The Decadente is a former palace in the old part of town which has been converted into a bar, restaurant and hostel (The Independente). The bar, The Decadente, opened recently and you can sense this in the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. The hostel upstairs helps create a fun, international vibe - everyone speaks English, which is useful if looking to make new friends. That said, the smarter bar and restaurant downstairs are proudly Portuguese. The cocktails here are the classiest we found in Lisbon, made with Portuguese ingredients where possible. They're not just saying this: all of the produce is locally sourced and in season. Try the 'North – South' trio of shots - liquors from the North, Lisbon and the Algarve in that order. We also loved the Miss Lisboa, a concoction based on the native liqueur Ginjinha, and The Decadente, made with the mysterious Licor Beirao, the recipe for which is a genuine trade secret. For €1 beers catch happy hour: 6-8pm daily.
The décor is 50s and 60s: low comfortable seats, hanging clocks, and patchwork planks on the walls. There is a terrace at the back, but it's small: this is more of an inside place, ideal for winter. The bar hosts live music on Fridays and the less structured 'Jam Wednesdays'. The restaurant is next door and looks pretty swish; meanwhile the bar is reasonable and busy late at night.