85 Best Shopping in Portugal

For the best selection of Madeira wine, check out the shop at Blandy's Wine Lodge, which sells an exhaustive selection of the local tipple, covering virtually every vintage of Blandy's produced on the island since around the mid-'70s.

It's been described by local press as "the prettiest store in the city," and few would argue with that description. The large, beautifully styled emporium stocks finely packaged traditional Portuguese goods at every price point, ranging from soaps and shaving cream to glassware, ceramics, textiles, notebooks, food, and olive oils. Airy and spacious, the contemporary shop is a must-visit for gifts and mementos that truly capture Portuguese life. There are branches in Chiado and at Time Out Market, but the Intendente store is a tourist attraction in itself.

It calls itself “Lisbon’s meeting point” for a reason. This chic, storied department store is where people of all ages meet before a night out on the town. Inside are 50 national and international chain stores offering everything you could need to look and feel fabulous, and there are 15 restaurants in the smart food court on the top floor, offering views of Chiado. The building itself is worth a visit, having been painstakingly restored after a fire consumed much of the centuries-old building in 1988. The smart Hotel do Chiado today occupies the lower floors.

This famous shop has specialized in traditional Madeiran embroidery since 1962. It produces beautifully handcrafted pillow cases, tablecloths, and other items, almost all of it produced on the island.

Housed in a beautiful 19th-century palace, Casa da Guia combines shopping, art, and gastronomy in grand style. It's poised on a cliff edge west of Cascais, beyond Boca do Inferno, and worth the trip out of town for the contemporary art gallery, high-end boutiques, interesting restaurants, and bars with outdoor terraces.

Upmarket Porto brand Castelbel is renowned for its beautifully packaged soaps, scented candles, and body lotions, all of which smell every bit as divine as they look. The products are hard to find overseas, so it's well worth calling into their retro chic flagship store at the Palácio das Artes to pick up some of their lovely gift sets.

One of the more intriguing venues on Rua Miguel Bombarda, the epicenter of the city's art scene, this shopping center is filled with one-of-a-kind galleries and interesting shops run by local entrepreneurs. There are several tempting bar-restaurants to help fuel your shopping spree.

There's a feast for the eyes at this shop, whose walls are lined with colorful tins of sardines and other seafood, as well as fruit preserves and other delicacies. The staff serves you from behind an antique wooden counter.

The Portuguese love affair with azulejo tiles is evident on buildings across the country, but taking home a tile as a memento has implications, as many of those for sale have been stolen from historic buildings. For a more ethical option, Cortiço & Netos sells distinct and beautiful discontinued tiles from the 1950s onward. You can buy just one tile or by the square meter.

Shopping doesn't get any more stylish than at this grand 18th-century mansion, which has been transformed into a gallery showcasing some of the best of Portuguese design and even a few international brands. The bar and restaurant in the inner Moorish-style courtyard is an attractive place for a meal or a gin drink.

Overlooking the the busiest part of Chiado, this shop has a particularly Instagram-worthy view of the cobblestone pavement from above. The collection of bags, stationery, ceramics, and other products designed in Portugal and abroad are worth considering for more than just a photograph.

Established in 1741, this workshop and store uses century-old techniques, including painting and glazing entirely by hand, to create contemporary designs and reproductions of antique tiles.

The so-called "thieves" market (it used to be said that stolen items invariably ended up here) is now the most famous flea market in Portugal. You'll need a few hours to browse all the stalls selling everything from vintage clothes to antique furnishings, with plenty of colorful treasures in between. Running until about 2 pm on Tuesday and a little later into the afternoon on Saturday, it's a memorable shopping experience. The market attracts serious collectors as well as casual browsers, so dedicated bargain hunters should be prepared to arrive early to grab the best deals.

There are now several branches of this respected wine merchant in Lisbon, but the Sant Justa elevator location has been in business for almost a century, and the knowledgeable English-speaking staff will let you know everything about the vintage you've selected. Bottles are stacked from floor to ceiling and packed in glass vitrines like museum displays. Garrafeira Nacional is also known for its selection of Portuguese spirits and fortified wines.

Sourdough loaves made by talented and passionate young baker Diogo Amorim attract carb-craving Lisboetas from across the city. Amorim learned his trade in the some of the world's top kitchens, and here he perfects the art, using flour prepared in an on-site stone mill. There are now several branches of GLEBA in and around Lisbon, but this is where it all began.

Legend has it that one of J. K. Rowling’s chief inspirations for the fantasy world of Harry Potter was this century-old bookstore, often cited as the most beautiful bookshop in the world. Although Rowling hasn’t confirmed these rumors, an undeniable fairy-tale magic permeates this place, whether you’re marveling at its 60,000 books, painted-glass ceiling, fanciful facade, or crimson double-helix staircase. In recent years, the bookstore has become so overrun with tourists that queues snake down the street, and there’s now a €5 admission fee, which is redeemable against any purchase in the store.

This charming store features all local handicrafts, from necklaces created from seaweed to handwoven straw bags to fish sculptures made out of debris found on Porto Santo's beaches.

Believed to be one of the oldest in the Algarve, if not the country, Loulé Municipal Market is a hive of smells, colors, and sounds. The century-old Moorish-style indoor area has a number of stalls that sell ready-to-eat foods, so you can sample local delicacies as you browse. The best time to come is Saturday morning, when the surrounding outdoor farmers' market bursts into life.

Lisbon’s smallest shop is one of its most charming, selling nothing but custom-made, finely crafted gloves since 1925. It’s the last place in Portugal where you can get these exclusive gloves, and it's recognized as one of the best stores of its kind in Europe. The well-preserved neoclassical interior fits two customers at a time, who go through the process of trying on the different sizes and colors by placing their elbows on a small cushion and letting the fitter make the perfect adjustments.

With tiled floors and vintage fittings, this beautifully designed grocery store and wine bar is run by the team behind the acclaimed Prado restaurant. Its shelves are stocked with seasonal, often organic, locally sourced products including cheeses, tinned fish, bread, fruits and vegetables, and dry goods. The adjoining bistro serves delicious small plates and a range of Portuguese natural and organic wines to complement them.

You can buy the famous Serpa cheese in the historic town center at Queijaria Bule, run by the fifth generation of the Bule family.

For some fairy-tale shopping, browse the racks here filled with fantastical frocks, capes, and more. Madonna is whispered to be among the celeb customers to have done so.

This ultramodern boutique specializes in shoes, clothes, and accessories for men, women, and kids. Independent Portuguese brands get top billing, and there's a nice terrace where you can enjoy a coffee to fuel your shopping spree.

Set in a former church, this store carries all sorts of crafts as well as handmade toys, local wine, and traditional passion-fruit liqueurs.

One of the city's oldest goldsmiths, W. A. Sarmento first opened its doors in 1870 and remains famous for its characteristic Portuguese gold and silver filigree work. Beautifully crafted pieces from six generations are displayed in an on-site jewelry museum.

For gifts, accessories, and home furnishings with a quirky touch, visit this offbeat store. Handmade ceramics from Portuguese artists are a specialty; items include cups with candy stripes in the style of Aveiro's Costa Nova beachfront buildings.