pat,
I also used the same agency as progol, but several years ago. We rented their huge 1-bedroom directly on the main square in Chiado, Praça Luis de Camões, but wouldn't rent that particular apartment again because the square has become so busy and bustling.

As for evening dining, we didn't do much of it.
Restaurants in Lisbon tend to open at 7:30 pm. We ate our big meal between 12:30-1:30 and simply had snacks, small plates ("petiscos") or a sandwich at our hotel at night or a take away salad to enjoy on our terrace in the Douro.

In Evora we did go to the very popular Enoteca Cartuxa a couple of times for a glass of wine and a couple of small plates to share, but we were turned away the first night due to the weekend crowds from Lisbon and sent to another place, Tábua do Naldo, which was lovely, charming, serving hearty and very traditional Alentejo cuisine, but just way too much of it for us at night.

Beware! Portuguese portions are truly huge, so when we could, we ordered a half portion ("meia dose").
The rice with seafood dish ("arroz com mariscos") that we ordered at Atira-te-ao Rio in Cacilhas and at Valentim in Matosinhos (suburb of Porto) could easily have served 6!

An article by my favorite Portugal blogger about how to order properly in a restaurant-
https://juliedawnfox.com/how-to-orde...s-in-portugal/

<<In Evora we did go to the very popular Enoteca Cartuxa a couple of times for a glass of wine and a couple of small plates to share, but we were turned away the first night due to the weekend crowds from Lisbon and sent to another place, Tabua do Naldo, which was lovely, charming, serving hearty and very traditional Alentejo cuisine, but just way too much of it for us at night.>>

Funny, we also ate at Tabua do Naldo, and had a great time, but we, too, had waay too much to eat! Naldo is quite a charming character and really hit it off with my husband, so we did have a lot of fun.!

Yes, he is a very sweet and charming man! He wanted to fix us a wonderful dessert but after the couvert (also beware the couvert, as it's never "on the house" but here the breads and olives were worth it), his açorda and his slow roasted black pork, we had to decline! We were with our friends. and this was their first Portuguese dinner and were overwhelmed.

Hi Maribel and Progol - Your comments make us really want to be IN Portugal NOW!! (and wonder if Maribel lives IN Portugal!! )

Great advice on the dining - Maribel - Funny you mentioned Julie Dawn Fox! We have read quite a few of her posts and esp ones about food! She has a link to Portuguese words for food/menu items - Planning to have that on the phone for reference
Writing down all your restaurant recs and tips - my notepad is overflowing - yes I am a tad oldfashioned

Thank you Progol for the itinerary outline, and both of you for the hotel recs - will check out the ptrentals site for Lisbon- right now have an apartment shortlisted outside the old town area as we have read so much about the partying late into the nights in Biaxa, Chiado and Sodre(?) areas. We are looking at staying in Marvao 1n so will check your hotel, and your Sintra posts are making us wish we had a day to say overnight! No fair!! LOL

As for your comment about pacing the trip - so true..We have already resigned ourselves to realistically experiencing about half of what we originally planned - guess we are coming back to Portugal to explore what we will miss this time. Having a hard time nevertheless (tend to get a little carried away and forget that we are not 20 somethings either!)

Hi pat,
No, I don't live in Portugal but hope to live there in the near future! We're house hunting!

What street is the apartment on that you have short listed?
To avoid the late night partying in Lisbon, please stay away from Bairro Alto, "party central" and the Pink Street above Cais do Sodré. To avoid sometimes overwhelming crowds, I would also avoid the Rua Augusta in Baixa, which at times can look like a human tsunami.

Hi Maribel, that is awesome!!Esp since it sounds like you really enjoy Portugal! Hope you find what you are looking for

IIRC the apartment is off Cruz de Santa Helena, just don't have my notepad handy right now.. I will check closely against the neighborhoods you have mentioned, thank you!
Today was a wash as far as planning goes..hoping tomorrow is more productive..

Hi pat,
I see that the apartment is located in Alfama, the ancient Moorish district and the only part of Lisbon that survived the 1755 earthquake. I don't personally remember the street, but all I can tell you is that Alfama is very hilly, with steep streets. I see that through the google images. It's a great cardiovascular workout!

While we were in Lisbon, I remember thinking I’d probably stay in Baixa in the future just to avoid the constant up and downs getting back to the apartment. With 4 days, an apartment is certainly nice, but a hotel in Baixa might also be something to consider.

The most congested areas of Baixa are the 3 parallel streets all leading down to the bustling and enormous Praça do Coméricio right at the river's edge. That's where the crowds seem to congregate as everyone wants to see and photograph the Arc of Triumph and this vast and impressive square and the activity on the river.
The Rua Augusta is the principal artery there, pedestrianized, with the middle of this artery filled with mediocre restaurants with buskers enticing tourists to take a seat. Also human statues, street vendors and fast food restaurants--in high season, a human tsunami.

The Rua Aurea, paralel and to the west of Rua Augusta, is still lined with derelict buildings needing much TLC, just waiting to be converted into 4-star hotels. Paralel and to the east of Rua Augusta is the Rua da Prata, which has become gentrified, prettied up, re-done, etc. and is a bit less hectic. But this area of Baixa, that gets a lot of cruise passenger traffic, is the busiest, often packed with people.

The area of Baixa that is most pleasant for me are the two squares where the Corpo Santo Hotel (Largo de Corpo Santo) and the AlmsLusa Hotel sit (Praça do Município). These are relatively quiet, attractive, pleasant squares without tourist hordes, where the walking is flat and getting around by foot or public transportation is easy. While these hotels may not fit in your budget or you may not want a hotel, you might look for an apartment near them.

H Maribel - That is a great write-up! Thank you so much for the detailed description on elevation and crowds - we had been looking for exactly that sort of information - which areas are hilly vs. flat - but did not think to look at street view!. We just assumed we would have to tackle the uphills on the way back everyday - NOT something to look forward to as we would probably be tired by then! We may rethink our choice for Lisbon..

Progol - Good point about Hotel vs Apt - we have 4 days and yes, sometimes a hotel is just easier / more convenient.

Do you consider staying in Baixa and Chiado about the same when it comes to elevation and crowds?

They seemed to me about the same in terms of crowds these days, although the wide, pedestrianized Rua Augusta, main artery of Baixa, can be much worse, as it's the principal street which all visitors traverse on their way from the river, past the Elevador de Santa Justa to Rossio, where the commuter rail station for the Sintra train sits.

But Baixa (=lower) is flat, whereas Chiado is all hills, all elevation, except for the "plateau", the area where the western end of Rua Garret meets the Praça Luis de Camões.

To move from Chiado to Baixa, Baixa to Chiado, you can use the series of escalators inside the Baixa-Chiado metro station as a hack to avoid some of the climb.

Another area that's on a gentle incline, not steep, and not so crowded is the lower, southern portion of the broad, tree and statue lined Avenida da Liberdade, just north of Praça Dom Luis I (Rossio).

I don't know about apartments there but there are several hotels---Bessa, Heritage Avenida da Liberdade, Heritage Lisboa Plaza (tucked away on a side street), Sofitel, etc. Again, for just 4 nights you might consider a hotel rather than an apartment, or find an apartment near one of these handy hotels.
Just a thought.

I am pouring over the map right now, with a filter for apartments in the general areas you have outlined. Ma using the hotels are ref points but we may just end up staying in one of the hotels..ILeaning towards your Baixa-adjacent recs as flat terrain would be easier on the legs

Yes, it really is easier on the legs

You might look at Brown's Central Hotel on Rua dos Sapateiros (the "shoemakers' street"), which has many fans here. Rua Sapateiros isn't quite so congested as Rua Augusta, It runs paralel to it, the next street to the east, but this street doesn't feed directly into the huge Praça do Comércio at the river's edge, the hubbub, so it gets somewhat less foot traffic. The Brown's is 450 feet away from th Baixa-Chiado metro station. It gets a rating of 9.1 on booking.com.
That said, I would check the many TA & Booking reviews for the noise factor, which can be an issue in downtown Lisbon.

Thank you Maribel! You have been beyond generous in helping us figure out the nuances! Would love to buy you a beverage (adult or otherwise) if our paths ever cross!
Progol - I continue to be amazed with your energy and dedication - so glad you are having a fabulous time there!! Hope you don't get rained on in Porto, but sounds like you have some great options as backup..