni or cosmopolitan, and creative, newer drinks. 

The food menu is made up of several types of tapas, including seafood offerings like prawns and tuna belly, in addition to meat and vegetable dishes like beef tartare and olives. There is also a dessert menu with elegant treats to finish up your meal. For most of the week, the restaurant also features either live music or a DJ for dancing. To complement the creative menu, the bar's decor is similarly eclectic and playful, making Mini Bar a one-of-a-kind experience in Lisbon.

Although Mini Bar is definitely a great place to go at night, the Chiado neighborhood also has a lot to offer visitors during the day. Chiado is a trendy neighborhood that's full of cafés, restaurants, shops, and more, so you can easily spend an afternoon or early evening there before heading to Mini Bar for a late meal. Among the many attractions is a beautiful medieval Gothic cathedral, Convento do Carmo, and the ornate, 18th-century church, the Basílica dos Mártires. You can also find the opera house, the Teatro Nacional de São Carlo, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Just outside of Lisbon, you can also visit the historic Pena Palace, boasting one of the most unique designs in all of Europe.