Pátio do Tijolo

Step through the unassuming steel entrance between Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real and you suddenly find yourself in a small garden. Pátio do Tijolo is one of the most charming boutique hotels in Lisbon. Banana plants now climb the walls of what was once a carpentry workshop. Gravel paths crunch underfoot, and in the afternoon the terracotta walls glow in the sun. Inside, Berber rugs lie on concrete floors, the beds are draped in wool blankets from the Serra da Estrela, and the bathrooms are lined with green tiles. Some rooms open straight onto the courtyard, while others look out over the rooftops to the Tagus, a view best enjoyed with a port and tonic on the balcony. In the open kitchen, fresh pastéis de nata are set out every day. What more could you want from a weekend in Lisbon?