My Saldanha

Yoko Correia Nishimiya is a restaurant and food photographer in Lisbon. @nishimiyaphotography

Born in Brasilia, Brazil and raised across the globe on different continents, I moved to Lisbon two years ago with my boyfriend in the middle of the pandemic. After a lot of research, we discovered Saldanha and fell in love. Not only with its charming streets colliding with modern and old architecture but also with its accessibility. An important factor for me as a photographer is doing photoshoots in different areas of the city.

Tascas like Super Chef are an affordable way to eat out during the week and not spend too much. But most tascas are local gems that can’t even be found on social platforms, so you’ll have to explore for yourself!

At home, I love to have aperitivo dinners trying new finger foods recipes and wines. Luckily, Saldanha has lots of supermarkets and markets in the neighbourhood like Continente Bom Dia with its seafood and meat butchers. At Feira D’Ávila, I love to get Portuguese hams and cheeses. Located close to Arco do Cego park and is open on Thursdays and Fridays. For produce, I go to Mercado 31 de Janeiro where they have the freshest vegetables, fruits, and spices. I always try to go around midday so that I can also have lunch directly from the market. It can’t get any fresher than that!

For a date night, my husband and I love going to Tavola – a beautifully decorated Italian restaurant with a romantic ambience tucked away in a quiet backyard. The talented chef creates wonderful pasta creations with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, and there’s a great wine list from local boutique wineries.

Saturdays often take us out of the city and into the surrounding mountains. The hike up to mountain cottage Jure Franko on Trebević is one of our favourite activities for an afternoon in nature.

Summer in Sarajevo means one thing: Sarajevo Film Festival! The biggest film festival in Southeast Europe always takes place in August. It attracts tourists and the film industry from all over the world. The city becomes a giant outdoor event space with open-air cinemas, free concerts, and streets closed off to traffic and turned into dance floors. Bars and restaurants are open until late, and the energy of the city and the people is irresistible!