Bairro Alto - Lisbon's cultural and bohemian heart
Bairro Alto is a picturesque working class quarter dating from the 16th century that has traditionally been the city's bohemian haunt of artists and writers.
Its grid of streets is quiet during the day, but is transformed at night into the city's vibrant nightlife quarter. Behind colorful and graffiti-ridden façades is a variety of excellent traditional and international restaurants, tourist-packed Fado houses, and a multitude of sleek bars and stylish alternative fashion shops that stay open until late at night. Throughout the week, and especially on weekends you'll find people of all ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles bar-hopping through the cobbled lanes or standing outside with a drink in hand enjoying the city's usual mild nights.

Where to stay?
Lisbon Poets Hostel- Rua Nova da Trindade, nr.2 - 5th Floor, Chiado. This is the BEST BEST location in the city

http://www.hostelworld.com/ hosteldetails.php/ LisbonPoetsHostel- Lisbon -12853

Bairro Alto is an area of central Lisbon. It functions as a residential, shopping and entertainment district. Today, the Bairro Alto is the heart of Lisbon's youth and of the Portuguese capital's nightlife, due to the number of clubs and bars. The crowd is a mix of local and tourist, straight and gay, and almost anything else imagined.
TIP: Take your drink in some Bar, go out...and mingle! ;)

Lovely place you should go and visit both during the evening for the fun hole in the wall bars where they hand you your drinks in plastic cups (bar hopping has never been so much fun) and during the day to visit all the different shops. Best place to buy some original presents for the people back home. Who doesn't want soap made out of lettuce?

Bairro Alto is the main night life district. During summer time and weekends the streets are crowded with all kinds of people, drinking their beers, smoking their joints, socializing. Most foreigners make the mistake of arriving too early. It only starts having real movement from 00h00 / 00h30 until 02h30

This is the HEART of Lisboa, who doesn't goes to Bairro Alto, misses the best. All downtown is beautiful, the Castle, Alfama, Rossio, but Bairro Alto has some kind of way that you will understand if you live it. Fado is all there, drinking and good restaurants. Don't miss it !