Your calls always answered within 5 rings.
Absolutely spot on as usual. Always at the end of the phone whenever needed
Thank you for booking us a great hotel
Will use again
A wonderful few days away and all the arrangements from the start to the end of holiday were perfect. Samuel Jalloh was so helpful.
Helen was ace - sorted out the travel arrangements quickly and efficiently
Great back up and support. Super holiday and just what it said on the tin.
Jupiter Hotel excellent. Clean towels and sheets every day. Cascais lovely. Hotel country house style. TAP airlines delayed both ways and no food or tea bags to buy so couldn’t recommend them although plane back was very comfortable
Extremely helpful in tracing my lost baggage (Nicky). All arrangements good. Hotel very good.
DialAFlight is a great company to rely on. I feel secure with my travels and very confident.
Very easy to book and just made it so much easier than searching for hours to put a holiday together. And we paid much less than others for our hotel
Amazing week from start to finish. Well managed from the moment we registered our interest. Gareth organised everything for us and kept us informed each step of the way. Our accommodation was superb with each pousada having its own unique style (and breakfasts unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before as per previous reviews!) Portugal and DialAFlight you did not disappoint and we would definitely recommend.
Marvellous trip. Thanks.
Excellent service - when I had a question about my return whilst on holiday, I was given a response quick and easily. Will 100% be booking my future trips via DialAFlight
After many years of booking through DialAFlight they are still the most friendly and helpful service. Thank you Mason and Russell.
Although expensive, the service is always great. You get what you pay for these days!
The whole team are brilliant - every aspect of their service is great. They make every part of booking flights far far better than booking direct with the airlines. We had trouble coming back from Portugal last week and we nearly missed our flight check in but Saf took care of everything and we still made it. I highly recommend them.
Super helpful and reassuring
Sadie did an excellent job. Everything co-ordinated and worked very well.
Lovely staff at all pousadas. Several times they upgraded us without us asking. Food very good and rooms clean
All very good as usual. Thank you Robert
All the connections came together without any problems.
Amazing service!
Great job Gavin
Very happy with all the arrangements for our trip, thank you. It all went well.
Sam was amazing - great service and always attentive
Two great hotels, thanks Graham
Thank you, great service as usual and I enjoyed flying with TAP.
Elliott is always there and always sorts my flights out
Over and above. What a wonderful trip. There and back. So easy because you had thought of everything beforehand. I really want to thank you all.
Great service
The Portuguese have a specific word to describe a nostalgic longing for a place, 'saudade', and after visiting Lisbon it’s easy to see why.
It's conveniently close to the UK, it's in the same time zone - and is a hotbed of cutting edge culture and nightlife, exciting architecture, music events and super cuisine including a thriving pop-up restaurant scene.
Music festivals, headed by Nos Alive in July, rival Glastonbury and Reading.
At Nos Alive, one arena is dedicated to Fado, the melancholy music that originated in Lisbon in the 1820s and is making a big comeback. The festival shows how high Lisbon sits on the 'cool' scale, with a huge buzz in the city’s arts and design sectors.
Lisbon has helped fund many free music and arts events in troubled neighbourhoods to bring investment to the areas and the city is reaping the rewards.
A prime example of the success of this policy is an inner-city area called Mouraria, which used to be the old red light district but is now one of the city's trendiest locations and a magnet for visitors.
It has some of the most beautiful tiled buildings in Lisbon and is one of the top foodie hangouts.
WHERE TO GO
For global cuisine, head to the food market in Martim Moniz Square, or ask the advice of locals about many of the little-known restaurants - some in seemingly private kitchens.
There are also plenty of pop-up events run by Elisa Sartor and Valentina Toscano of Mani In Pasta, who also introduced us to the famous Portuguese custard tart.
The original tarts can be found at the Pastéis de Belém in the Belém area, but for an equally delicious treat in a more central location, try the Confeitaria Nacional shop at Praça da Figueira, which was built in 1829 and still contains its original interior. The pastries are a breakfast delicacy - copy the locals by sprinkling the tart with cinnamon or icing sugar.
From Praça da Figueira, a short Metro ride takes you to a jewel in the Lisbon crown - the indoor Time Out Food Market, which houses artisan food and drink stalls run by some of the biggest bars and restaurants in the city.
FOODIE HEAVEN
Visitors can choose from a number of culinary delights, including steak, sushi, dim sum, local cheese and charcuterie. I opted for a salmon, cuttlefish, tomato and seaweed burger in a cuttlefish ink bun that was absolutely delicious.
There are plenty of places for a more upmarket meal too, including the Bica Do Sapato restaurant, co-owned by Holly-wood A-Listers Catherine Deneuve and John Malkovich, and the hotel Tivoli, which features the Brasserie Flo, a grand 1920s-style dining room serving French food.
I indulged in some local oysters, followed by the most delectable prawn and asparagus risotto I have ever eaten and a salted cod with chorizo crumble.
Upstairs at the Terraço restaurant, diners get one of the best views of Lisbon. Later, we enjoyed a drink at the Sky Bar, a terrace with panoramic views.
Thanks to its hilly nature, Lisbon is famous for its terraces and visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to verandas with a view that serve food.
People looking for a more modern and relaxed vibe should head to the Memmo Alfama though, a boutique hotel in the Alfama area that is built into the medieval walls of the city. Just a stone’s throw from the hotel is the Clube do Fado in Alfama, widely considered to be the best bar to hear Fado music.
NIGHT LIFE
The quaint streets of the historic Barrio Alto area come alive at night, with traditional and modern restaurants, Fado houses and lively bars staying open well into the night.
Lisbon is well-known for its extremely photogenic tiled facades. In some neighbourhoods almost every home is covered in the ceramics, splashing entire streets with rainbow colours.
Nowhere is this more evident than at Pestana Palace, a five-star hotel in a restored 19th century palace with views over the Tagus. The grand reception rooms boast fresco ceilings and decorative furniture.
On top of all this there are beaches less than an hour away from the centre and guaranteed good weather – the city with everything.
First published in the Mail on Sunday - May 2018
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