The beauty of Lisbon’s pastel-hued architecture is one of the Portuguese capital’s major draws. Travellers enticed by beautiful surroundings would do well to stay at the newly opened Tarabel Lisbon, a luxury boutique hotel that prides itself on its decor. When you walk in, you’re greeted by an enormous antique birdcage wrought in the shape of a palace, with faux birds perched on top. This playful sensibility sets the tone for your stay.
Why stay here?
Situated on a hill in the Estrela neighbourhood, the Tarabel has no bad views. On one side, the former townhouse faces the splendour of the US Embassy building and its gardens. The other looks out at the show-stopping expanse of the Tagus estuary: the 25 de Abril Bridge, the Port of Lisbon, and the huge Christ the King monument across the river in Almada. An entire evening can be spent just sitting on the terrace with a glass of wine, watching the boats and cruise ships go by.
Tarabel’s impeccably manicured garden is on an incline, and is split into levels that naturally carve the space into smaller, intimate sitting areas. Parakeets – real this time – fly overhead and perch in the trees lining the garden. At the bottom is the emerald-green pool, providing guests with welcome respite from the heat. Bright white and yellow parasols complement the lush foliage, and looking up toward the hotel from the bottom of the garden you can see the large-scale tile artwork conceptualised by the owner and designer, a love letter to the azulejos (traditional ceramic tiles) of Lisbon.
The rooms
Rooms are spacious and luxurious. Most of the furniture comes from the owner’s personal collection, gathered over the course of a lifetime from visits to flea markets all over Europe. A trefoil side-table from Portobello Market sits next to a rococo settee from Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, stripped and reupholstered in a modern fabric. The Tarabel also borrows some styling choices from its sister location in Morocco, such as the pleated rattan accents and the occasional white-painted lattice woodwork.
Although bright whites dominate the hotel’s design, the warmth of unvarnished wood furniture does much to temper its starkness, and judicious use of pops of colour – fresh greens, yellows and florals – gives visual interest to the luxe space. Surprising, quirky additions are peppered throughout, such as a small trompe l’oeil ceiling fresco of a conservatory roof, complete with climbing roses and birds. It’s the attention to detail that makes this gathering of unique pieces work.
Eating and drinking
The quaint collection of flea-market finds extends to the cutlery and tableware, down to the miniature silver-lidded salt shakers. Everything is served on antique porcelain, mis-matched in design, yet unified in style.
The menu at Tarabel is a fusion of Portuguese, French and Italian cooking, with offerings sure to please most palates. The starters opened strongly: the fresh hamachi sourced from the Azores was buttery and tender, and the scoop of homemade basil sorbet perched on the tomato carpaccio was surprisingly delightful. The chicken’s accompaniment of roasted and pickled vegetables provided a light, pleasant contrast to the meat.
The standout dish, however, was the juicy scarlet prawns on a bed of creamy, lemony Portuguese rice. It exemplified the principles of Portuguese cooking: simple, unfussy flavour profiles and a focus on high-quality ingredients. It’s a must-try dish for any seafood lovers. Desserts are delicious and uncomplicated. Chocolate moelleux and tropical sorbet, both elevated with a flavoured crumble (cardamom and lime, respectively) finished off the meal with a satisfying hit of sweetness.
The staff are attentive and put in a lot of effort, ready to share tips and favourite restaurants, and really go the extra mile to make your stay pleasant and memorable. I took a croissant from the breakfast spread to my room to have later, only to find that after a few hours it had been replaced on the (now clingfilm-wrapped) plate by two pastries.
Things to do
While there’s no shortage of things to do in central Lisbon, the hotel’s location encourages a trip west, to the historic district of Belém. There, a short walk along the waterfront can take you from the Belém Tower to the Monument of Discoveries, and the luscious Vasco da Gama garden. The stunning Jerónimos Monastery nearby is also well worth a visit, and as a reward for a hard day of sightseeing, right next door you can try the original pastel de nata at Pastéis de Belém, the bakery that created the world-famous egg custard tart in 1837.
The verdict
Tarabel’s design sensibility fits right in with the beauty of Lisbon’s architecture, and if you’re looking for a room with a view of the river, there’s few places where you could do better. Whether in a plush suite or poolside, the hotel offers a wonderful place to rest whenever you’re not exploring Lisbon.
Julia was a guest of Tarabel Lisbon; tarabellisbon.com