We find excuses to explore the many bairros of Lisbon—the city, much like Paris, is more a collection of villages than one monochromatic town.
Perched on a hill overlooking the lower quarters on the river, Campo de Ourique survived the earthquake of 1755 like a bear—it’s shaped like one, and for a while I thought the bear was somehow the origin of the name (ours being “bear” in French). No such fancy, just a peaceful neighborhood that, during the 1900s, sheltered revolutionary thinkers alongside everyday working folks in its cocooning streets.
Today, it remains a quiet haven, and we went in search of a good place to tap into a craft beer in the city. Luck steered us into the Mercearia do Campo de Ourique, a petiscos and pratos market with beer-lined shelves, and a good selection of interesting wines and cheeses too. The Mercearia has a “morning” market too, where you can wifi with your friends far away over coffee—or pick a homemade dessert from the glass-enclosed lazy Susan in the corner. I loved my polvo lagareiro, the octopus practically confit-ed in olive oil, while my mate enjoyed his burger.
We washed the good food down with a Hipster Monkey from Bolina, and an appropriate D’Ourique Golden Strong Ale, made right there in the neighborhood. Life is good in the bairro.
The neighborhood’s own D’Ourique Gold Strong Ale, Da Fonte, at Mercearia do Campe de Ourique 
Hippocratic oaths in the architecture on our walk in Campo de Ourique, Lisbon 
Bolina’s Hipster Monkey by the chilled bottle at Mercearia do Campo de Ourique