Rich Green & Wicker

Location doesn’t get much better than this in Porto – on a charming shopping street just a couple of streets away from Sao Bento train station. It’s the ideal position to explore the city on foot, with the ancient azulejo-tiled churches and baroque towers punctuating orange-roofed buildings. On your doorstep, you’ve got family-run restaurants, charming coffee shops and bakeries serving oven-fresh custard tarts. Plus, the famous wine warehouses that line the Douro at Ribeira are just a short stroll away.

This studio apartment is a stylish spot to return to after a day exploring downtown Porto. Modern, monochrome artworks sit against striking bottle-green walls, but the first thing that caught our attention was the wall of stone-framed windows, looking out over the tiled buildings of your typical Porto street. Throwing these open, you can listen to the chatter from the street waking up in the morning while dozing in the comfy bed before settling in at plush velvet chairs for a classic breakfast of custard tarts and coffee.

Home truths:
*This is a studio apartment so the bedroom is shared with the living and kitchen areas
*The kitchenette has a microwave and stove-top but not a full oven
*Construction work may be taking place during your stay, so expect some noise during the day
*This home is in a central spot, so noise is to be expected – light sleepers may want to pack earplugs
*Though there isn't a dedicated desk here, the dining table doubles up as a laptop-friendly workspace
*This home is not on the ground floor so you may have to climb some stairs to reach the entrance
*There's no private parking, but in such a central location the best way to explore is on foot