The Pastel De Nata is one of the must try deserts in Portugal! Imagine biting into a warm, crispy, buttery tart filled with egg custard. It’s a sweet treat that we both fell in love with when we visited Portugal in 2019. The Pastel De Nata was a daily self indulgent moment that we often enjoyed in a small bakery, cafe or city square.
Portugal was a travel lovers dream, with exceptional beaches, delightful old towns, friendly locals, great history and culture and an excellent food culture! Whilst the culinary highlights were often excellent savoury dishes and a lot of fresh seafood, the Pastel De Nata was a little sweet comfort that we remember to this day.
Where can you find the best Pastel De Nata in Lisbon?
Look no further than Pastéis de Belém. This bakery situated in the district of Belem is the most well known maker of Pastel De Nata around, and for good reason! They make a reported 20,000+ tarts per day during peak season, and their recipe is apparently a guarded secret. We were worried that the hype may be over-rated, however these were the best tarts we had during our 3 week Portugese roadtrip (and trust us when we say we tried a lot!).
How to get there: The Pastéis de Belém is located 5-10kms out of the centre of Lisbon in the region of Belém. The google maps directory from the Praca Do Comercia (main waterfront square of Lisbon) is found here. The best was to get there is via uber/taxi (10-15mins) public transport (15SE tram or 714 bus) which will take 30mins, or cycling/electric scooter 15-25mins. It is definitely possible to walk, but allow 1-1.5hours. We caught an Uber and found this a very easy way to get there!
Tips when visiting Pastéis de Belém:
- Go straight in and sit down, then order – don’t wait in line. We heard this tip off another travel blogger (We can’t remember who but thank you!) and trust us it worked. During peak times, the lines are very busy and the wait can be awhile if you wait in line!!
- Order more than 1, they’re so good it’s worth it! Don’t have regret when you only order one and are left wanting more!
- Pair with an espresso or 2. The comination of a Pastel De Nata and espresso is a classic on. Don’t mess with the classics!
- Go see the Torre De Belem whilst there! Walk off those tarts with a short 10-15minute stroll down to see the famous Belem Tower! (directions here). This medieval tower sits on the coast and looks like a real life sandcastle. It’s an excellent photo opportunity and you can go inside for a tour.
Can’t make it out to Belem? Check out Manteigaria in the Time Out Market (directions here). Approximately 1km out of the city, the Time Out Market is a must see for food lovers, and has a Pastel de Nata stall that provides fresh, high quality tarts at a cheap price.
General tips for choosing a top quality Pastel De Nata.
- Ask for a tart fresh from the oven, or look for somewhere busy so you know they’re still warm. The fresh, warm Pastel De Nata were easily the best we had over the trip.
- Top with cinnamon and icing sugar! Trust us. It makes the whole flavour and experience.
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