Of all the foods to try when in Lisbon, Pastéis de Nata is high on the list for anyone who loves sweet treats. Luckily we had a great option close to our hotel – Fábrica da Nata.
So what is Pastéis de Nata?
Inspired by the original, Pastéis de Belém, these wonderful little tarts are filled with egg custard. Slightly caramelized on top and delicious when finished with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and cinnamon. Since the original recipe from the Catholic Monks of the Jerónimos Monastery is held in secret, now made exclusively by Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém, all others are simply Pastéia de Nata – cream pastries.
What’s the big deal, it’s just a custard tart?!
But it’s not! Unlike tarts made with short crust, this is puff pastry. Beautiful layers of dough and butter give pastéis de nata a wonderfully flaky crust. The filling is somehow light, especially for what you might expect from a custard tart. At Fábrica da Nata they have the slightest citrus flavor, adding to the lightness. You add the cinnamon and powdered sugar yourself, so you can have as much or as little as you like, and it doesn’t dissolve into the tart before you have a chance to enjoy it.
Where are they located?
We visited their location in Restauradores Square, right off of Praça dos Restauradores. They have two other locations in Lisbon as well as locations in Porto and Sintra.
Other details…
- Although pastéis de nata is clearly the “hero” for Fábrica da Nata, they have other options as well. Plenty of sandwiches, croquets, salads, and wraps – so there is something for everyone.
- They offer delicious pairings for your pastéis de nata – from a glass of Port or Licor 35, to a wide range of coffees.
- It might look busy, but the line moves! Don’t worry if the line is out the door, it will move quickly. You can also order inside at one of their kiosks.
- We found them to have reasonable prices across the menu, especially the pastéis de nata. Considering how popular they are, we thought being priced at less (far less) than €2.00 each was pretty good. And since you really don’t want just one, they offer boxes of six as well.
- Take a minute to appreciate them making these wonderful tarts in store at all locations. They go through so many every day, so there are always some going into their ovens!
This was a great stop during our quick stay in Lisbon. Sometimes food can get a lot of hype and it’s really hard to live up to it, not these. They were as dreamy as we hoped they would be. But you don’t have to take our word for it that these tarts are little bits of heaven, stop and try one when in Portugal and you will taste it for yourself!
