Places

Eat: breakfast at Nishiki Market before the crowds arrive, then a bowl of soba somewhere you cannot pronounce.

Skip: trying to see every famous temple in one day. The quiet side street between them is usually the better memory.

Do differently: book the small places early, and spend an afternoon in one neighborhood instead of crossing the city.

Eat: tacos al pastor standing at the counter, followed by coffee somewhere with a courtyard and no sign out front.

Skip: packing a day too tightly. The city is generous with long lunches and accidental conversations.

Do differently: stay in one area for a full day; the scale makes a slower rhythm feel like the only sensible one.

Eat: grilled sardines at a neighborhood tasca, still warm from the charcoal. Find a small counter and order what the table next to you is having.

Skip: the first restaurant with a laminated menu and a view of the tram line.

Do differently: leave one morning unplanned. Lisbon is better when the hills decide the itinerary.