I’ve been living within a five-minute walk of the LX Factory in Alcântara – one of Lisbon’s best things to do – for the past five years, so I know the industrial warehouses and creative precinct of this micro-neighbourhood very well. That’s why I’ve written this guide, sharing the best things to do along with where to eat, drink and shop in the LX Factory. Let’s dive in!
What is the LX Factory?
Back in 2008, a huge mid-19th-century textiles factory was reborn into a hip creative precinct filled with start-ups, shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. It has two streets, which are lined with restaurants and cafes with terraces spilling out onto the sidewalk alongside fantastic gift stores. In the main factory building you can also explore upstairs where you’ll find small makers, artisans, and creatives who rent studios.
Every Sunday there is an LX Factory Market with locally made goods and vintage clothing. Year-round it also hosts events and gigs, from the Lisbon Coffee Festival to private conferences.
The best things to do at the LX Factory
There is plenty to do here, so you could spend a day or afternoon exploring.
Admire the cool street art
The LX Factory is primarily a grungy old factory precinct, where shops and stores have taken over existing spaces. The outside walls of many buildings and walls are covered in awesome street art.
There are murals by some of Portugal’s top street artists, including a giant bee made by Bordalo II, who famously crafts 3D pieces using trash. Other artworks in the factory seem to change from time-to-time so there’s always something new to look at.
Enter the cool bookstore
International media, from the the Daily Mail to the Financial Times, have called Ler Devagar one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. Make a point of visiting the space, which is easy to miss while walking down the main street.
Ler Devagar took over an old printing shop and the upper floor is still dominated by the massive printing press. Sometimes it still smells of ink in here! As for books, they go from floor to ceiling and make for an impressive photo. There’s a selection of English-language books on the ground floor in the back-left corner.
Bonus: On the top floor of Ler Devagar is Jazz Messengers, a second-hand vinyl store with 2,000+ jazz records.
Visit on Sundays for the LX Factory Market
Each Sunday, from around 10am until 7pm, the LX Factory Market pops up with a curated selection of vendors. Expect to find everything from cool vintage stores to local designers, Portuguese-made sunglasses and hand-made jewellery.
Near the entrance there are always a few gourmet stalls with artisanal cheeses, spices, baked goods, and liqueurs. The main market is located in the back car park, past USAxe.
On extra special days there might be live music and street food stalls too.
Go shopping for souvenirs
The LX Factory is actually an exceptional place to shop for Portuguese souvenirs. You won’t find any tacky fridge magnets here, instead there are stores for made-in-Portugal ceramics, cork goods, clothing, gourmet food and wine, skincare, jewellery and so much more.
I’ll break down a few of my favourite shops within the LX Factory in the next section of this article.
Read next… Where to buy authentic souvenirs in Lisbon
Enjoy cocktails during Happy Hours!
The LX Factory is always changing and evolving, and one more recent development is Happy Hour. I’ve noticed that from as early as 2pm to as late as 8pm (times vary by venue) many of the restaurants within the precinct are offering great value cocktails, beer and wine. Think €5 for an Aperol spritz, or €1.50 beers. Since most spots are open through the afternoon, it’s a great way for them to keep busy outside of lunch and dinner.
The best shops at the LX Factory
Pequeno Jardim – flower truck
When you first step inside the LX Factory gates you’ll see the flower truck. It’s a florist connected to Pequeno Jardim, one of Lisbon’s oldest florists, which has been around since 1922.
More Than Wine – ceramics & gourmet goods
As the name suggests, this little store stocks more than wine – but if you are after wine, the selection here is great with lots of small Portuguese producers, biodynamic wines, and fortified wines like port. On other shelves you’ll find tinned fish, jams, salt, tea and less perishable souvenirs like ceramics, bread boards and posters.
Mag Kiosk – international magazines
Mag Kiosk is a small shipping container near the entrance that stocks local and international magazines and newspapers. It’s one of the only places in the city to find English-language magazines. They also sell cute tile-printed notepads and tobacco.
Pura Cal – interior designer & atelier
This interior design and architecture studio doubles as a beautiful boutique with top-tier Portuguese ceramics from brands like Bordallo Pinheiro along with original artworks and unique pieces.
Cerâmica Factory – Portuguese pottery
This little store holds a huge range of Portuguese ceramics from different local workshops. You can find cups, mugs, bowls, plates, jugs and more made in Portugal from terracotta or other clays and glazed with fun patterns.
Read next…Made in Portugal: Where to shop for Portuguese ceramics
Ementa – cool Portuguese skate brand
Ementa is super cool, with a beautiful store tucked away on the gallery/first floor of the main factory. Head up the stairs to find the boutique with made-in-Portugal T-shirts, hoodies, pants, shorts, bags and more.
OtherWise – patterned men’s shirts
Another cool streetwear label, OtherWise specialises in ethically made collared shirts. Each piece of cotton fabric used in the shirts is printed in India using the blockprint method.
Coqueta – vintage clothing
This small Lisbon vintage shop was founded by a Portuguese-Argentinian couple and within you can find a colourful array of shirts and skirts, jackets and accessories from the 70s to 90s. There’s also a range of remade and edited vintage clothing, plus sustainably made bags.
Bergue Jewelry Tailors – jewellery
Since 2009 this family-run jewellery store has been working out of the LX Factory. The workshop is on the mezzanine floor, so you can see where your new ring, necklace or earrings were made. The jewellery style is modern, and they work with recycling silver and gold. You can even take your own pieces in to melt down and make something new.
Rutz Cork – cork souvenirs
Rutz combines two major parts of Portugal’s economy: footwear and cork. Here you can find sneakers, sandals and shoes made with cork, a natural material grown in Portugal. You can also find locally made jersey rugs, filigree jewellery, soaps and other souvenirs.
Travelling Socks – Portuguese socks
This Portuguese sock company makes all its fun and patterned socks in Portugal. Find a small store on the first floor of the factory.
NAE Vegan Shoes – footwear
Founded back in 2008, the well-established footwear brand produces shoes and accessories in certified and ethical factories in Portugal. With the environment and durability in mind, Nae explores materials such as piñatex, cork, organic cotton, recycled PET, and vegan leather.
Shop Nae footwear – 15% off with code NAE15
Read next… Made in Portugal: 24 Best Portuguese Sneaker Brands
That’s just a handful of the great shops you can find within the LX Factory. More line the main two streets, plus there is a gallery level in the main factory that has small artisan workshops and stores.
Where to eat at the LX Factory
Within the LX Factory there are more than a dozen restaurants and cafés where you can eat food from around the world – from tacos and burgers to sushi and chocolate cake.
Being completely honest, I rarely eat within the LX Factory. It’s not because the food inside is not good – it’s because I prefer to dine at my neighbourhood tascas and local spots. A few years ago I found the prices within the LX Factory were more designed for tourists than locals, though I think that has settled down now and is more comparable with the rest of the city.
Places I personally recommended to eat or drink
- Landeau – famous for its incredible chocolate cake. It does one thing and does it so, so well.
- Micro Burgers & Music – decent burgers somewhere halfway between American and Portuguese style
- MatchaMama – mix of Peruvian and Asian cuisine, and the back garden is so lush like a jungle. Really nice for a drink
- Borogodó – a great spot for live music and drinks, with food from Brazil
- USAxe – axe throwing is the main attraction, with American junk food (burgers, wings, mac ‘n’ cheese)
- Brigadeirando – café with delicious cakes
- Boqueirão – relaxed bar with Brazilian snacks
Places I’ve been recommended to try
- Taberna 1300 – traditional Portuguese with a chef twist
- Canteen – inspired by the traditional canteen that served factory workers since 1846
- Malaca Too – a mix of cuisines from Portugal’s former colonies
Read next… Where to eat in Lisbon: 26 best restaurants and tascas
What are the opening hours of the LX Factory?
The LX Factory is open seven days a week. Think of it as a micro neighbourhood with a hundred or so small businesses within – and each of those businesses has its own opening hours.
While Google suggests the LX Factory opening hours are 10.30am to 10.30pm every day, that’s not true. it changes depending on what you are interested in. As a general rule, most stores and cafés are open from around 10am until 7pm or 8pm. Bars and restaurants will open closer to 12pm and many stay open until 12pm – extending that to 2am on the weekend.
Examples of opening hours of some LX Factory businesses:
- Ler Devagar (bookstore): 10am – 9pm daily
- The Therapist (cafe): 9am – 7pm daily
- Beers (pub): 12pm – 12am daily
- US Axe (axe throwing + burgers): 11am – 12pm daily, and until 2am on Fri/Sat
How to get to the LX Factory
The LX Factory is located in Alcântara. The main entrance is at Rua Rodrigues de Faria 103, but there is a side gate located near Rua 1º de Maio 21, and the recent 2024 renovations opened up the back end of the factory, so now you can walk in the opposite side – though Google hasn’t updated the map yet, so I can’t pin the street for you.
Public transport
It’s super easy to reach the LX Factory by public transport – and transport is free if you have the Lisboa Card.
The most simple is to catch the tram 15, which departs Praça da Figueira and stops at Calvário in Alcântara about 20-25 minutes later. From here it’s a three-minute walk to the entrance. You can also catch a handful of buses – like the 714 or 727. It’s best to just use Google Maps to find transport options within Lisbon.
Finally, the Cais do Sodré to Cascais train stops at Alcântara-Mar. If you take the train, it’s now fastest to enter via the new back way – after exiting the train, head through the tunnel to the north and follow Avenida da India until you see the LX Factory on your right. It’s about a 10-minute walk.
Taxi or rideshare
If there is a group of you, it may be more economic to take an Uber or Bolt to the main entrance.
Map of the LX Factory
Conveniently, the LX Factory website has a fairly up-to-date map of all the stores and restaurants within the precinct. You can use this LX Factory map to locate specific businesses.
Where to stay near the LX Factory
Other attractions and things to do near the LX Factory
It’s easy to make a day of visiting the LX Factory. Here are ideas for other things you can do before or after.
Walk from Alcântara to Belém
The riverfront pathway is so nice between the bridge and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument. On a sunny afternoon there is nothing better! To reach the river you’ll need to cross the train line, either via the tunnel at Alcantara-Mar or the bridge near the Centro de Congressos.
Visit a museum: MAAT, B-MAD, or trams
The most important gallery within striking distance is MAAT, the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. This contemporary art museum is like a modern spaceship perched on the river’s edge. You can access it on the walk to Belém. Worth a stop.
Closer to the LX Factory, just across the road is B-MAD, a museum filled with art nouveau and art deco objects. Next door is the Carris Museum, where you can see Lisbon’s old trams and buses.
Visit the Docas for a meal – or go sailing
The small Doca de Santo Amaro is surrounded by old warehouses that have been turned into restaurants. You can watch a game at the sports bar, eat around the world with different cuisines, go for a fancy fish lunch, or set sail on one of the sailboats in the small harbour.
Seek out specialty coffee near the LX Factory
Somehow the streets around the LX Factory have become a hub for specialty coffee. There are two roasters close by: Torra, which roasts coffees from Brazil and has a small cafe; and Orioli, a cafe, roaster and coffee education space connected to a family farm in Brazil. Then there’s also Parioca, an amazing cafe with a great terrace.
Go rock climbing or scale the Pilar 7
The LX Factory is almost underneath the pillars of the 25 de Abril Bridge. Nearby there’s a rock climbing centre on one of the pillars called Escala 25 – sometimes there is outdoor cinema there in the summer months. You can also scale the bridge with Pilar 7, where an elevator within one of the columns takes you to a viewpoint and museum. Right by the river there is a padel court you can hire to play with friends too.
Eat at other places in Alcântara
I prefer to eat beyond the LX Factory, so if you’re in the neighbourhood you could try Pausa, which does pasta and focaccia with natural wines, or PizzaMode for Napoli-style pizza. For Portuguese, Lutador or Restaurante Santo Amaro are two local tascas with terraces and traditional food.
Take in the view from Santo Amaro chapel
Alcântara is home to one of Lisbon’s oldest buildings (that no one knows about). The Capela de Santo Amaro dates back to 1549 – more than 200 years before the great earthquake. This little chapel sits at a huge lookout with views of the bridge, the Cristo Rei statue, and river. It’s a great place to watch the sunset, pat dogs, and enjoy a drink. If you go earlier in the day, the hexagonal chapel might be open so you can view the antique tile panels of the alcove up close.
That’s a comprehensive guide to the LX Factory from my local perspective. Any questions? Leave me a comment….
Read next…
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- Local’s Guide to Feira da Ladra, Lisbon’s Famous Flea Market
- Where to find the best vintage and second-hand shops in Lisbon
- 22 most beautiful castles in Portugal
- 16 most beautiful villages and small towns in Portugal
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