The apartment in Bairro Alto was fantastic! It had everything we needed, in a lively, quaint neighborhood. The living room overlooked the narrow cobblestone streets below and the clay tile roofs beyond. It was a short walk to most of the things we wanted to see and an even shorter walk to the metro that could take us anywhere else. The place was clean and welcoming. We instantly felt at home. Goncalo was proactive and responsive and he gave us some great recommendations of places to eat.

The living/dining area is at the front of the house. Doors open up onto the balcony and a view. You can sit and listen to the sounds of fado wafting from below at night and it is a great place to dry clothes during the day. The apartment is in a lively neighborhood, which is great for going out to interesting places and meeting locals or other travelers. Another good thing is that the bedroom is in the back: dark, quiet and away from the activities on the street. However if staying with multiple people and someone is sleeping in the pull out couch, the street does not quiet down early. It is not super loud with the patio doors closed, but a low din is noticeable and continues into the wee hours.

We fell in love with Lisbon much more than we could have anticipated and that was helped by the comfort of our apartment that made us feel like expats, not tourists. Everything we needed was there. We could do laundry, make coffee, or even cook (though we didn't cook with all of the great places to eat so nearby, but there was a grocery store not far down the hill.) and the wi-fi was great. More than one evening we sat and read with the sounds of fado as background coming from the street below.

Some practical information: We stayed in the "penthouse" which was great for us because we are able to walk up 3 flights of stairs and loved being up above, with a view across the rooftops. But for someone lower on the mobility scale and can't carry luggage up three flights of stairs, it could be difficult. The host even painted the number of calories you burn for each trip up to the apartment on the stair risers as motivation. You should be in moderate shape if you plan on walking around Lisbon much. If you are, this place should not be a problem for you. We just figured the extra steps entitled us to a second pasteis de nata each morning!

I hope we get back to Lisbon soon and if we do, we will try to stay here again. I would recommend it to any able-bodied couple who wants to be near the nightlife in a quaint neighborhood.