My last post about Lisbon was all about where we ate and drank, but I felt that Pastéis de Nata deserved a post all of their own. These little pieces of heaven were one of the things I was most excited about trying in Lisbon, and they did not disappoint.
A traditional Portuguese egg tart dusted in sugar and cinnamon, Pastéis de Nata definitely live up to their reputation as a must-try delicacy. There are plenty of places in Lisbon to try Pastéis de Nata, and if we’d spent more time in the city then I’m pretty sure we would have tried somewhere new every day. As it was, we had two and a half days, which meant we were only able to try a few places – and I’d wholeheartedly recommend them all.
Pao de Ribiera | R. Bernardino Costa 36, 1200-052 Lisboa
Our first taste of Pastéis de nata came from Pao de Ribeira, a little bakery we came across while on our way to hire bikes for the day. In need of coffee and sustenance before a morning spent exploring, we made a little pit stop here for a mid morning snack. The Pastéis de nata were delicious, the coffee strong, the service friendly.
Pastéis de Belém | R. de Belém 84-92, 1300-085 Lisboa
Our second (and most anticipated) stop was the famous Pastéis de Belém, which is probably the best known place to get these traditional treats. Found near to popular sites such as the Jerónimos Monastery and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument, this little pastry shop is a tourist attraction in itself.
A small queue greeted us upon arrival, as did the mouth watering scent of sugar and cinnamon. We quickly made our way inside to the counter, picking up our Pastéis de nata and devouring them outside under the sun.
I would say that it’s definitely worth visiting Pastéis de Belém – it’s a lovely little building, not at all out of the way and you’ll probably find yourself in the area at some point anyway, so it’s worth stopping off here. The queue moves quickly and the Pastéis de nata are pretty great! However, I wouldn’t say they were the best we had on our trip (for me that accolade goes to those from Manteigaria, although all our opinions differed on where the best had come from).
Manteigaria | Rua do Loreto 2, 1200-108 Lisboa
I’d also read that Manteigaria was a lesser known (but still popular) place to get Pastéis de nata in Lisbon, so I picked some up on our last day in Lisbon to take home. I can confirm that while best eaten fresh from the oven, these little custard tarts are still delicious after a few days! The queue at Manteigaria was relatively short, and you could watch the Pastéis de nata being made behind a glass screen which added an extra authentic touch.
This was definitely my favourite place to get Pastéis de nata – they were flaky, sweet but not too sweet, and as fresh as you can get.
Have you visited either of these Pasteis de nata hot spots? Where would you recommend for the best Pasteis de nata in Lisbon?
