11 best pastel de nata spots in Lisbon (I tried them all!)

In case you are heading to Lisbon, Portugal, then trying the world-famous pastel de nata pastry must be on your bucket list. But where are the best pastel de nata spots in Lisbon? We tried more than a dozen places and found the answer to that!

I have been to Lisbon multiple times and tried pastel de nata many times but this time I decided to spend more than two weeks in Lisbon to explore it to the fullest and also find the best pastel de nata in the city! I did research a lot so here is the result!

Read more » 33 most famous Instagram photo spots in Lisbon

What is pastel de nata?

First of all, what is this unusual piece of pastry that everyone is raving about? Pastel de nata is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry that was invented before the 18th century by Catholic monks at Lisbon’s Jerónimos Monastery in the Belém district.

For this reason, pastel de nata is often also called Pastel de Belém. The monks in Belém were left with large quantities of egg yolks because they used egg whites for starching clothes. So the recipe for egg-yolk-rich pastel de nata was born!

Where are the best pastel de nata spots in Lisbon?

There are endless places in Lisbon where you can get pastel de nata. However, I have to warn you – do not ruin your first experience by buying pastel de nata from a random place. It is supposed to be a love-at-fist-sight moment, so go to one of the best spots!

How does a good pastel de nata taste? This may be my own opinion, but good places will keep their pastries on a warm surface and will serve you warm pastel de nata. It tastes better warm! The middle part should be soft, warm, and melt in your mouth!

They might offer you cinnamon and powdered sugar to put on top of pastel de nata, but it is optional and depends on your own preference. I ate without anything but my husband is a fan of cinnamon so sometimes he opted to put some on top.

The puff pastry that holds everything together should not be too thick, too hard to bite and chew, and not too flaky, but has to have a nice little crunch. I often found that this was the most problematic thing for pastry shops – to get it just right.

So here are the best pastel de nata places in Lisbon that had it right!

1. Manteigaria – one of the best pastel de nata spots in Lisbon!

Here it is! Taste testing more than a dozen places me and my husband came to the same conclusion – you can get the most perfect pastel de nata in Manteigaria pastry shop. Pastel de nata is their only product so they have worked it out to perfection!

Although Manteigaria has numerous shops all around Lisbon and Portugal, I highly recommend going to the one that is located on Rua Augusta – one of the main streets in Lisbon. They bake pastel de natas there right in front of your eyes, so you can see the process for yourself.

So why are they one of the best pastel de nata spots in Lisbon? They serve them warm, the middle part is perfectly soft and not too sweet, and the puff pastry has just the right thickness and firmness, and the top is not overly burnt. They are just right in every aspect!

if you go to the main shop it is possible to take some pastel de natas with coffee and eat them outside at the tables. But we always bought them for takeaway. They have boxes for 2 pieces and for 6 pieces of pastel de nata, so you can buy and enjoy them in some scenic place – maybe at one of Lisbon’s beautiful viewpoints!

Location: Manteigaria

2. Castro – Atelier de Pastéis de Nata

I have noticed one thing. Those places that are rather small and are focusing on only one thing – baking the best pastel de nata ever – have it all figured out. Definitely much better than the places that bake a lot of things and do a lot of things.

Castro is a place I will not forget. It is super tiny with only about 3 small tables, but they have the most perfect pastel de natas. I’m telling you – they were perfect! Warm, soft, sweet, the crust was just right – crunchy, but not too hard; firm, but not too chewy.

I am seriously salivating when writing this and looking at the photos. These natas were an equivalent of those pastel de natas that you can get at Manteigaria! You must stop by this beautiful little atelier de pastel de nata!

Location: Castro – Atelier de Pastéis de Nata

3. Fábrica da Nata

I can give a very comfortable third place amongst the best pastel de nata spots in Lisbon to Fábrica da Nata pastry shop. Not only their pastries are just right, but I also love their interior which is decorated with numerous illustrations on tiles.

Besides they also had a unique logistics system indoors – the plates with natas are sliding along a pipe at the ceiling, haha! It was a funny sight to see. They have space to sit inside at the tables or you can buy a box of natas for takeaway.

We returned to Fábrica da Nata not only in Lisbon but other places around Portugal and they did not disappoint! This is definitely amongst the best pastel de nata places! Highly recommend visiting their shop at Praça dos Restauradores square in Lisbon!

Location: Fábrica da Nata

4. Pastéis de Belém

As you probably know Pastéis de Belém pastry fabric is the only place you can buy pastel de nata baked according to the original recipe.

The recipe was bought from the monks of the Order of Saint Jerome who lived in the nearby Jerónimos Monastery – one of the most beautiful places in Lisbon!

The Pastéis de Belém pastry shop is still owned by the same family that obtained the original recipe back in the 19th century, so trying the original Portuguese egg tarts should definitely be on your Lisbon bucket list!

The pastry shop is super popular tho. You will probably have to stand in long lines to either get a table or simply buy them for takeaway. We bought a box of six to take them with us and finished them by the riverside.

Obviously, it is the original recipe, but I did find some issues with those egg tarts. Although they were very delicious, the puff pastry was very, very flaky.

Layers after layers were falling off before I even touched them. It might have been a strange batch, I don’t know. But they are a must-try anyway!

Location: Pastéis de Belém

5. Pastelaria Santo António

In case you are looking for a cozy place to sit down and relax with a piece of the tastiest pastel de nata and a cup of drink, then I couldn’t recommend Pastelaria Santo António enough!

This pastry shop is located a short walk away from the Lisbon Cathedral and São Jorge Castle. The wonderful thing about it is that it has two stories.

On the ground floor, they sell and bake their goodies, but on the second floor, there is a relaxing seating area to enjoy what you bought.

I also love that they bake their pastel de natas in-house and you can see the process with your own eyes (if you time your visit right). Their pastel de natas are very good and in 2019, they received the 1st place award for the best pastel de natas!

The only minor comment I have about them is that when we visited all of their pastel de natas were with burnt tops.

I understand that it is supposed to be with some burnt spots, however, I’m not a big fan of overly burnt ones. They add too much bitter-sweet taste, but that is only my preference.

Location: Pastelaria Santo António

6. Casa São Miguel – Casa de Pastéis de Nata

Casa São Miguel café is probably the most cutest, charming, and picturesque cafés in Lisbon! Especially the outside of the café with the cute decorations, tiles, and little chairs next to the tables.

I always try to find some special authentic places wherever I go and this was one of my favorite finds. It is located in the Alfama neighborhood and is easy to miss if you don’t pay attention around you.

The café offers very nice pastry options as well as tea, coffee, and other drinks. We came here specifically for the pastel de nata and it did not disappoint – I loved it. This was spot on! And the beautiful facade is one of the best Instagram spots in Lisbon – so cute and charming!

If you find yourself in the Alfama district, then definitely stop by for some breakfast or simply a pastry with coffee. This was one of my favorite hidden gems in Lisbon and if I had stayed in Lisbon longer, I would have returned to this little café for sure!

Location: Casa São Miguel

7. Alfama Doce

Alfama Doce is a little, cozy pastry shop in the very heart of Alfama district in Lisbon. This was actually the first place we went to taste pastel de natas and they did hold up to our expectations!

Because we ordered them for takeaway we did not get warm pastel de natas which is not too good as they taste better warm. But I guess if we asked them they would have warmed them up. I guess?

In any case, this small pastry shop is a true gem and also sells other authentic Portuguese sweet and savory pastries. If you happen to wander around the Alfama district, then definitely pay a visit to them!

Location: Alfama Doce

8. A Brasileira

A Brasileira is a place of history – being opened in 1905 it is one of the oldest cafés in Lisbon! Back in the day, it became a popular meeting place for such intellectuals as lawyers, doctors, teachers, writers, and artists.

Right outside of the establishment, you will notice a bronze statue of a well-known Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. It was put there to commemorate the artist who paid regular visits to the café.

The architecture of the café is luxurious, especially the Parisian-style facade. If possible I highly recommend coming here for breakfast! Even if you only take one of their exquisite cakes and enjoy it with a cup of coffee.

What makes this place even more special is that you can get some of the best-tasting pastel de natas right here! They are pretty good and taste just right – sweet, crunchy, and melt in your mouth. What else could you wish for?

It is a win-win place because you get to experience food in one of the most beautiful hidden gems in Lisbon, admire one of the oldest cafes in Lisbon, and enjoy some of the best pastel de natas in Lisbon! Recommend!

Location: A Brasileira

9. Nata De Lisboa

Nata De Lisboa is another great pastry shop chain that you can not only find in Lisbon but in other places in Portugal as well. We went to the shop they have on one of the main streets – Rua Augusta.

Although their natas are great, and I can only recommend them, I felt that they were lacking something to be higher up in this list. Maybe the crust was too hard or the combination of elements didn’t feel as good as in other places. But I would still buy from them again!

Location: Nata De Lisboa

10. Confeitaria Nacional

Confeitaria Nacional is a sight to see – a large shop with two floors, a wooden staircase, antique furniture, ornate wallpapers, a golden finish, large mirrors, and metal statues. This pastry shop was founded back in 1829 and feels like stepping back in time as soon as you enter!

On the ground floor, you can buy different pastries, including pastel de nata, for takeaway, but you can also climb up to the second floor and sit down at one of the tables to order everything you want (they have more pastries and cakes as well as menu items) and enjoy a meal at the table.

As for their pastel de natas, they were good. Definitely not the best and felt like they lacked some of that extra love (they didn’t taste as fresh as I would have liked!), however, I am definitely being as critical as I can be and those are just small details that I evaluate here.

Location: Confeitaria Nacional

11. Pastelaria Aloma

Pastelaria Aloma is another pastry shop in the heart of Lisbon that seemed to be more favored by locals than tourists – at least it was like that when we went. They have a big seating area for you to enjoy your snacks at peace.

As for pastel de nata, it could have been better. The crust was a bit too hard and they were not warm enough, but overall it is a good place to go. This is definitely not my first choice, but this place is among the good pastry shops, not the bad ones – that’s for sure!

Location: Pastelaria Aloma