The Best Pastel de Nata in Lisbon: A Guide to the City’s Iconic Pastry

The pastel de nata is truly a thing of beauty – both to look at and to eat. Its crispy, flaky layers of slightly salted pastry and cinnamon-spiced egg-custard filling have long represented a national symbol of Portugal – a true culinary icon with a rich – and fascinating – heritage. Today the pastel de nata is Lisbon’s favourite sweet treat, an essential daily ritual for locals and an unforgettable experience for every visitor to this charming, historic city and its myriad of elegant bakeries and cafés.

With the pastel de nata being almost as ubiquitous in Lisbon as the croissant is in Paris, you’ll soon realise that each pastelaria has its own take on this classic pastry, reflecting their own unique artisanal skills while staying true to tradition. And of course, staying in city-centre hotels puts you in pole position to hunt down the perfect pastel de nata in Lisbon.

Let’s get the terminology right from the start. A pastel de nata is a single tart, while “pastéis de nata” is the plural form – so you bite into a pastel de nata but take home a box of pastéis de nata. Confusingly, Pastéis de Belém is the patented name of the original tarts, which were created by monks in the 18th century.

The four bakeries listed below lay claim to making the best custard tarts in Lisbon. They are all at the top of their culinary game, so it’s up to you to find your favourite for yourself!

This is where the story of the pastel de nata in Lisbon begins. By the early 18th century, Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon’s Belém district was thriving. The resident monks used huge quantities of egg whites to starch their religious habits and also clarify their wine. To avoid wasting leftover egg yolks, they turned to baking cakes and pastries – and so the original pastel de nata was born.

When the monastery’s fortunes changed, the monks began to sell their pastéis de nata at a nearby sugar refinery to bring in revenue. When it was closed in 1834, they sold their recipe to the refinery, which then re-opened as the now-legendary Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém three years later. The rest – as they say – is baking history; the recipe remains a closely guarded secret and Pastéis de Belém are still handmade in the same bakery today.

For many, this is the benchmark pastel de nata by which all others are judged. The pastry is paper-thin and the silky egg custard slightly sweet; the tart is finished off under a very hot grill to give the signature slightly “blistered” look, and served with a dusting of sugar or cinnamon.

The elegant Pastéis de Belém bakery has a distinctive tiled façade and a blue-and-white striped awning; the same colour theme runs throughout its exquisite interior, with its lofty ceiling and walls decorated with traditional azulejo tiles. Expect to queue – but asking to eat inside rather than taking your pastry away will get you to your pastel de nata faster!

• Rua de Belém 84–92, 1300–085 Lisbon
• Open daily 8am–9pm; in summer the shop closes at 10pm
• Tram 15E from the city centre; it takes 15 minutes and the route runs alongside the River Tagus

Tucked behind an ornate Art Nouveau façade, the Chiado branch is the flagship of the Manteigaria baking empire and where its march towards world domination began. The building was originally HQ of Manteigaria União, a co-operative making and selling butter; this being one of the major ingredients of pastel de nata, the bakery adopted the name as its own, and today it’s a global brand spreading the good word as far afield as Macau and Hong Kong.
 

As a not-too-subtle dig at the secrecy surrounding Pastéis de Belém, at Manteigaria each pastel de nata is made by pastry chefs in the open kitchen for all to see – using only high-quality eggs, milk, cinnamon, lemon, flour and butter alongside some serious artisan baking skills. The result? Crispy and flaky pastry bakery with just the right amount of sweetness to the custard – and strictly no preservatives. The bakery has vied with Pastéis de Belém over several years for the accolade of Lisbon’s best pastel de nata; new batches are heralded out of the oven by the traditional ringing of a bell. You can eat in at the tiled counter, or buy beautifully packaged goodies as souvenirs.

• Rua do Loreto 2, 1200-108 Lisbon
• Open daily 8am–midnight
• Metro Blue and Green lines to Chiado or Tram 15E

One of a new breed of Lisbon pastelarias, Nat’elier spreads over two sleek levels with wooden floors and a simple, honey-hued décor to the café and upstairs seating – from where you can peer down over the goings-on in the open kitchen. And do look for the whimsical lights, designed to look like pastéis de nata in shape and colour.

The bakery is run under the auspices of fifth-generation pastry chef João Batalha, who works to honour Portuguese culinary heritage while adding inspirational twists of his own. While the recipe used to create the store’s classic pastel de nata has been passed down through the generations, these pastries sit side by side with tarts drawing on iconic flavours from across the world. Choose between crème brûlée and tiramisu – or even one showcasing the gastronomic fad of the moment, Dubai chocolate filled with pistachio cream, tahini and kadayif filo pastry. Seasonal “limited edition” pastéis pop up too!

• Rua de Santa Justa 87, 1100-581 Lisbon
• Open daily 9am–10pm
• Green metro line to Rossio

Another new kid on the pastel de nata block, Bread & Friends comes highly commended after recent competitions to search out the best pastel de nata in Lisbon. Found in a light and lively café atop the Centro Vasco da Gama shopping mall, it may not be as old-world glamorous as some of its counterparts, but the bakers have the same deep reverence for Portuguese tradition, dedication to flavour and attention to detail.
 

The terrace has stunning views over the glittering Parque das Nações waterfront and the graceful Vasco da Gama Bridge as it spans the Tagus. What better panoramas to accompany your crispy, buttery and perfectly caramelised custard tart – and incidentally some of the best house-roasted coffee in the city? The café also does an excellent line in artisan breads, all baked in the open kitchen and served on an all-day menu of open sandwiches, soups and salads prepared in house.

• River Deck, Avenida Dom João II 40 Piso 3, 1990-094 Lisbon
• Open daily 10am–midnight
• Red metro line to Oriente

Here’s how to eat your pastel de nata like a Lisbon native.

1. Although Pastéis de Belém are always served hot straight from the oven, most pastéis de nata in Lisbon are served at room temperature. However, all are freshly baked.
2. They are traditionally paired with a tiny cup of espresso called a bica.
3. Other options include galão (milky coffee); if you want to add alcohol into the mix, sweet Moscatel de Setúbal, ginjinha sweet cherry liqueur or tawny port from Porto all make good companions to a pastel de nata in Lisbon.
4. The tarts are customarily eaten by hand in two to three bites while the pastry is still crisp and flaky.
5. If you buy a box of pastéis de nata in Lisbon to take home, never eat one straight from the fridge. Bring it up to room temperature first.

Although the pastel de nata steals much of the limelight in Lisbon, the city has several other baked specialities too delicious to miss…

Buying the best pastel de nata in Lisbon is one of the top things to do on a solo trip to the city, which is also acclaimed for its fine-dining restaurants.