Taking in the sites of Lisbon I stumbled across Duque Brewpub in the Chiado neighborhood of Lisbon. With a great location heading up the stairs from Downtown into Chiado and Bairro Alto, and with both indoor and outdoor seating, Duque BrewPub makes for a great destination regardless of the weather. But it was the outdoor seating on the stairs on this beautiful September day that was the big draw. Passing by at 3:45 PM on a Tuesday the folks at the pub were busy setting up the outside tables for a 4:00 PM opening. Returning at 4:15 PM, I expected to have my choice of seats but found the 4 or 5 tables that were set up nearly full.
I went directly inside to the counter and ordered the only IPA being served this day the “O IPA Linda”. I then scurried quickly back outside to secure one of the few seats left at the quickly filling tables. The crowd outside was a mix of locals and tourists and the tables are close enough together to promote lively, social interaction. The beer itself was quite good with an “Untapped” global score of 3.69 with 20 ratings. Most of the local patrons were regulars enjoying one of the better craft beer spots in Lisbon while all of the Tourists were from the U.S., there to get a craft beer fix at one of the few quality breweries in the city. Nearly all of the conversation centered on the burgeoning craft brew scene in Lisbon with much local curiosity on how the quality stacks with breweries in the United States. While there is still an extremely large gap between the two, the craft beer scene in Lisbon is quite advanced from my visit 5 years prior. Along with a selection of 6 or 7 beers all brewed on site, a very nice selection of snacks and sandwiches were available. I had a grilled cheese with chorizo sausage that was outstanding beside my second beer selection, an American Pale Ale, the Duque Amarguinho. All in all, a great stop on fine day in Lisbon.
