Guides · Lisbon

How to make friends in Lisbon: an honest guide

By The Brunch · Updated 25 October 2026 · 7 min read

Lisbon is one of the easiest cities in Europe to meet people and one of the trickier ones to keep them. Here's what actually works, whether you arrived last month or have lived here for years and want a new circle.

Why is it hard to make friends in Lisbon?

Meeting people in Lisbon is easy; turning them into friends is the hard part. Many newcomers move on after a year or two, many locals already have circles from school and university, and big events rarely lead to a second meeting. Friendship needs repeated time together, so the trick is to choose activities that bring you back to the same people.

Research backs this up. A 2018 study by Jeffrey Hall at the University of Kansas found that it takes around 50 hours together to go from acquaintance to casual friend, and over 200 hours to become close friends. One great night out doesn't do it. Ten ordinary Saturdays do.

What are the best ways to meet people in Lisbon?

The ways that work best combine a regular schedule with a reason to talk. These are the main options, with what each is good and less good at.

Meetup groups

Meetup is the most common starting point, and most Lisbon groups are free. There are newcomer socials, hiking groups, tech and startup meetups, book clubs and more. Quality depends entirely on the organiser, so try a group twice before judging it, and prefer groups built around a hobby: you'll always have something to talk about.

Language exchanges

Language exchanges pair people who want to practise each other's language. They're the most reliable way for newcomers to meet Portuguese speakers, and the format gives you an easy first conversation. Look for weekly ones in bars and cafés, and go to the same one repeatedly.

Running, sport and the outdoors

Run clubs, padel, climbing gyms, surf schools and hiking groups all meet regularly, which is exactly what friendships need. Lisbon's running scene includes social clubs such as the Lisbon Hash House Harriers. Shared effort makes conversation easier than standing in a bar.

Classes and hobby groups

Pottery, drawing, dance, cooking, Portuguese lessons and board-game nights all bring the same group together for weeks. A course with a fixed group is one of the best ways to see people often enough to become friends.

Expat groups and coworking spaces

Facebook groups such as Expats in Lisbon and Lisbon Digital Nomads & Expats each have tens of thousands of members and post events daily. InterNations runs expat events in Lisbon. Many coworking spaces host community lunches and talks too. These are good for a quick start, but they keep you inside the expat bubble.

Friendship apps

Bumble BFF is the best known, and works like a dating app for friends: you swipe, match and chat. Patook is another option with members across Portugal. Apps help you find people, but most matches never meet, so suggest a specific plan early. Our guide to the best apps to make friends in Portugal compares them.

Small tables with strangers

Some services do the introductions for you by seating a few matched strangers at one table. Timeleft, which started in Lisbon in 2023, runs dinners with five strangers, plus drinks, coffee and walks. The Brunch seats a table of six at a brunch spot every two weeks, in daylight, and lets you choose to keep the same group, so you see people again.

How do I meet Portuguese people, not only expats?

Go where Portuguese people already are instead of events built for foreigners: language exchanges, Portuguese classes, local sports clubs, volunteering and hobby courses. Learning even basic Portuguese changes how people respond to you. Portuguese friendships often take longer to start, but once you're invited in, they tend to last.

How long does it take to make friends in a new city?

Expect a few months of regular effort. Using the University of Kansas figures, an hour a week with the same people takes about a year to build a casual friendship, while two or three meetings a week gets you there in a few months. That's why weekly or fortnightly formats with the same people work better than one-off events.

Tips that actually help

• Say yes for three months. Accept invitations even when you're tired. Momentum matters more than any single event.
• Be the one who suggests the second meeting. Most people are waiting for someone else to do it.
• Start the WhatsApp group. After a good night or a good table, create the group and propose a date.
• Keep a fixed slot. Saturday run, Tuesday language exchange, a brunch every two weeks: routine turns strangers into regulars.
• Mix circles. Introduce people you meet in different places. You become the connector, and invitations come back to you.

Frequently asked questions