Mr & Mrs Smith

For Italian flavours, oysters and sushi, La Villa on Praia do Tamariz (+351 21 468 0033) is a chic eatery, 15 minutes away by car; ask for table 20 by the window for a panoramic sea view. Or for similar fare, but more humble price tags, try Pizzeria Lucullus (+351 21 484 4709). Refugio da Roca on Estrada do Cabo da Roca, Azoia is where to head for seafood at sunset. €100 will get you a seafood platter and some wine at Mar do Guincho on Estrada do Guincho (+351 485 8280). The decor is not what you go for, but there’s plenty of eye candy in the form of seafood tanks and view of the beach. Just down the road, Furnas do Guincho (+351 21 486 9243) is ideal for Portuguese meat and fish specialities. A short distance from Guincho beach, and with an ocean view as perfect as the fresh seafood, Porto de Santa Maria (+351 21 487 9450) is one place where you'll definitely want to reserve a window table.

February The yearly carnival in Lisbon. Beginning of August Festival of the Sea in Cascais, organized by the Fishermens’ Association, where bulls, and those crazy enough try to catch them by their horns, are let loose on the beach for a prize of dried codfish.