This was such a random treat!
Fado is the traditional live music of Portugal, and every guide book you read suggests you go to a restaurant where they'll play some live Fado. The problem is, all these restaurants are tourist traps, and you often have to pay a certain amount for your meal (which is much more expensive than any meal we had in Portugal!) and that they only play a song or two (and the food is not good). I felt defeated that we might have to suck it up and have a less than perfect experience.
It was about 615 pm on a Tuesday and I walked by a store that had a sign for "Real Fado" in the window. They put on concerts different days of the week, but they happened to have one on Tuesdays that starts at 7, and we were about ten minutes away - it was fate! The entrance fee is 20Euros each, but that includes a glass of wine. Almost no one was there, so we got a lovely bench to ourselves, and it was like having a private performance. They don't play for the whole hour, I'd say probably a total of 30 minutes play time, if that, but it's enough to get the idea and enjoy yourself. You can show up very close to 700 pm, even at 700 pm, and just pay at the door. I really think this is the best way to experience live fado when you're in Lisbon, with no real gimmicks. read more