The Lisbon branch of this Venice wine bar is perpetually packed. Even on a Monday night, locals spill out into the street. The location – an almost hidden-feeling alleyway in Graça – is charming, but we suspect its popularity is because it offers a bit of everything: thought-provoking wines, a buzzy vibe, bites, even a resident dog. Three chalkboards (Reds, Whites and Sparkling/Rosé) offer glasses and bottles that are constantly changing, many of which are excellent natural wines.

The staff here really know their stuff, and are enthusiastic and keen to share it with guests. Their great taste means they’re guaranteed to have a delicious glass or bottle you’ve probably never heard of. Impromptu wine lessons mean that guests tend to linger, making bar real estate a precious commodity. Luckily, Black Sheep recently expanded to take over the space next door. It may not be the same intimate, erudite experience, but at least you’ll get a seat.

Occupying a corner space in Anjos with vast windows, high ceilings, walls painted Millennial pink and boasting what appears to be a glowing halo, O Pif’s look is bold. Yet perhaps even bolder is the fact that this is a wine bar run by French folks who exclusively serve Portuguese wines. Helpful staff can aid in navigating bottles and glasses from some of Portugal’s most respected small producers, although you’ll need to go elsewhere if you insist on big pours.

Menus are so 2022. Instead, roll into Ressaca Tropical, tell the staff what flavors or aromas you like (or don’t like), and they’ll hook you up with a delicious glass – no reading required. Carlos, the bar’s head sommelier and part-owner, is a terrific guide through the world of contemporary wine. Lisbon wine professionals, restaurant folks and listings mags are all fans, and a downstairs lounge area and occasional DJ events take Ressaca Tropical beyond the usual wine bar tropes.

If you’re searching for a Lisbon chef or restaurant worker on his night off, there’s a good chance he or she can be found clutching a glass at A Viagem das Horas. Owner Ricardo Maneira has a reputation for pricing his bottles fairly, and like his personality, the vibe is cozy and chilled (and his former career as a DJ means that the soundtrack is far better than most). Tasty snacks and occasional food events round out the offerings.

You’ve likely blown by Holy Wine on the tram without even knowing. If you had stopped, you’d find an almost comically tiny, friendly wine bar with the vibe of a very cool secondhand shop. Sampling is encouraged and obligatory – there’s no menu but there are as many as 20 wines available by the glass – and most likely your glass will be something natural or biodynamic, with skin contact and a relatively high price tag.

Each of these wines tells a singular story, loud and clear, introducing us to an iconoclastic winemaker working some particular patch of land. That is the stated mission of Goliardos – to distribute unique and “authentic” wines which express a certain terroir. This terroir-obsessed distributor is reached through a tiny alley in Campolide. The company keeps a low profile, hiding Lisbon’s greatest wine storeroom in a narrow garage that counts several auto body shops as its neighbors.

Situated between traditional tascas and pastelarias, Tati’s new location maintains the welcoming atmosphere, lovely food and excellent natural wine list that made it so popular in the first place. While the food is top-notch, they also want to spotlight their wine selection, which is 50% Portuguese bottles. The other half is made up of wines from Italy, France, Spain, Austria, Germany and Greece. Here is a quiet, leisurely spot for a good meal and even better wine.

Fermenting artistic talent seems to be the new purpose of this old bakery. LAPO is now a bar, café, restaurant, concert venue, shop and small cultural center that supports local artists. Occupying two floors of a former bakery in Upper Bica, the café’s beautiful light and big wooden tables are quite inviting, as is their ambitious events calendar and stage. When the weather allows it, we also love hanging on the tiny white-washed terrace with a glass of wine from the comprehensive wine list.