Meeting People in Lisbon: Where to Go

Meeting people in a city is easier when you attend a recurring event: a language exchange on Tuesday, a games night on Friday, a drawing morning every Wednesday. You see the same faces again, and a stranger quickly becomes someone you know. This guide only lists events that the organiser describes on its own page.

The options at a glance

Name	Area, venue	Format	When	Price (year)	Signing up
Language Exchange and Board Games in Lisbon	Arroios, Bendito Pão de Queijo, Praça do Chile	Language exchange and board games	Every other Friday, 6:30 to 9:30 pm	Not stated	Meetup
English-Portuguese Conversation Lisbon	A Merendeira, Avenida 24 de Julho	Conversation, switching between Portuguese and English	Tuesday, 7 to 9 pm	Free, please buy food or a drink (2026)	Meetup
Aconchego House	São Sebastião da Pedreira, Aconchego House	Board games night	Tuesday, 7 to 10 pm	Not stated	Meetup
Absent	Príncipe Real, Rua da Glória 78	Phone-Free Board Game Nights	Friday from 6:30 pm	5 € for non-members, free for members (2026)	Meetup, walk-ins if there is room
Expats Lisbon Connection	Bairro Alto, The Spot Lisboa	English Quiz Night in teams	Changing dates, see Meetup	Free (2026)	Meetup
International Friends Lisbon	Venue announced on Meetup	Social night for locals and newcomers	Friday from 7 pm	Free, voluntary donation (2026)	Meetup, WhatsApp or Instagram
Lisbon Social Coffee	Arancia Blu, Rua Francisco Sanches	Saturday Happy Hour, optional shared dinner	Saturday, 6 to 10 pm	1 € community contribution (2026)	Meetup
Lisbon Digital Nomads	Venues vary, announced on Meetup	Evening meet-up for digital nomads, expats and locals	Thursday, 7:30 to 11 pm	Not stated	Meetup
Des4	Meeting point changes, announced in advance	Urban sketching, then lunch together	Wednesday, 10 am	Not stated	Just join in
Timeleft	Venues vary	Dinner, drinks, coffee or walk with four to six strangers	Dinner Wednesday and Friday 8 pm, drinks Thursday 8 pm, coffee Saturday 3 pm, walk Sunday 10 am	Subscription, plus food and drinks (2026)	In the app

"Not stated" means we found no price, not that it costs money.

Talking

Language Exchange and Board Games in Lisbon (Bendito Pão de Queijo, Arroios)

Every other Friday from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, this group meets at Bendito Pão de Queijo on Praça do Chile, in Arroios, to practise English and other languages and to play board games. The dates are on Meetup; the page gives no price. Language Exchange and Board Games in Lisbon on Meetup

English-Portuguese Conversation Lisbon (A Merendeira, Avenida 24 de Julho)

On Tuesdays from 7 to 9 pm at A Merendeira on Avenida 24 de Julho, the group switches every hour between Portuguese and English. According to the organiser, the conversation is fluent, so beginners may find it hard to follow, but they are welcome to listen. Taking part is free; the group asks you to buy something to eat or drink at the venue (2026). You sign up on Meetup, and the group also has a Facebook group. English-Portuguese Conversation Lisbon on Meetup, Facebook group

Playing

Board games night at Aconchego House (São Sebastião da Pedreira)

Aconchego House describes itself as a space for the LGBTQIA+ community. On Tuesdays from 7 to 10 pm, it hosts a board games night with games such as Uno, Carcassonne and Codenames; drinks and snacks are available at the venue. No entry price is given, and the dates of the current series are on Meetup. Aconchego House on Meetup, aconchego.house

Phone-Free Board Game Nights at Absent (Rua da Glória, Príncipe Real)

Absent, a space at Rua da Glória 78 in Príncipe Real, holds Phone-Free Board Game Nights on Fridays from 6:30 pm until late. The games are open to everyone, and walk-ins are welcome if there is room. Entry costs 5 € for non-members and is free for members (2026). Phone-Free Board Game Nights on Meetup, absent.tech

English Quiz Night hosted by Expats Lisbon Connection (The Spot Lisboa, Bairro Alto)

Expats Lisbon Connection holds an English Quiz Night at The Spot Lisboa in Bairro Alto, on changing dates; the next one is on Meetup. Teams play quiz rounds in English, and entry is free (2026). You can come on your own and be put in a team; the organiser asks you to arrive at least 40 minutes early so that the teams can be formed. Expats Lisbon Connection on Meetup

Community evenings

International Friends Lisbon (venue on Meetup)

A weekly social night on Fridays for locals and people who have moved to Lisbon, with activities that help people get to know each other. The evenings start at 7 pm; check Meetup for the current venue, the finish time and any conditions at the venue. According to the organiser, people also come on their own, and the evenings are about making friends. Entry is free, with a voluntary donation (2026). You sign up on Meetup, WhatsApp or Instagram. International Friends Lisbon on Meetup, Portugal Social Events on Instagram

Lisbon Social Coffee (Arancia Blu, Rua Francisco Sanches)

Lisbon Social Coffee holds a Saturday Happy Hour from 6 to 10 pm at Arancia Blu on Rua Francisco Sanches, for newcomers, expats and digital nomads. The organisers help with introductions, and you can stay for an optional shared dinner. The community contribution is 1 € (2026). You sign up on Meetup; there is also an Instagram account and a WhatsApp group linked from the event. Lisbon Social Coffee on Meetup, Lisbon Social Coffee on Instagram

Lisbon Digital Nomads (venues vary)

A meet-up on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 11 pm, for digital nomads, expats and locals. Venues vary, and the meeting point for each event is announced on Meetup. According to the group, you can come on your own or without knowing anyone. No entry price is given. The group also has a Slack community. Lisbon Digital Nomads on Meetup, lisbondigitalnomads.org

Drawing

Des4 (meeting point changes)

Des4, short for Desenho Às Quartas (Portuguese for "drawing on Wednesdays"), is an open urban sketching group. It meets on Wednesdays at 10 am at a different place in Lisbon each time, for example at Largo do Intendente, and afterwards the group has lunch together. According to the website, you can simply join in; you bring your own materials. The meeting points are announced on the website and on Instagram. No price is given. des4.net, Des4 on Instagram

Sharing a table with strangers

Timeleft (venues vary)

An app that brings you together with four to six people you don't know yet. In Lisbon, there are dinners on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 pm, drinks on Thursdays at 8 pm, coffee on Saturdays at 3 pm and walks on Sundays at 10 am. You can book on your own, up to 13 hours beforehand; the app chooses the venue and tells you shortly before. You need a subscription, whose price depends on the plan, and you pay for food and drinks separately (2026). timeleft.com/lisbon

Going alone

A shared activity makes it easier to start talking, because it gives you something to talk about: the language, the game, the quiz question, the drawing. The first evening is often the most awkward, and each time you come back, you are more likely to see familiar faces. At the quiz, you don't need a team of your own: Expats Lisbon Connection puts people who come alone in a team.

Good openers are deliberately ordinary: "Is this your first time too?", "How did you find out about it?", "Do you know this game already?" Ask one follow-up question and listen to the answer.

Making plans to meet again

A good conversation does not turn into a second meeting on its own. Before you leave, suggest something concrete: "Are you coming to the conversation evening again next Tuesday?" or "I'm going to the board games on Friday, want to come?" A specific suggestion is easier to answer than "We should do something sometime".

Try it this week

• Pick one format from the table above
• Put the date in your calendar and check it on the organiser's page
• Arrive five minutes early and talk to one person
• Before you leave, suggest a specific plan to meet again

For organisers

If you host evenings like these, you know the moment: people get on well and then lose touch. before is a web app for organisers. Guests check in at the door with a QR code in their browser, without installing an app, and anyone who likes takes a selfie. The day after, the afterparty is open from 10 am to 8 pm. Anyone who shared a selfie sees everyone else who shared one there and can press the button for meeting again for up to five people. At 8 pm everyone finds out at the same time who wants to see each other again, and only then does a chat open. One-sided wishes stay invisible, and nobody receives a rejection. Nobody needs a profile. More on the page before for organisers.