Putting on the digital nomad hat and using different spaces as your office every day is one of my favourite parts of embracing this lifestyle. It’s something that I use to do once a week at a coffee shop in Kits where I instantly found a kindred spirit in the kind Korean lady who owned it. Exemplifying a work ethic that I myself may never know, on almost every day of the year this lovely lady would open the doors to her 4th avenue shop, Cornerstone Coffee and there she’d be working away at her small business; the one she had left her beloved country for. Together, in completely different realms but within the same four walls, we would both be quietly chipping away at achieving our dreams.
Here in Lisbon, I have the advantage of utilizing multiple resources (such as the app, Work From Anywhere) and one of our many #ry slack channels (#digital-remote-cafes) to find friendly spaces where I can seek inspiration, enjoy a cup of coffee and search for my new Cornerstone in this new (and sometimes overwhelming) world.
Here are some of my favourite places to work from:
1. Wish Slow Coffee House
Located in the LX factory, one of my favourite neighbourhoods in the city, Wish is a whimsical, inviting space (with lots of outlets!) where I often find myself cozying up to enjoy the energy of the room and the $2 euro wine. The staff here are both friendly and attentive; they’ll patiently help you order off a menu written only in Portuguese and their little tapas and charcuterie boards provide the perfect snack sized bites. I enjoy choosing between their little crostini’s topped with capicola or local Iberia ham, their micro green salads with cottage cheese or brie and even eating desert first by indulging in warm, home made waffles that come with the choice of four sweet toppings.
Go: Rua Rodrigues de Faria 103, Espaço G.02A, 1300-501 Lisboa
Open: Monday to Friday: 9am to 830pm // weekends: 10am – 930pm
2. Tease Bakery
About a forty minute walk away from Wish and nestled within the Barrio Alto district, Tease Bakery is also worth your euros. This small space is adorable in it’s details and it’s easy to tell that a lot of thought and care has gone into crafting both their ambiance and edibles. Five white, sparkling vintage chandeliers hang from the ceiling and decorate the cash register, making the glass case below where they keep their cupcakes all the more inviting. Tease serves their drinks in proper tea cup’s adorned with flowers and the charming theme carries over to the tables where dried flowers sit in vases and stark white doilies serve as placemats. Lots of sunlight filters into the room through their floor to ceiling windows and if you’re lucky you can secure a small round table in one of the alcoves where you can peacefully work the day away. Kindly, the staff provide english menus for those who need them and I wasn’t disappointed by the big, lunch sized salad that I had there for $7 euros. Generous amounts of soft goat cheese were incorporated into my mixed greens while a ribbon of parma ham provided the protein. Purple grapes, cherry tomatoes, honey dressing and an overwhelming amount of walnuts finished off the salad – which I wasn’t too sure about until a few bites in when I realized that they were there to provide the perfect amount of crunch. If salads aren’t your jam or if you don’t enjoy eating the same delicious thing over and over again like I do, there’s plenty of other options to satisfy your cravings. Sandwiches, smoothies, home made lemonade, specialty coffee’s and the only cupcakes that I’ve yet to find in Lisbon make for a memorable meal at Tease cafe.
Go: Rua Nova da Piedade nº15 Praça das Flores, 1200-296 Lisbon, Portugal
Open: 9am – 10am, all the days of the week
3. MNAA Garden Cafeteria
Arguably one of the best kept secrets in the city, the garden cafeteria at the National Museum of Ancient Art is located between Barrio Alto and the LX Factory and it’s easily become my very favourite place to work in the mornings.
The peaceful garden is located just behind the museum and overlooks the Tagus river. It has meticulously manicured lawns, beds of cheerful flowers, a few fountains and several green tables spread out beneath a well positioned trellis that allows for sunshine or shade. Old statues of gods and warriors decorate the grounds and sweeping views provide many interesting elements to observe. In every direction the city hums along with the sounds of commerce; cargo and cruise ships pass quietly along the river, cars race over the 25 de Abril bridge nearby and you can even hear the sounds of the trams barrelling along the tracks below.
The other morning I sat in the sunshine eating a scone with a double espresso while working away and ended up staying well into the afternoon enjoying fresh strawberries and a glass of white wine.
For lunch the hot buffet is less like cafeteria food, more like gourmet and there’s always a soup, pasta and protein to coax you into staying. The menu changes daily, the staff are warm and welcoming and a glass of wine costs only $1.55 euros.
Go: National Museum of Ancient Art // R. das Janelas Verdes, 1249-017 Lisboa
Open: 10am – 530pm, all the days of the week
4 / 5 : coming soon!
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