There’s More to Lisbon Than Alcohol
Lisbon can be a quite drink-heavy city. A glass of wine here, some beer there, a Caipirinha on the weekend. Surrounded by beautiful rooftops and vibrant bars, it can sometimes be quite difficult to find fun activities that do not revolve around alcohol. If you are sober or just need a break from drinking, try these 15 sober things to do in Lisbon.
1. Neoon Space
Instead of going to a club and drinking, how about you try this arcade place and have a few fun hours with your friends? This place is a bit further out from Lisbon but it’s for sure worth the trip.
At the Neoon Space you can play bowling, do escape rooms but they also have a big arcade with tons of games and machines. And this was my favourite part!
When you enter the place you can purchase a card, load money onto it and then use it to play the games. I went with a group of friends and we had a blast trying all the different machines.
Our favourite machine at the place was the dance game, which is almost a workout because you’re jumping around so much.
This arcade place is open every day until 9 pm.
2. AirLaser
Another fun activity, which will get you sweating a little is AirLaser, which is a Lasertag place close to the airport. I have played Lasertag with friends often back in Switzerland but the way they do it at Airlaser is a little different. At this place, you get a helmet and a small sash. They also give you an instructor who will guide you through the game.
You will play with two teams and the fun thing about this place is, that they do a few rounds with different settings each time. The few times I went we had rounds where you had to defuse a bomb, or you got different roles in the team (healer, snipper, etc.). It keeps the game super interesting and challenging at the same time.
Also, the design of the playfield is super fun, there are a few rooms you can walk through and a lot of things to hide behind.
3. Mocktails at Pensão Amor
Even if you’re not drinking alcohol you can still enjoy some of the lovely bars Lisbon has to offer. Many places have Mocktails or Soft Drinks.
Whenever I did an alcohol-free month, I noticed it’s a lot easier if you have some go-to non-alcoholic drinks you enjoy and you can order wherever you go. (My go-to’s usually are ginger beer, Coca-Cola Zero, alcohol-free beer or mocktails).
I love the mocktails Pensão Amor has. Although they don’t really have a ton of options, the bartenders are very skilled and can create a mocktail if you ask. Usually, I would order a mocktail from their menu but ask them to alter it a little.
Pensão Amor is a bar that used to be a brothel and has a lot of peculiar decorations, which makes it such an interesting spot to visit. In one room there’s even a dance pole!
I would recommend going there during the week or earlier on the weekend if you’re looking for a relaxed drink. On weekends the bar turns into a club with a dancefloor and it can get packed. Sometimes they have events (like Burlesque performances) or bands performing (we saw a Jukebox band once) even during the week. So if you find just grabbing a mocktail too boring, check if there’s an event going on there.
4. Watch the Sunset
If you are trying to find some chill sober activities to do with your friends, watching the sunset is always a great idea. And I know just the spot.
The best place to watch the sunset from Lisbon is called Jardim do Rio. It’s a little park with a perfect view of the 25 April Bridge and of Lisbon.
Although it’s on the other side of the Tagus River, you can reach Jardim do Rio quite easily. Either by ferry or by Uber. By ferry you have to take the yellow ferry line from Cais do Sodré towards Cacilhas. And then you just walk along the river until you’ve passed the restaurant Ponto Final.
By Uber you can ask to be dropped off at Panoramic Elevator of Boca do Vento, which is the big elevator next to the park. Once you’ve arrived just take the elevator down to the park. Or enjoy the view from the top, although there is not a lot of space to sit and chill.
5. Go Thrift Shopping
Vintage or second-hand stores are always fun to visit because you never know what treasure you can find. If you’re looking for sober activities in Lisbon, a vintage shopping day might be for you.
There are a few different options when it comes to thrift clothing stores in Lisbon. First of all, you have the Humana stores. They are an international organization with the goal to promote sustainable development. They collect and recycle second-hand clothes, but also have a bunch of thrift stores where you can donate and purchase clothes and other smaller items. And there are a lot of Humana thrift stores in Lisbon (just search on maps for Humana).
These stores are typically a bit cheaper than other vintage/second-hand stores but the selection of clothes is also all over the place and it takes a bit of luck to find a hidden treasure there. Sometimes they have sales where everything is reduced to a few euros.
Flamingos Vintage Kilo Lisboa is a vintage store where you can buy clothes by the kilogram. They have a wide selection of different clothing items and the store generally is super cute. It’s a bit more expensive than Humana but the quality & the selection of the clothes is also better.
A Outra Face da Lua is another of my favourite thrift store in Lisbon. They have so many cool pieces and accessories and you could just spend hours in the store. The store is a family business and has been around since 2005. Besides having a cool vibe, this place is also very well organized and it’s super easy to roam around and look through the different items.
6. Visit the LX Factory
The LX Factory is something most people visit when they are exploring Lisbon. It’s a cultural centre and creative hub in Alcântara (right by the famous 25 April Bridge).
LX Factory, a former industrial complex, has now been transformed into a dynamic space where you can find restaurants, art galleries, cafés, offices and stores.
It has a great eclectic atmosphere, a perfect place to just spend an afternoon strolling through the different buildings and stores. On some days there’s even an outdoor market with many different booths of local small businesses.
If you want to do something more than just strolling around, there’s also an axe-throwing place or you can visit one of the many restaurants.
When the weather is great it’s worth trying the hostel rooftop at LX Factory.
7. Play Minigolf
When you decide to not drink for a while (or stop completely) it can be quite difficult to find things to do. It’s much easier to just meet at a bar and have a drink, but when you decide to be sober or sober-curious you need to put a bit more effort into your activities. But it’s also a chance to do things you’ve always wanted to try or things you haven’t done in a while – like minigolf!
I know at least for me it has been a while since I played it the last time. There’s a minigolf place in Lisbon that I have visited a few times (mainly to play pool there though. You can read more about that here).
Anyway, playing minigolf is a great activity for a date or to hang out with friends that does not require you to drink any alcohol. It’s an indoor 18-hole course. Some of them are in a neon room, creating a fun and vibrant atmosphere.
8. Play Squash
When you’re not drinking it’s also a great chance to become a bit more active. During my sober months in Lisbon, I tried a few sports I hadn’t done in a long time. One of them was Squash. I used to play a little in high school but haven’t touched a racket since then.
It’s a fun indoor activity, perfect for bad weather or slow evenings. (But don’t underestimate it, it’s quite an intense sport).
As far as I know, there are around one or two squash places in Lisbon. My friend and I used the app Playtomic to find and book a squash court. You can pay directly in the app and if you want also record whom you played against and keep track of the scores. (We decided not to do that. I’m glad because my friend absolutely destroyed me lol).
9. Play Paddel
A sport I tried during my non-drinking months in Lisbon, was Paddel. It’s quite popular with most of my Swedish friends and Lisbon also has a bunch of indoor and outdoor arenas to play Paddel. I’ve only ever tried Tennis before but I enjoyed Paddel a bit more than Tennis.
It’s a wonderful activity to do with friends and you also get some exercise.
There’s an outdoor Paddel court by the 25 April Bridge, next to Doca de Santo Amaro. The Doca de Santo Amaro is a dock with many different restaurants. So after you’re Paddel match you can go and have a great meal with a wonderful view of the river.
10. Play Ping Pong
Another fun sober activity you can find in Lisbon is Ping Pong. The Monsanto Ping-Pong Club. regularly organises Ping-Pong events on Saturdays to which you can sign up for just a few Euros.
You can attend with friends or on your own. It doesn’t matter what your Ping-Pong level is, you can sign up and play against other people.
It’s also a family-friendly event or it can be a great way to meet new people. When I went with a friend we met some other expats who enjoyed playing Ping-Pong.
Finding activities, which do not revolve around alcohol. often means being more active and trying out new things. It also means not being hungover on weekends and you can use your Saturday morning for example for something like this. The organizers of this Ping-Pong event also have a volleyball and a roller disco club, if ping-pong is not really your vibe.
11. Take a Tile Painting Course
Lisbon is famous for its artistic painted tiles. Instead of hitting a bar, wouldn’t it be fun to try to paint a tile yourself? You get to learn more about the craft and get to have a souvenir of the experience! In spring 2023 I went to a tile painting workshop with my sister and my mum and we had a great time. There are a lot of courses and workshops available in Lisbon.
We ended up going to Loja dos Descobrimentos, which is a store that has been around since 1986. They started by selling tiles from other artists but later on, painted their own. Loja dos Descobrimentos offers a workshop to show how to paint tiles.
Loja dos Descobrimentos is located in Alfama, the old town of Lisbon. We ended up going to this place since I came up with this idea very spontaneously. I wanted to surprise my mum with something special for her birthday and knew she would love to try this craft. The workshop was guided by a lovely lady who helped us pick the design and explained how everything worked. They were super accommodating with everything and my mum still has the three tiles we painted!
12. Go to the Cinema
I love going to the cinema, especially on my own. I think it’s the perfect activity if you don’t really know what to do with your evening and you don’t want to drink. Of course, you could just stay at home on your couch and watch Netflix, but going to the cinema gives you a reason to leave the house. You can dress up as much as you want, treat yourself to some fun snacks and forget the world for a little bit.
There’s a cinema in Colombo, which is a big shopping mall in Lisbon. So if you feel like it, you can also go and shop a little before heading to the cinema.
13. Go to a Comedy Event
A great alternative to going to a normal club is going to a comedy club. You can find a bunch of comedy events in Lisbon on meetup. Look for Lisbon Comedy and the Republic of Comedy.
At locations like the bar Xafarix in Santos or the café Selva in Alcantara, you can enjoy various comedy events every day of the week.
Most of these events are donation-based. So there is no fixed entry price, but the comedians ask for donations to support their work.
Even if you are interested in going up on the stage yourself there are open mics for stand-up comedy (although you might need a drink for this, who knows).
14. Attend a Storytelling Event
If you like to listen to stories or love to tell some yourself this is an amazing event and a great alternative to a normal night out. Storytelling Lisboa organizes an English storytelling event every month. And every second month there is a Portuguese event.
It’s a place where people from all walks of life come together and share stories from their lives. Usually, there is an overall topic for the evening and the storytellers have to register beforehand. There’s also a rule that the story has to be true and that it shouldn’t be longer than 10 minutes.
Storytelling Lisboa also offers workshops on how to craft a story for the stage if that is something you’re interested in.
The storytelling event is free but you have the chance to give donations. Every time I went so far it was pretty busy and the stories were incredibly entertaining. It’s a phenomenal way to learn more about other people, to be entertained but also to spend time away from drinking (although you can of course get a drink at the bar if you choose to).
15. Bowling
Last but not least, instead of hitting a club you should try this bowling place. It’s called joker lounge and besides bowling, has pool tables, an air hockey table and a tabletop football table. The decor is kind of retro with many 80s elements, and a lot of neon. In honour of its name, the bar has characters from various comics and movies all over the walls and floors.
It’s a wonderful place to hang out with friends or bring a date to.
Angela
Angela, the mastermind behind theslowtravelista, is a passionate traveler who embraces slow travel's essence. With a knack for immersing herself in diverse cultures, she treasures connections formed across the globe. Beyond her adventures, Angela's vibrant personality shines through her love for spontaneous hair changes, hitchhiking escapades, and culinary delights. Join her for travel insights, laughter, and unforgettable adventures.
