Bars in downtown Lisbon to close early

Bars in popular night-time areas of downtown Lisbon will have to close by 2 a.m. on weekdays and by 3 a.m. on weekends to reduce noise levels for local residents, a media report said.

The areas affected by the new rules are the neighbourhoods of Cais do Sodre, Bica and Santos, whose streets are lined with bars that were previously allowed to stay open until 4 a.m. every night. This measure was successfully put in place for bars in the lively Bairro Alto neighbourhood in 2008.

"With a view to establishing harmony between people who live in the indicated areas and people who visit them to have fun, the council decided, as it did for Bairro Alto in 2008, to impose restrictions on opening house of the commercial and service establishments," Xinhua reported citing a statement issued by the Lisbon Municipal Council.