Let me begin by saying that I very rarely write reviews for anything -- not out of any reason other than life swings back into motion and the memories of the experience slowly drift away. Bad excuse.
This time, I refused to let the experience of my time in spent in Lisbon at José's apartment go unmentioned.
First off, the apartment is lovely. Clean, spacious, naturally well-lit, aesthetically interesting, well-stocked with plates, appliances and cookware, with a beautiful balcony in a perfect, central location of Lisbon. We arrived, exhausted and hungry to meet José with the keys and discovered a complimentary bottle of wine, bottles of water and a few of the delicious pasteis de nata -- crispy custard tarts that are specifically a Portuguese treat -- waiting for us. Sublime.
José then provided maps, guides and his own knowledge of the city to help us navigate the restaurants, places of interest, public transport logistics and whatever else we might have possibly wanted or needed to feel comfortable navigating the neighborhoods .
Afterwards, we were left to ourselves until a few days later when a question about a particular type of restaurant came up. We messaged him and he responded immediately, offering three different options to meet exactly what we were looking for .
If you are looking to stay in Lisbon or are considering a trip to Portugal for the first time, I cannot recommend José's apartment enough. For us, it was perfect.