My Auchan — Supermarket in Alvalade, Lisbon

My Auchan is a branch of the Auchan chain, sitting on Avenida do Brasil in Alvalade, with Alvalade station serving the neighbourhood. It is the kind of supermarket you use to fill a basket rather than to browse: shelves, a bakery counter, and a till queue that moves.

The morning is where this branch has its own rhythm. If a pastry is what you came for, come later in the morning rather than at the door.

The people working the floor handle the opening with a small team. You will see staff moving between serving at the counter and pulling bread from the oven, which is worth knowing if you are in a hurry at 8 am.

Spending here is modest: a basket typically lands between €10 and €30, which covers a few days of breakfast and lunch supplies rather than a full weekly shop. That is the scale this branch works at, and it suits a short list.

One thing to plan around: the posted 8 am opening is not always the moment the shop is ready for you, and the pastries lag behind the doors by a stretch. Come for the shelves early, or come for the bakery once the morning has settled.