Picolo recommends · Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal
Memmo Alfama
Breakfast beside a small red pool, with the tiled roofs of Alfama dropping away to the river and the cruise ships below.
Finding Memmo Alfama is half the fun. The entrance is tucked into a lane just below the cathedral, and you are almost at reception before you realise you have arrived.
Then comes the terrace. A little red pool sits over a sea of Alfama rooftops, with the Tagus and the moored cruise ships beneath. Rooms are compact and pared back in white and wood, because the view is meant to do the talking.
Picolo’s verdict
Why we chose Memmo Alfama
This is our pick for a weekend for two. You spend evenings in Alfama, among fado bars and steep lanes, and mornings on a terrace that many people only see in photographs.
Cars cannot reach the door, so expect to roll your case over cobbles for the last stretch. Rooms are small, and the hills are steep in every direction, which makes it a poor fit if walking is hard for you.
What you get
- Small red pool on the terrace
- Views over Alfama and the Tagus
- Simple rooms in white and wood
- Breakfast with a view
- Below the cathedral
A day at Memmo Alfama
- Morning
- Breakfast on the terrace while the river is still pale.
- Midday
- A walk up through Alfama to the Miradouro de Santa Luzia.
- Afternoon
- A swim in the red pool when the lanes get hot.
- Evening
- Fado in a small Alfama tavern after dark.
Location
Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal
Open in MapsQuestions about Memmo Alfama
Can taxis reach Memmo Alfama?
Not all the way. Cars stop a short walk away, and the final stretch is over cobbled lanes, so pack light.
Does Memmo Alfama have a pool?
Yes, a small red pool on the terrace looking over the rooftops of Alfama to the Tagus. It is one of the best-known views in the city.
Is Memmo Alfama good for couples?
Very much so. It is small and quiet, in the most atmospheric part of the city, and it is our romantic pick in Lisbon.
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Updated 6 Nov 2026All articles
How Picolo chooses
Our editors pick every hotel themselves, and most of them we have stayed at. No hotel can pay to be included or ranked higher. When you book through our links, Hotels.com pays Picolo a small commission. It never changes the price you pay, and it never decides what we write.
