7 Best Places for Pastel de Nata in Lisbon
Ask anyone about Portuguese cuisine and chances are the humble pastel de nata will get a mention. Finding where to source the flakiest, butteriest, and creamiest of these delightful pastries in Lisbon can be overwhelming with bakeries and pastelarias on every azulejo-adorned corner. This guide will help you locate the best pasteis de nata across the capital.
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If you’ve found your way to Portugal’s sunny seaside capital, there’s a good chance you won’t leave without eating at least one pastel de nata. This decadent pastry has become a staple of Portuguese cuisine, with most listing it as one of the top foods on their list.
The popularity of the pastel de nata has carried across continents over the years, with variations now popularised in destinations including Macau, Goa in India, Mozambique, Brazil and even Australia.
As an Aussie, I knew these by the name of ‘Portuguese tarts’ (how original…) and they definitely differ from what we typically call a custard tart at home which is made with shortcrust pastry and topped with nutmeg.
During our multiple visits to Portugal, there’s one thing that has remained constant. Our pursuit for finding the best pasteis de nata. Preferring our serving still-warm with a slightly gooey custard filling, we’ve had more than our fair share of these scrumptious pastries.
Tried and tested, we’ve scoped out some of Lisbon’s finest and most delectable pastel de nata. Read on to find out where you can pick up some for yourself.
What is pastel de nata?
Pastel de nata is a deliciously morish baked egg custard tart from Portugal. Flakey, buttery pastry perfectly crisp from the oven encases a warm, slightly soft egg custard filling that melts in your mouth.
Pasteis de nata, the plural of pastel de nata, or sometimes simply referred to as ‘natas’ are one of Portugal’s most-loved foods. Created by monks from the Hieronymites Monastery before the 18th century, they have become an icon of Portuguese cuisine over the last several hundred years.
Born from a desire not waste food, the egg yolks were used when there was an excess after monasteries used egg whites to starch clothes. This created a range new of sweet pastry recipes, and what we now know as the much-adored pastel de nata.
How to eat pastel de nata
How you enjoy your pastel de nata will totally come down to personal preference, but I’ve tried them just as they are and as the locals enjoy them, and they are onto something. Usually served with a sprinkling of cinnamon, you can also add a light dusting of powdered sugar.
I like mine still-warm and fresh from the oven so the custard centre is still slightly gooey and seems extra creamy. However you eat them though, trust they are a treat for your tastebuds.
Where to find the best pasteis de nata in Lisbon
You can’t leave Lisbon without at least trying a pastel de nata. An icon of Portuguese cuisine, the city is full of bakeries and pastelerias serving these deliciously morish morsels still hot-from-the-oven. Here’s a list of the tried and tested favourites from across Libson.
1 | Fabrica da Nata
With a name that literally translates to ‘custard factory’, there’s no denying that Fabrica da Nata serves up some of the best pasteis de nata in Lisbon.
If you like to watch your food being prepared, you can view the bakers roll and press pastry dough into the metal trays before filling with that deliciously creamy custard and sliding them into industrial-sized ovens for baking.
Of all the natas we’ve eaten, these were easily my top choice. Still warm they delivered that perfect crunch as I bit into the pastry which was followed by a creamy, gooey centre that melted in my mouth.
With two locations in Lisbon and others further north in the second city of Porto, Fabrica da Nata has become somewhat of an institution across Portugal.
THE DETAILS
Address | Rua Augusta, nº 275 A, 1100-052 Lisbon
Hours | Daily 8am - 10pm
Address | Praça dos Restauradores, nº 62-68, 1250-110 Lisbon
Hours | Daily 8am - 11pm
2 | Manteigaria
If you ask a Lisbon local where to pick up the best pastel de nata in the city, there’s plenty that will mentioned Manteigaria. With locations at the Timeout Market and multiple in Chiado and Baixa, you can easily pick up one for now and a few more for later thanks to their handy take-home boxes.
Head to the Rua do Loreta location and you’ll be greeted by the Art Nouveau façade facing Camões Square that was once part of a butter shop. For less than two euros you can tuck into an espresso and pastel de nata at Manteigaria at one of the small wall-mounted countertops just as the locals do.
Much like Fabrica da Nata, you can watch the bakers at work behind glass windows as they prepare hundreds of these exceptionally tasty pastries every day. Don’t be put off by potential lines out the door here. It moves quickly and the interior is small so the queue can seem deceptive - it’s worth the short wait!
THE DETAILS
Address | Rua do Loreto 2, 1200-108 Lisbon
Address | Timeout Market Lisboa, Av. 24 de Julho 50, 1200-109 Lisbon
Address | Rua Augusta 195-197, Baixa, 1100-619 Lisbon
Hours | Daily 8am - midnight
3 | Pastéis de Belém
The OG of the pastel de nata trade, Pastéis de Belém came about as a result of the monks we spoke about earlier falling on hard times and having to sell the recipe for these custard-filled treats to a sugar factory in 1834. In 1837, the owners of that sugar factory first opened doors to Pastéis de Belém and the business has remained in the family ever since.
Said to still hold the original recipe in a secret room, Pastéis de Belém is widely considered the most popular of all producers in Lisbon. Whether you choose to eat in or take it away, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and pair it with an espresso to enjoy just as the locals do.
THE DETAILS
Address | R. de Belém 84 92, 1300-085 Lisbon
Hours | Daily 8am - 9pm
4 | Casa São Miguel
On a wander through the twisting and turning lanes of Alfama and after a shot of locally made ginja (a cherry liqueur) the craving for pastel de nata struck. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before we stumbled on the mint-green facade of Casa São Miguel.
This little cafe serves up more than just the humble pastel de nata, with a host of other sugary treats to tantalise your tastebuds alongside flavourful tea infusions and coffee. As we arrived mid-afternoon, the natas were served hot like we’d had elsewhere, but the flavour and crunch we still there.
One of the few places selling pastel de nata in the warren of homes in the Alfama district, it’s your top choice in the area.
THE DETAILS
Address | R. de São Miguel No 5, 1100-542 Lisbon
Hours | 9am - 13:30pm & 2:30pm - 7pm Wednesday to Sunday, closed Monday - Tuesday
5 | Aloca
In the heart of the Chiado district is the beautiful bakery selling not only pastel de nata but a glass cabinet full of other tasty treats from cheesecakes to chocolate coated baked goods.
The central location and premium interior make it no surprise that a pastel de nata from Aloca will cost you ever so slightly more, but only by about 10 cents.
We had some reservations about whether Aloca’s pasteis de nata would hold up against the pastelerias that only specialise in natas, given that Aloca specialises in conventual pastries - those that are derived from Portuguese religious institutions. But, it didn’t disappoint.
A crunchy exterior filled with perfectly balanced egg custard, it was a winner in our books. Even if you came here for a pastel de nata, be sure to try some of the other sweets here too as they’re not often found in many bakeries.
THE DETAILS
Address | R. Garrett 37, 1200-203 Lisboa, Portugal
Hours | Daily 10am - 8pm
6 | Pasteleria Aloma in Campo de Ourique
One of the best urban neighbourhoods in Libson is Campo de Ourique. Close enough to the city centre but far enough to feel like you’re living like a Lisbon local, it has also been home to Aloma for more than 70 years.
While their offering isn’t limited to pasteis de nata, they have earned themselves a reputation for producing some of the city’s best. So much so, they’ve won awards on several occasions in recent years for the best pastel de nata.
The name of this pasteleria is a nod to old Hollywood as it attributes its name to a 1941 adventure movie, Aloma of the South Seas. Full of light and photogenically pleasing, Aloma is exactly the sort of place to sit and have your pastel de nata eat-in.
THE DETAILS
Address | R. Francisco Metrass 67, 1350-139 Lisbon
Hours | Daily 8am - 8pm
7 | Da Esquina in Campo de Ourique
One you’re not likely to find on many other blogs or in guidebooks, Da Esquina came as a personal recommendation from a friend who has a flat in Campo de Ourique. The name of this charming neighbourhood bakery literally means ‘corner’ and that’s exactly where you will find it.
Located opposite the Mercado de Campo de Ourique, we picked up a few pasteis de nata to take back to our apartment, along with some other biscuits, brioche-style croissants and a loaf of fresh bread.
The owner is super friendly and even threw in a few extras for us as we kept returning a few times during our stay. While I can’t vouch for every local bakery, this one certainly sets a high standard for its pastel de nata.
THE DETAILS
Address | R. Coelho da Rocha 108, 1350-079 Lisbon
Hours | 8:30am - 4pm Monday to Saturday and 8:30am - 2pm Sunday
Want to learn to make your own pastel de nata at home?
If you love pastel de nata so much you want to try your hand at making your own, then a cooking class is the perfect way to learn. For an alternative activity in the Portuguese capital, join like-minded pastel de nata enthusiasts and get baking. Try this pastel de nata cooking class to learn the tricks of the trade.
