The best pasteis de nata in Lisbon: 15+ places tested

When I was planning my trip to Lisbon in March 2020, I made a list of almost 30 pasteis de nata places. That I'm a massive sweettooth was reason enough to do so but I was even more motivated because someone had challenged me to write an article on the best pasteis de nata in Lisbon.

It was a challenge I gladly accepted, but one that came with more obstacles than I could have foreseen.

My first attempt at working my way down this list was halted by the pandemic lockdown. I decided to fly back to Belgium to wait things out but as soon as the bordered opened again, I booked a flight back to Portugal, back to the pasteis de nata.

A lot has happened since then and I still haven't visited all 30 places, which is why I'll be updating this article as I go. For now, you can get started with the ones below.
 

The Best Pasteis de Nata in Lisbon

1. The one everyone knows: Pastéis de Belém

The story of the infamous Pastéis de Belém goes back to 1837. Pastéis de Belém were first made inside the buildings attached to the sugar refinery in the Belém area. The recipe came from the Jeronimos monastery which had been closed down during the 1820 Liberal Revolution in Portugal.

To this day, the traditional methods and original recipe are still used to create one of the most mouthwatering pastel de nata in Lisbon.

Also known for their beautiful blue and white tiled interior and the abundance of things to do in the area (museums, tropical gardens, and historic monuments) Pastéis de Belém is definitely worth a visit while in Lisbon.

It is only the sweet egg custard tarts from Pastéis de Belém which are known as Pastéis de Belém, everywhere else they are referred to as Pastéis de Nata.

I went back to Pastéis de Belém after eight years, expecting to find an over-hyped tourist place. I'm glad to say that the pastel de Belém I had here was delicious. My coffee was good too and the service was very friendly.

Price for one: €1.15

Verdict: 9.5/10 (would have been a 10 if the crust had been a liiiiiiittle less crumbly).
 

2. Manteigaria Time Out Market

The Manteigaria Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata at Time Out Market is no secret and proudly claims the top spot on Tripadvisor for the best pastel de nata in Lisbon.

The key to their success is the high quality of the ingredients (butter not margarine) they use, and a custard which is not overly sweetened.

They have a couple of locations. The pastéis de nata are made in the pastry shop on the Rua do Loreto 2 in Chiado (review below). There is also a shop in the Time Out Market where you can buy these little pieces of heaven.

Do expect a bit of a line here. I've seen people waiting outside even during COVID times when there weren't many tourists in Lisbon.

Price for one: €1

Verdict: Buttery, crispy pastry and a creamy filling, they have been named the best pastel de nata in Lisbon for a reason. 9.5/10.
 

3. Manteigaria Chiado

It’s a tiny place on Rua do Loreto but you can eat inside standing at the countertop if you want to have your pastel with a coffee or so. Here, you can even see how they make the Portuguese custard tarts from behind a glass.

I got one while it was still warm. The inside was as creamy as the one I got from Pastelaria de Batalha but it was more flavorful. The crust was crispy too but I felt like the crust from the pastel de nata at Pastelaria de Batalha was a bit less prone to falling apart.

Price for one: €1.10

Verdict: 9/10
 

4. Pastelaria Aloma in Campo de Ourique

There are two shops of Pastelaria Aloma in Lisbon's city center. One is on Largo do Calhariz and looks like a more traditional, casual pasteleria while the one in Campo de Ourique is a beautifully bright shop just waiting to be photographed. I visited the latter without knowing what the interior looked like and was pleasantly surprised.

This was the last pastelaria I got to visit in March before the lockdown and I'm glad I decided to have it right then and there. Aloma is a nice place to sit and enjoy your pastel de nata for a while. It even has a few tables out in summer.

It’s rumored that the pastry chefs at Aloma stole the recipe from the Pastéis de Belém monks and then worked on it to improve it and make it to their taste. Aloma has won several awards for the best pastel de nata in Lisbon and eating it, I could see why.

The pastel de nata itself wasn't warm anymore (can't get lucky each time) but it did taste lovely. I even dare to say I liked this pastel de nata a bit better than the one I got at Manteigaria.

Price for one: €1

Verdict: 9.5/10
 

5. Fabrica da Nata

Fabrica da Nata has a beautiful, classy interior. Because of the virus, though, I only got takeaway. My pastel was still lovely lukewarm when I got it and while the filling was very nice, the bottom of the crust was a bit burned, which negatively impacted the taste.

Fabrica da Nata serves their pastel de nata with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Price for one: €1

Verdict: 7/10
 

6. Az de Comer

Az de Comer is located across the street from Aloma in Campo de Ourique. It's a much bigger place with lots of seating space and a wide range of pastries to choose from, including pasteis de nata.

Unfortunately, the pastel de nata I got here wasn't that great. The crust was just that little bit too hard and too thick. The filling was nice but nothing special.

I do have to say the service was super friendly here.

Price for one: €1

Verdict: 6/10
 

7. Alcoa

Alcoa is a beautiful pastelaria in the middle of the popular Rue Garrett shopping street in the Chiado district. It has a bit of a luxurious feel so taking that and it's the location into account, it shouldn't surprise that a pastel de nata here costs 10 cents more than in most places.

I have to say that given the location, I was pleasantly surprised it was only 10 cents more.

There was one small table inside and not a lot of space for more so I couldn't tell if they took some away because of COVID or not. I took my custard tart to go and munched on it while watching the shoppers pass by on the street.

Now, what about the pastel? To be honest, I thought it was so-so. It was tasty, but it could have been baked a little more.

Alcoa did win an award for best pastéis de nata in Lisbon back in 2014.

Price for one: €1.10

Verdict: 7/10
 

8. Confeitaria Nacional

This pastry shop is a nata institution in the pastry scene in Lisbon, even known throughout Portugal. The flagship store Casa Mãe has been there for 190+ years!

The ornate exterior and original details inside such as the mirrored ceiling and wooden carvings make it worth visiting just from an architectural standpoint. There is also a tearoom on the first floor.

It is definitely not a hidden gem and the pasteis de nata here are a bit more pricy than elsewhere, but it's a beautiful place all the same and the staff was really friendly when I went.

Is their pastel de nata the best in town? You’ll have to go and try it for yourself!

Price for one: €1.25

Verdict: 7/10

9. Quiosque das Portas do Sol

The Quiosque das Portas do Sol isn't a pastelaria but when I was there, I hadn't had a pastel yet that day and they had some, so I decided to go for it. This Quiosque stands in the sun all day so I had expected to get a soggy pastel but it was actually rather good!

The downside was the price. €1.70 for a pastel is a bit crazy but I'm guessing they buy a bunch from a pastelaria and then still need to make a bit of a profit on them.

Price for one: €1.70

Verdict: 7/10 because of the price.
 

10. Pastelaria Cafetaria Lenita

Lenita is a traditional neighborhood pastelaria and cafetaria where locals gather on the increasingly hip Calçada Marquês Abrantes in the Santos area of Lisbon. It's another place that wasn't on my initial list and I have to say the pastel I had there was a bit disappointing.

The crust was soft, not crunchy and the filling was decent but it had nothing that would make me remember it by.

Price for one: €0.80

Verdict:6/10
 

11. Alfama Doce

Alfama Doce is a tiny pastelaria/shop run by a friendly old lady selling pastéis de nata that have a hint of lemon in them, which made the pastel I had there stand out.

The shop is truly small and there's no place to sit. It's a take-away place, so grab your pastel and find a nearby bench or some steps in one of Alfama's many alleyways.

Price for one: €0.80

Verdict: 8/10
 

12. Nataria Nacional

Well-located on a corner at the bottom of the steps by the Santa Justa Elevator, Nataria Nacional has big windows that allow you to look in at the long counter full of pastries. It definitely has more of a hip look.

Normally, you can see how they make pastéis de nata here but I only realized this afterward. I think they stopped doing it right after the lockdown. At least they weren't baking any custard tarts when I was there.

The pastel I had here had less filling than most of the other pastéis I tried. Maybe not the best, it was simply good.

Good to know: the croissants are supposed to be very tasty here so I might have to go back for one of those.

Price for one: €1.10

Verdict: 7/10
 

13. Nata Fina

I wasn't blown away by my experience at Nata Fina. That maybe also explains why I can't find the photo I took of this pastel anymore (woops). This pastelaria hadn't been on my list of places to try but I gave it a go as I was walking past there and hadn't had a pastel yet that day.

You can get pastries to take away at Nata Fina, or you can have them there with a drink. I chose to take mine away as I was running errands but the girl behind the counter wasn't very friendly. Maybe she'd just had a long day?

The crust of the pastel had become quite soft which was a bit disappointing. The filling was nice, with a hint of vanilla.

Price for one: €1.10

Verdict: 6/10
 

14. Chiado Caffe

The Chiado district where this cafe is located is said to be named after the poet Antonio Ribiero whose nickname was Chiado (which means squeak). There is a statue of him in the square.

I walked past this place so many times as it was close to my apartment and am happy I went in for a pastel. The lady servicing me was friendly and the pastel I had here had the thinnest crust of all pastéis I tried. I liked it!

The filling was a bit runnier than that of the other pastéis as well, which I found quite tasty too. A great contender for the best in Lisbon!

Price for one: €1

Verdict: 9/10
 

15. Pastelaria Orion

Pasteleria Orian was opened in 1945 by 4 friends from villages around the city, this pastelaria is in a great location at the top of Calcada de Combro.

It is a sit-down bakery where you can also get breakfast and a light lunch. Their pastéis are solid. I didn't find anything about them that really stood out to me but they were simply good. The right amount of crunchiness, tasty filling, baked as they should be with no excessive black burns.

Price for one: €1 (if I remember correctly)

Verdict: 8/10
 

16. 20 Street Coffee Blend

The Miradouro da Senhora da Graça is my favorite viewpoint in Lisbon and there are usually two tiny trucks – one selling fresh lemonade and the 20 Street Coffee Blend one selling coffee and some pastries. I tried a pastel de nata from one of them and was pleasantly surprised. I can't tell which pastelaria it came from but if you're in need of a little bite when you're up there, I can recommend getting one of these.

Price for one: €1.5

Verdict: 7/10
 

17. New Moment

I hadn't planned to try the pasteis from New Moment but I met someone there for coffee and they had pasteis, so what's a girl to do? :)

Price: I got this pasteis as a combo with a cappuccino for – I think – €4.20

Verdict:
 

18. Pastelaria de Batalha

I visited Pastelaria de Batalha in March 2020. Unfortunately, when I came back to Lisbon in July 2020, I discovered that they had closed. As I loved the pastel I had here, I wrote about it anyway and then – yaay! – got an email from the people behind Pastelaria de Batalha that they did indeed close their shop in the center of Lisbon but still have three locations open around Mafra and that they also still organize pasteis de nata baking workshops!

You can learn more about the workshops here.

Pastelaria de Batalha is a family-owned business that uses recipes that have been passed down through the generations. The pastel I had from there ad a nice and creamy inside without being too sweet with a crispy crust that stayed nicely together when taking a bite – I dislike it when the crust falls apart. It wasn't warm anymore but that just has to do with not getting it right after it had been baked. You can't time them all well :)

Price for one: €1

Verdict: 8/10
 

19. Pastelaria Carrocel

A while ago, I hired a cleaning lady, and the first day she came, she brought me these pasteis de nata from Pastelaria Carrocel! She had read this post you're reading now and realized I hadn't yet tried the pasteis from the pastelaria just five minutes from where I live, and so she brought me some.

Needless to say, I hired her on the spot :D She later told me she's studying marketing and I immediately thought: “You'll make it, girl” :D

The reason that I hadn't been to Pastelaria Carrocel yet, is that I always walk past it when I'm going somewhere, or when I'm coming back from somewhere and the walk back to my place is quite uphill so the last five minutes, I always just want to make it home :)

I'm sure happy I got to try these, though, because they were really good! The crust was nice and crunchy without falling apart. The cream nice and thick, filling the crunchy crust all the way to the top.

Bliss.

Price for one: I'll let you know when I go buy some myself :)

Verdict: 9.5/10, seriously!
 

Pastéis de nata map of Lisbon

For an idea of where you can find all of the pastelarias mentioned above, check out this map.
 

Learn how to make pastéis de nata

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