Lisbon
From intimate fado houses in Alfama to jazz clubs and indie venues in Cais do Sodré
PRAÇA DA ALEGRIA · $$ · LIVE MUSIC
Hot Clube de Portugal has run as the country's oldest jazz club since 1948, programming concerts almost nightly from a cellar on Praça da Alegria. The room has hosted players from Dexter Gordon to Pat Metheny and still books local and touring acts. Seats are tight and the focus stays on the stage. Best for serious live jazz.
CAIS DO SODRÉ · $$$ · LIVE MUSIC
O Bom, O Mau e O Vilão took its name from the Sergio Leone film and runs as a bar, restaurant and music venue beside Pensão Amor in Cais do Sodré. Soul, funk, Afrobeat and jazz dominate, with a different genre most nights since opening in 2013. The Pombaline rooms stay busy with DJ sets and live acts. Best for a music-led night off the main strip.
Established fado house run by guitar master Mario Pacheco. Formal setting with white tablecloths. A rotating cast of established fadistas. Dinner-and-fado format from 8pm.
A former chapel with 14th-century tilework and 30 seats. The most atmospheric fado space in the city. Candlelit. Dinner is served. Everything matters here.
Family-run fado house that has been on the same Alfama side street since 1959. Nightly performances from 9pm. Genuinely traditional.
Looking beyond Lisbon? See our guide to the best live music bars worldwide, or compare live music bars city by city.