Lisbon: A fine port of call

We learn from the owner - the sixth generation of his family to run the business - that adhering to the original recipe means the cake is frustratingly long-winded to prepare.

Fact box

FLY: TAP flies from London Heathrow to Lisbon.Tel: 0345 601 0932, www.flytap.com
STAY: Hotel Corinthia Lisbon. Doubles from 100 euros per night room only. www.corinthia.com
VISIT: Sao Jorge Castle, www.castelodesaojorge.pt
Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro Museum, www.museubordalopinheiro.cm-lisboa.pt
TRIP: Getting to Belem, www.torrebelem.pt

But judging by the volume of the Danish-style - but more interesting - pieces consumed by regulars, it's time well spent in the kitchens. And despite lunch being close on the horizon, we also make considerable inroads into a selection of petit four-like fancies; basically, egg and copious amounts of sugar.

At least we could justify the consumption on the ground of necessary energy rush. For between food and drink stops there is much to see in this very walkable capital, whether the kind of specialist shops that have largely been priced out of British high streets, or the assortment of elegantly fronted museums and monuments.

And should the cobbled pavements or steep inclines prove a step too far, you can take advantage of a multi-faceted transport system, whose elements include funiculars and trams.

Close to Confeitaria Nacional, we wander the area around the massive arch, Arco da Rua Augusta, decorated with statues of historical figures. A few euros buys an elevator ride to the summit for a lovely, if not the best, city panorama. That comes later in the day following one of those uphill tram rides (think San Francisco with different scenery) to the hilltop Castelo de Sao Jorge, a one-time royal residence whose oldest remains date back to the medieval period. The views at dusk are spectacular. Of course, dusk falls earlier in winter, where tourists reap the benefits of smaller crowds and temperatures ideal for exploring (generally mid-teens during the day).

This is illustrated on day two when we travel further afield along rugged coastline to Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point of mainland Europe. We were warned that in peak season, it is essential to arrive early to avoid the crowds. Today, we are in near total solitude as we peer out over endless ocean and almost cloudless sky.

A car is needed to reach Cabo da Roca. But there are good transport links to other nearby destinations. A 20-minute bus ride from Lisbon gets you to Belem, where - if managing to navigate the swarm of seafront vendors hell-bent on interesting visitors in cheap sunglasses and scarves - you can view the tower and learn about its historical maritime importance.

It would certainly be remiss not to pop into another culinary institution, Pasteis de Belem. Technically a café and takeaway, it has grown to cavernous size to meet the insatiable demand for its unbelievably wondrous pastel de nata (custard cream tart).

There is excellent Lisbon dining too, with fish to the fore, at prices less than you would expect for the equivalent quality in London.

The Portuguese staple of bacalhau (dried and salted cod) turns up on menus in a multitude of forms. My preference was for the modern and lighter interpretations. We also enjoyed some exceptional sea bass, the fish brought to our table for inspection amid great ceremony before cooking.

We also made it to Sintra, a 30-minute train journey from central Lisbon, where an unmissable attraction is the sprawling and, by turns, spectacular and eccentric Quinta da Regaleira, Italian architect Luigi Manini's realisation of the vision of Brazilian merchant Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. There are gardens, grottoes, fountains, a tower and palace, plus statues of deities, whose significance becomes clearer during an entertaining guided tour.

Back in central Lisbon, we are invited to dine at an establishment showcasing fado, the national song genre. The singers perform with enormous gusto and volume and you don't need to understand the language to appreciate the mournfulness of the material. However, if, like me, you have an aversion to restaurant opera nights, fado may not be your thing. And that is an understatement. Mind you, the rest of my party professed to have enjoyed the experience. If not over when the fado lady sings, it is when I end my visit by sampling the Lisbon football experience at the stadium of the legendary Benfica club. The traffic is horrendous - the ground is next to a major shopping mall - and the opposition is of a lesser standard than you would find in the English top flight.

But once the hosts belatedly take the lead, the 46,000 crowd (significantly less than capacity) break into energetic song that is far more to my taste.

Luckily, I have time to replenish the port supplies before departure. If only cake travelled as well.