It won’t take long after arriving in Lisbon to notice Portugal’s affinity for sugar. Cafés showcase long, glass counters filled with everything sweet from cookies and cakes to a variety of tarts. And soon, you may notice a few of the usual suspects that are always on display. The most popular sweet is Lisbon’spastel de nata, otherwise known as pastéis de nata or pastel de belém (or, as some foreigners simply call them: custard tarts in Lisbon).
Indeed, pastéis de nata are custard tarts filled with sweet egg cream and covered in flaky pastry dough. And they fit in the palm of your hand.
Now the difficult part: with so many amazing spots in the city, how do you choose one? Luckily, most locals recommend a few of the same places. Read along to be in the loop about the four best places to eat these iconic custard tarts in Lisbon.
Begin your quest for custard tarts in Lisbon in the neighborhood where it all started: Belém. During the Liberal Revolution of the 19th century, monasteries and convents began shutting down. The monks from the Mosteiro dosJerónimos sold pastries in the sugar refinery next door to raise money. Over time, the owner of the sugar refinery bought the recipe and the refinery became Pastéis de Belém, a café that still sells the original custard tart recipe.
Creamy and sweet on the inside and perfectly flaky outside, this recipe is Portugal’s best-kept secret and only found at Pastéis de Belém.
Manteigaria
Locals advise tasting the custard tarts from Pastéis de Belém, but many admit that their favorite natas come from Manteigaria. Manteigaria’spastéis de natapractically drip with creamy goodness after the first bite. Originally a butter shop (manteiga is the Portuguese word for butter), Manteigaria is a specialty store where you can order pastéis de nata to-go (although some visitors like to order an espresso and watch the bakers make pastéis de nata through a glass pane).
One stall is inside Time Out Market in Cais do Sodré. The original shop, however, is in Lisbon’s Chiado. Visit Manteigaria when it’s time forbreakfast in Lisbon, and then come back for a mid-afternoon snack.
Confeitaria Nacional
Confeitaria Nacional is an excellent place to try pastéis de nataand a photo-worthy landmark inside one of Lisbon’s grand Pombaline-style buildings. Open since 1829, it is considered Lisbon’s oldest pastry shop. You will find it in Praça da Figueira, one of Lisbon’s buzzing squares. Sit inside with a coffee, a pastel de nata or two, and enjoy the beautiful decorations.
Insider’s tip: Can’t wait until you get to Lisbon? Make our Portuguese custard tarts recipe at home.
Pastelaria Versailles
Many cafés and pastry shops are recognized for their delicious custard tarts, but the dreamy Pastelaria Versailles stands out for a few reasons. The stunning dining room pops with Art Nouveau style, showcasing large mirrors, chandeliers, and intricate wood paneling. Even the traditionally-uniformed staff add to a romantic and old-world effect.
Pastelaria Versailles is also recognized for its long pastry counter. Some sources suggest that this is the home of the longest pastry counter in the Portuguese capital. Finally, in addition to the traditional egg-cream custard tarts, Pastelaria Versailles sells chocolate custard tarts, blending the best of two worlds.
Update Notice: This post was updated on February 27, 2024.
No matter how much time you have in Lisbon, there are certain things you can’t leave without seeing. On our Best of Lisbon Walking Tour, you’ll check all of them off your list over the course of one fascinating day. Get early access at the Jerónimos Monastery, enjoy a relaxing river cruise with spectacular views of the city, explore the heart of Lisbon’s neighborhoods, and savor some delicious Portuguese classics (including the original custard tarts!).
If there's one Portuguese food item you already know, it's most likely the country's renowned egg tarts (in Portuguese, this delicacy is known as pastel de nata, or “cream pastry”). Pastéis de Belém, a pastry shop just west of Lisbon, claims to be the originator of what is ostensibly the country's most famous pastry.
Pastel de nata (Portuguese: [pɐʃˈtɛl dɨ ˈnatɐ]; pl. : pastéis de nata; Portuguese: [pɐʃˈtɐjʒ ðɨ-])) is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry, optionally dusted with cinnamon.
It's the most famous spot in Lisbon to eat pastéis de nata, and is an absolute must when you visit. Since 1837, locals and tourists alike have been lining up to snag a box of custard tarts to eat in the café or on the go.
British tarts use the less flavoursome shortcrust pastry, which doesn't provide as much textural contrast with the smooth custard. They are also topped with nutmeg, which fails to bring the custard alive as Portugal's cinnamon does. Worse, they are now almost all mass-produced with palm oil-based pastry.
They can be enjoyed warm or cold. If you've made a batch but don't want to eat them all they will freeze well. Just place a few in a tupperware box and freeze for up to 3 months. You probably won't need to though as they will all disappear pretty sharpish!
Each day, thousands of pastéis de nata are baked and sold in Lisbon. Locals eat their pastry with a coffee in the morning. Tourists queue for hours to buy boxes at shops like Antiga Confeitaria de Belém.
What is the national dish of Lisbon? The national dish of Portugal is considered to be Bachlhau, which is a salted cod that can be prepared in hundreds of ways. Two popular Bacalhau dishes in Lisbon include Bacalhau à brás (shredded cod with fried potatoes and onions) and Bacalhau com natas (cod with cream).
Lisbon is a winter producing lemon, with production of one main crop in winter and early spring. Fruit is mainly used for fresh domestic markets. Small amounts of Lisbon fruit are used for export markets and juice production.
Pastel de Nata (cream tart) is Portugal's most famous pastry cake. These small custard delicacies are available everywhere and have small differences in the cream and puff pastry used as a shell.
Visiting Sintra? No visit is complete without trying Travesseiro, their famous pillow shaped pastry (the word literally means pillow). These delicate, light as air pastries are made of puff pastry filled with a sweet, eggy almond cream and dusted with caster sugar on top.
Outside Portugal, they are particularly popular in other parts of Western Europe, Asia and former Portuguese colonies, such as Brazil, Mozambique, Macau, Goa and East Timor. The Macanese pastel de nata was also adopted by KFC and is available in regions such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.
Travellers the world over head for the Antiga Confeitaria de Belém (indicated on the link below) to satisfy their craving and the tart's ingredients have remained unaltered and a complete secret since production started in 1837.
Other than the most famous Portuguese egg custard pastry, Pastel de Nata, some popular pastries also include French-inspired Palmiers, Napoleões (Napoleans) and Croissants (albeit more brioche in style), as well as interestingly-named pastries like Pao de Deu (Bread of God), Jesuita (Jesuit) and Pata de Veado (Deer ...
The egg tart (traditional Chinese: 蛋撻; simplified Chinese: 蛋挞; Cantonese Yale: daahn tāat; pinyin: dàntǎ) is a kind of custard tart found in Chinese cuisine, derived from the English custard tart and Portuguese pastel de nata. The dish consists of an outer pastry crust filled with egg custard.
Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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