Is Pensão Amor (the Guesthouse of Love) Lisbon’s coolest bar?
There are two entrances to Pensão Amor in Lisbon’s revamped Cais do Sodré. One of them leads to a parlour stuffed with upholstered chairs, mirrors, lamps, and pictures and sculptures of naked women. Scattered around the room, as if tossed aside, there are feather boas and sequined bras. The ceiling is adorned with images of nude men frolicking.
The clientele, thankfully, are fully clothed and contentedly sipping their drinks and chatting with friends.
These days, everyone keeps their clothes on!
The other entrance on Rua Nova do Carvalo leads up an old stairway with crumbling plaster and saucy paintings, leaving you in no doubt as to the origins of the establishment.
The sailor on the wall gives you a clue as to where many of the pensão’s former customers came from. Cais do Sodre is still one of the city’s major ports and used to be a thriving red light district.
Original paintings on the stairway to Pensão Amor, Lisbon.
Although Pensão Amor used to be a brothel, and still has many of its original features including furry walls, it’s now one of the most popular bars in Lisbon. It attracts a slightly older crowd than the Bairro Alto bars, possibly due to slightly higher prices, or it could be the comfy chairs – if you want a seat, you should get there before 10 pm at the weekend. Drinks go up by a euro after 10 pm which is another reason to arrive earlier.
I love the combination of fake fur and original tiles on this wall.
Early in the evening, the main room is fairly empty but as the night progresses, it fills up with revellers as the DJ gets into gear. If you’re not in a dancing mood, take your pick of themed rooms to hang out in – there’s the sparkly pole dance room, a tented space and a furry room.
On Thursday and Sunday afternoons, there are pole dancing workshops, presumably in this room.
For more details about Pensão Amor, including events, check out their Facebook page.
This post was inspired by this week’s photo challenge theme, Love.
Have you got a favourite bar in Portugal? Let me know in the comments.
Related posts:
Sunday Post: Collectibles at the Pavilhão Chinês bar in Lisbon
There’s no such thing as sexy toilet paper, not even in Lisbon!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Lisbon illuminated – the city at night
[...] Weekly Photo Challenge: Is Pensão Amor (the Guesthouse of Love) Lisbon’s coolest bar? | Julie Daw… [...]
[...] Weekly Photo Challenge: Is Pensão Amor (the Guesthouse of Love) Lisbon’s coolest bar? [...]
[...] Is Pensão Amor the coolest bar in Lisbon? [...]
[...] was struggling and didn’t think I could find something for this week’s challenge until I read Julie Dawn Fox in Portugal and I was reminded of the town of [...]
[...] Weekly Photo Challenge: Is Pensão Amor (the Guesthouse of Love) Lisbon’s coolest bar? | Julie Daw… [...]
I want to spend a moment in this bar.
It’s worth it, believe me!
Going on my bucket list. You need to give me 3 more reasons for 3 girls to give Lisbon a go.
Watch this space… I can easily give you more than three reasons! Great food, shops, bars, architecture, people and weather (most of the time). I’ll be posting more soon about my recent trips there so hopefully you’ll get some more ideas for you and your friends. Is there anything in particular you’d like to know about?
I been there only for one night on my way up the silver coast.
I guess the architecture is really important to me – ant fantastic buildings (modern) that caught your eye?
I’m more into the older buildings but Oriente train station is pretty impressive http://juliedawnfox.com/2012/11/02/weekly-photo-challenge-geometry-in-lisbon/. The twin towers behind it might interest you too.
The Gulbenkian Foundation building is interesting, as is the Centro Cultural de Belem.
now that looks amazing (and btw, my maiden name was Fox so were probably sisters!).
Maybe
I noted the well worn stone steps… I love your travelogues and photos. Another interesting- and fun- tour!
Thanks! Yes, I think those stairs have seen a fair amount of traffic over the years
Cool! I like that you did something different. We would live to visit Portugal one day.
Thanks, Heather. I hope you make it to Portugal – it really is a special place and well worth the effort of travelling here, wherever you’re coming from