Príncipe Real has developed into one of the more interesting shopping neighbourhoods in Lisbon, with a mix of design shops, independent boutiques, antique dealers, and some specifically LGBTQ-oriented retail. The area is not primarily a shopping destination in the way that some parts of Berlin or London are, but there is enough to make a wander worthwhile alongside everything else the neighbourhood offers.

What Príncipe Real offers

The neighbourhood has seen a wave of independent shops open alongside the bars over the past decade. Design and lifestyle stores sit alongside the older antique shops and traditional Portuguese businesses that have been there for years. A few shops specifically carry LGBTQ-oriented goods, from pride merchandise to adult retail. They are a smaller part of the picture than in cities with larger gay commercial districts, but they are there.

Lisbon has built a reputation as a design and fashion destination, and Príncipe Real is one of the main nodes for that. If you are interested in Portuguese ceramics, independent fashion, or design objects, the neighbourhood has some of the best shops in the city for those things.

The wider context

Like in most European cities, specifically gay retail has contracted over the past decade as shopping has moved online. Adult shops and pride merchandise stores still exist in the area, but they are fewer than they were in the early 2000s. What has expanded is the broader independent retail scene, which tends to be welcoming without being specifically gay-branded.

The Saturday market in the Príncipe Real garden runs in the mornings and has a range of stalls, including some with crafts, vintage clothing, and local produce. It is worth checking out if you are around on a weekend morning.

The shops

    • Cru Store — Cru store is a gay erotic store selling men’s underwear and jockstraps, fetish-gear and sex toys.
    • Mr Woof Store — Fetish gear and clothes from G-Shock, Fred Perry and Boxer.
    • Oh My Cock — Online Shop OMC (Oh My Cock!), sex toys are uncommonly chosen for gays, by gays. We have an extraordinary scope of energizing items on our online store, including fragrances, lube, sex toys, bridles, clothing, cockerel rings, that are outlined particularly for gay men.
    • Ultra Gay Clothing — Shop in lisbon, near Se Cathedral Clothes, t - shirts, parfums etc available in this uniqe shop.
    • UP! TOWN LISBOA — Multibrand store for gay customers with swimwear, sportswear, underwear and much more.

Practical notes

Most shops in Príncipe Real open around 10am to 11am and close by 7pm or 8pm. Some close for lunch. Adult shops keep later hours. Sunday hours are reduced across the board. For the broader Lisbon picture, see the Gay Lisbon Guide.