Delivery area
Bica: the funicular street and its steep neighbours
Bica is named after its famous yellow funicular, which climbs a steep, narrow street from near Cais do Sodré up towards Bairro Alto and Chiado. The surrounding streets share the same sharp incline and tight, residential character.
Coverage across the whole city of Lisbon.
This area is part of our tobacco shop delivery in Lisbon.
What the area is like
One of Lisbon's steepest streets
Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo, along which the funicular runs, is one of the steepest streets in the city, with buildings stepped up the slope on either side.
Narrow, low residential buildings
Most buildings here are two or three floors, older and residential, tucked close together along the incline.
A postcard view with real residents
The view down the funicular street towards the river is one of the most photographed in Lisbon, but the streets around it remain lived-in and quiet away from that one stretch.
A hinge between Cais do Sodré and Bairro Alto
Bica connects the flat riverside area to the hilltop grid above, so its character shifts noticeably between the bottom and the top of the slope.
Getting around
- The Bica funicular itself runs between Rua de São Paulo, near Cais do Sodré, and Rua do Loreto near Bairro Alto.
- Baixa-Chiado metro is a short walk from the top of the slope; Cais do Sodré station is close to the bottom.
- The steepest stretches are impractical for cars, so arrivals on foot from either end of the slope are usual.
- Because the incline is so distinctive, naming whether you're near the top or bottom of the street is often more useful than the number alone.
Typical hours
Daytime
The funicular and the street below it draw visitors taking photographs; residential blocks above stay quiet.
Early evening
Restaurants near the bottom of the slope fill up; the residential streets higher up remain calm.
Late
Quiet apart from some spillover from Bairro Alto at the top of the slope; the lower stretch near Cais do Sodré stays a little livelier.
At night, 7pm to 5am
The character of Bica changes with altitude at night: the bottom, near Cais do Sodré, stays lively later, while the top blends into the quieter edge of Bairro Alto. The steep middle stretch is mostly residential and calm.
How to describe your location here
Say whether you're near the top or the bottom of the slope, plus the building number — the incline is steep enough that this distinction matters more than in flatter neighbourhoods.
How delivery works here
Send your street, number and whether you're near the top or bottom of the slope via WhatsApp. We confirm before setting off.
Order by WhatsApp, every day from 7pm to 5am.
Questions about Bica
- Is Bica just the funicular street?
- The name is mainly associated with that street, but it also covers the steep residential streets around it.
- Can a car reach the middle of the slope?
- Not on the steepest stretches — the incline is impractical for vehicles, so the final part is usually on foot.
- Is the top or bottom of Bica livelier at night?
- The bottom, near Cais do Sodré, tends to stay lively later; the top blends into the quieter edge of Bairro Alto.