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Lisbon, Portugal
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3 hrs
24h Free CancellationPastel de Nata (plural Pastéis de Nata) might just be Portugal’s biggest export since Cristiano Ronaldo, satisfying sweet tooths all around the world. And yet until relatively recently, these sweet egg custard tart pastries were barely known beyond the country’s borders. What is Pastel de Nata? Where is the best place to try it? And what—apart from being drop-dead delicious—explains its soaring popularity?
The Pastel de Nata dates back to before the eighteenth century. However, until the mid-1830s, it was in the preserve of a small community of Catholic monks at Santa Maria de Belém’s Jerónimos Monastery, on the outskirts of Lisbon.
Back then, monasteries and convents used large quantities of egg whites to starch clothes and religious habits for friars and nuns. Instead of wasting leftover eggs, it was common for friars and nuns and sisters to use the leftover egg yolks to make cakes and pastries. Some of these monastery-made products would be consumed by members of the order; others would be sold to support the monastery, resulting in the proliferation of sweet pastry recipes throughout the country.
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Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon’s district of Belém – the birthplace of the Pastel de Nata
The Liberal Revolution of 1820 brought about the dissolution of many of these religious orders, and in the face of the impending closure of many convents and monasteries, the monks of Jerónimos Monastery started selling pastéis de nata at a nearby sugar refinery to bring in revenue. In 1834, the monastery was closed and the recipe passed into the hands of an enterprising Brasilian businessman, Domingo Rafael Alves.
Alves purchased the recipe for these beloved pastries, and in 1837 the production of these pastéis resumed in Alves’ nearby sundries shop, Antigua Confeitaria. Today, Alves’ descendants shift about 20,000 of these sweet custard treats a day.
Today Jerónimos Monastery is a major tourist hotspot and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But for those who prioritise pastries over pilgrimages, it’s the nearby Antigua Confeitaria that is the destination of choice.
Crisp, flaky layers of pastry with a delicious, creamy egg-custard filling and a dusting of cinnamon make the Pastel de Nata tastier than a prime Cristiano Ronaldo penalty.
What is Pastel de Nata? Find out on our Lisbon Food Tour
Trying some tapas-style treats on our Lisbon Food Tour
If you’ve only recently heard about Pastel de Nata, that’s because this succulent Portuguese sweet is still relatively recent on the sweet-toothed food scene.
Way back when in 2009, The Guardian listed Pastéis de Nata as one of the “50 best things to eat in the world”. (Actually they listed Lisbon’s “custard tarts” as one of the best things to eat, but we can forgive them since they clearly meant well). More recently, in April 2019, Bloomberg published an article about how Pastel de Nata is on course to become as globally beloved as the croissant.
More and more bakeries around the world are trying to meet demand by producing their own Pastel de Nata. But by far the best place to try this sweet custard tart is in Lisbon, at the source.
Visiting the Portuguese capital? Immerse yourself in its culinary culture through our award-winning Lisbon Food Tour.
Recently voted one of the world’s top food experiences, this indulgent food tour introduces you to the best of Lisbon’s famous food scene. Treat your tastebuds to presunto, chourico, seafood and more, all perfectly paired with four local beverages. Savour the country’s favourite drink, Ginjinha, and indulge in the flavours of local wines including the iconic vinho verde or “green wine”.
Customer enjoying some traditional seafood on a Lisbon Food Tour
And of course, no tasting is complete without the sweet treat star of the show: Pastel de Nata!
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Lisbon, PortugalYou might have heard of the “Seven Wonders of the World”, but did you know this phrase also applies to food? Try three of the seven wonders of Portuguese cuisine on our Lisbon Food Tour, an award-winning experience through the neoclassical Baixa neighbourhood. With everything pre-arranged, you’ll skip the crowds; no queues, no guesswork, just authentic Portuguese flavours, served stress-free.
A local guide will take you and a group of fellow foodies on a comprehensive gastronomic tour of the only flat neighbourhood in the city, featuring the best of "new Lisbon" after the devastating earthquake of 1755.
Our route starts from the river Tagus and takes us through magnificent squares like Praca do Comercio, making our way toward the heart of Baixa. This is where we'll discover the history of the Portuguese Empire and Inquisition, and see sought-after sites like Igreja do Santo Domingo and the Elevador de Santa Justa.
Along the way, we'll stop at local, family-owned eateries to try traditional petiscos and drinks. Tantalise your taste buds with Portuguese classics like codfish, chouriço, and seafood rice, before indulging in the city's street food featuring bifana, a sandwich stuffed with simmering meat, and a salgado, battered and fried. Then, wash it all down with perfectly paired drinks like green wine, local beer, and Ginjinha, a traditional cherry liqueur.
And of course, no Lisbon Food and Wine Tour would be complete without a sweet treat. To end your tour, you’ll satisfy your sweet tooth with a classic Portuguese dessert before continuing the night with your newfound friends.
What are you waiting for? Eat like a local and book our Lisbon Food Tour today.
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Lisbon, PortugalExplore the best of Lisbon in two hours with two viewpoints, ten stops, and four neighbourhoods. A local guide will take you on a story-driven walking tour through the streets of Lisbon, where history, culture, views, cuisine, and local life collide.
We’ll explore four neighbourhoods walking through Lisbon chronologically, from the city’s imperial golden age to the devastating 1755 earthquake, literary cafés, cultural traditions, and the modern Lisbon that locals love today. By the end of the tour, you’ll understand the urban reinvention that makes Lisbon a must-see destination and shape its future.
We’ll start the tour in Bairro Alto at one of the city’s most beautiful viewpoints: the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, featuring sweeping views of the seven hills, São Jorge Castle, and the Tagus River. Then, we’ll head to Carmo to uncover Lisbon’s golden age and the impact of the 1755 earthquake, where we’ll visit Igreja de São Roque, the sole survivor of the earthquake, the richest Jesuit church in Portugal, and the oldest church in the city.
Stand in the square where Europe’s longest dictatorship ended in less than 24 hours during the peaceful Carnation Revolution, before climbing to one of the city’s best rooftop viewpoints. Pass beneath the iconic Santa Justa Lift, inspired by the world of Gustave Eiffel, and wander into Chiado, Lisbon’s elegant literary heart.
Discover the city of Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, browse the oldest operating bookshop in the world, and soak up café culture where Lisbon’s writers once gathered. Then head to Cais do Sodré and stroll along Pink Street, an Instagrammable nightlife hotspot with a scandalous past as the city’s former red light district. We’ll finish the tour at the legendary Time Out Market and a freshly baked pastel de nata from one of Lisbon’s best pastry shops.
This tour is for travellers who want the full story of Lisbon in just two hours: history, art, literature, food, nightlife, and great photo spots. For people who want a tour that gives them both the history and the modern, Instagrammable side of one of Europe’s oldest capital cities.
Does that sound like you? Book now and discover the past, present and future of Lisbon, all in one walk.
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