Where can you get a pastel de nata in Portugal? Everywhere! Seriously: every single pasteleria (pastry shop) we visited in Portugal offered pastéis de nata (the plural for pastel de nata, Portugal’s famous custard tart). We never had a bad one, but if you want a particularly good one, here are a few of our favorite places to try pastéis de nata across the country:
Belém
Pastéis de Belém: The original! According to the bakery, “In 1837 we began making the original Pastéis de Belém, following an ancient recipe from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos.” Technically, the recipe for pastéis de Belém remains a secret, so though pastéis de nata are virtually indistinguishable to the casual eater, they are different pastries. For this reason, the custard tarts are called “pastéis de Belém” in the Belém area but known as “pastéis de nata” throughout the rest of the country. [Travel tip: Belém can easily be reached by train from Lisbon for a half-day visit.]
Lisbon
Fábrica da Nata [above left]: We’ve seen this shop touted as “the best pastel de nata in Lisbon,” so we were pleased to find only a short line when we arrived. The pastéis de nata were indeed delicious, but honestly, it’s probably because they are always fresh. Because of the heavy traffic to this spot, the pastéis are baked throughout the day and yours is almost guaranteed to be fresh.
Manteigaria [above right]: As this is another spot that ends up on many “best of” lists, we were surprised to discover no line when we visited this shop. Granted, it was about 9 p.m., so maybe a weird time to get a pastel de nata—though according to Jonathan, there is no weird time to get one. 😉 These are also made fresh throughout the day, and just picking up the pastel, it was clear the tart was loaded with good filling. Plus, it’s close to the Barrio Alto neighborhood (a popular bar district), if you need a little snack (and some caffeine) after a few drinks.
A Tentação: Our personal favorite stop, this small café is located on Praça da Figueira, so it’s a close stop for many of the touristy areas. Despite this, it is a fairly nondescript location and therefore mostly populated by locals. This makes it a great stop for a cheap espresso and pastel de nata while wandering the city.
Porto
Vale Doce [above left]: Our guesthouse host in Porto recommended this pasteleria, and boy was he right! It’s a little outside the city center (which also means the nearby restaurants tend to be cheaper), and I think we were the only foreigners there.
Café Porta do Olival [above right]: This café claims to be the oldest in Porto (active since 1853), and is built at the original city wall. It is located near the university and main tourist area of the city, with many tables outside for a fun afternoon of people-watching.
The Algarve
Adoce a Vida (Lagos) [above left]: This pastry shop in Lagos is also a small market, if you want to buy any Portuguese delicacies to take home as a souvenir. And if you’re coming for breakfast, they have delicious toasts!
A Sagres (Sagres): We didn’t actually eat a pastel de nata here; we went outside the box (gasp!) and tried a pastel de amêndoa (almond) instead, but it was DELICIOUS. So I’m thinking this bodes well for their pastéis de nata.
O Seu Café (Faro) [above right]: This café was recommended by our free walking tour guide, and it was probably one of the best pastéis we had during our entire two weeks in Portugal.
That looks like an awesome breakfast or coffee break! There is a Portuguese bakery in Santa Clara – they sell Pasteis de Nata, but I am not sure how they would compare to the ones you had.
PS. And so nice to see proper cups(!!) and none of this disposable nonsense.
Yes, takeaway culture is definitely not as big in Europe, and many places charge you extra for takeaway cups, plates, etc. I think that’s a great move! 😉 I will have to try the Portuguese bakery next time we are back in town!
Hey Guys!
It’s looking like you’re having an awesome trip so far! I checked the swell forecast for Nazaré (home of one of the largest waves), but doesn’t look impressive while you’re there. You’ll just have to keep enjoying pastries instead.
Keep us in mind whenever the time comes to go through the midwest.
Hey Rory!
Definitely no surfing for us…just pastries, coffee and soccer 🙂 We appreciate that and will definitely let you know. Thanks for dropping us a line! Always good to hear from you, hope the family is all doing well.