Intendente Neighbourhood Guide – where to live in Lisbon

Intendente is possibly the hippest, coolest neighbourhood of the moment. It is central and convenient as it is  behind one of the main avenues of the city (Almirante Reis) and the fact that it’s such a recent fashion, the rents here are quite low.

Intendente: the hottest thing right now

It isn’t fancy like Chiado, typical like Alfama or as famous as Bairro Alto. But Intendente, which during the last years was up-and-coming is now the hippest neighbourhood. It has an edge that appeals to designers, musuicians and artists. It also has many of the coolest new bars and cafés of the city. You’ll find plenty of skaters and street artists hanging around or practising here and the main square is often a stage for dance groups to perform and other random moments like that.

The beautiful Praça do Intendente

Intendente takes its name from Praça do Intendente, a small and oddly-shaped square just a street away from Av. Almirante Reis. The square was just run down buildings a few years ago but it’s been recovered quite nicely and is now actually very beautiful. While there are still some rundown buildings, the overall feeling of the square is chilled.

Getting around Intendente

Intendente is just a road away from Avenida Almirante Reis. As Almirante Reis has 5 metro stations, plenty of buses and a tram, all you have to do is get onto that avenue and you’re sorted: all the public transport that you might need. The metros are all on the green line: but you can change to the blue line in Baixa-Chiado, to the red line in Alameda and to the yellow line in Campo Grande (-this one is a little bit far away!).

Living in Intendente: rental rates

Living in Intendente is pretty affordable if you compare to many posher neighbourhoods! It is a small neighbourhood, so many  rooms get rented very quickly. A room in a shared apartment should cost between €200 and €380 per month, unless it’s really really fancy. Residences in the area are all recent, so a room in a residence might be a little more expensive – between €350 and €500 per month.

Fact sheet: Largo do Intendente

One place to eat: O das Joanas. Cool little café with great food.
Address: Largo do Intendente Pina Manique, 28

One place to drink: Casa Independente. It’s an unmarked mansion on one side of the square which has been converted into one of the coolest café/bars of Lisbon. As a bonus, they do some pretty good drinks.
Address: Largo do Intendente Pina Manique, 45

One place to study: Largo Café Estudiox. Looks like a tiny place, but it’s bigger on the inside: the wifi is free, the coffee is good and cheap and the atmosphere is great. What else could you ask for?
Address: Largo do Intendente Pina Manique, 16-19