Where to Find the Best Pastéis de Nata in Lisbon – 2025 Edition

Updated Jan 16, 2025

How many pastéis de nata could you eat on a holiday to Lisbon? Our friend Jayden smashed 30 on his trip to Portugal, but I will say that not all of them were prime pastéis. The man was on a mission to eat at least two Portuguese custard tarts a day, picking them up from any old bakery or pasteleria while on our roadtrip.

Me? I live in Lisbon and have unlimited access to pastel de nata, so I’m very selective about where I spend my custard calories . I’ve tried plenty of tarts at various pastelerias and bakeries across the city and below I’ve listed the places I return to again and again. In fact, it’d be hard to walk past these spots without dropping in for a cheeky nata or two.

Here’s a local’s guide on where to find the best pastéis de nata in Lisbon in 2025.

How to order a pastel de nata

How to order a pastel de nata in Lisbon? By the half dozen, ideally. The sweet treat is most commonly enjoyed alongside a dark, bitter café (espresso), but also pairs nicely with Port wine or ginjinha liqueur if you get the chance.

Pastel de nata or pastéis de nata?

Pastel is singular, pastéis is plural. It’s that simple!

Is there an annual best pastel de nata award in Lisbon?

Yes. Baking Lisbon’s iconic convent pastry is serious business. So serious that there’s an annual competition for the best pastel de nata in the capital. It’s hotly contested – though the most famous places never seem to enter – but the blind tasting by expert judges usually throws up some exciting and unknown talent (often deeper in the suburbs) worth seeking out too. 

Read next: The best pastel de nata cooking classes in Lisbon and Porto

Join a baking class and learn how to make pastéis de nata at home
Eager to take pastel de nata’s great secrets home with you? (Spoiler, it’s loads of butter). While you might not have a commercial oven or those cute little pastel de nata tins, you can learn how to recreate Portuguese custard tarts at home – just this top-rated 5-star pastel de nata cooking classes in Lisbon.

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The original: Pastéis de Belém (Antiga Confeitaria de Belém)

Every day thousands of pilgrims trek out to Belém to worship at the altar of the Manueline-style Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the counters of Pastéis de Belém (sometimes called the Antiga Confeitaria de Belém). 

Indeed this pasteleria is the spiritual homeland of the pastel de nata. Baking here since 1837, the recipe comes from the nearby monastery and is a tightly guarded secret. Apparently only half a dozen people know the recipe and those master bakers churn out some 20,000 tarts every day.

You’ll spot the queues first, but this must-visit bakery isn’t a tourist trap. That is unless you get literally trapped in the rabbit warren of tile-clad rooms that make up the various dining spaces. My favourite way to enjoy a tart or three is sitting down at a table inside, starting savoury with an imperial (beer) and empada de pato (duck pie) and finishing with a pastel de nata and cafe (espresso).

The pastéis: The tarts here are technically called Pasteís de Belém and this is the only place in the world that can produce tarts by this name. But let’s be really honest – these tarts are simply a pastel de nata with an unknown secret recipe. I find the custard is more savoury and eggy than others, and the pastry is super crunchy and often flakes off in huge crispy wisps.

• The price: Heaven is only €1.40 a piece.
• Waiting time: When you arrive, choose from either the takeaway window queue or the queue to sit-down at a table. Both move fast, so have faith despite the crowds.
• Takeaway: Pasteís de Belém do not travel well or last beyond one day. I don’t recommend buying packs to take home
• Location: Belém, next to some major Lisbon sights and museums such as the Jerónimos Monastery. Google Maps

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The cult newcomer: Manteigaria

The baker smacks a yellow slab of butter the size of a science textbook down on the pastry, tucking it in and folding it over, and over, and over, and over. Sometimes it’s better not knowing what goes into your favourite foods but it’s hard to peel your eyes away from the fish-bowl glass kitchens at Manteigaria. The narrow original store in Chiado is prime for watching the bakers make, measure and mold the store’s famous sweet. This tart bar serves just three things – pastéis de nata, coffee and booze – at its many locations in Lisbon and Porto. 

The pastéis: Lisbon locals usually argue that Manteigaria or Pastéis de Belém bake the best natas, and I say you have to try both and make the choice for yourself. I can never resist either and swing between the two as my all-time favourite, depending on the day. Pastéis de Belém tarts have a super crunchy, brittle pastry and slightly more savoury egg custard, while I find Manteigaria is sweeter with a still-crunchy yet more stable base.

• The price: €1.30 a piece.
• Waiting time: Manteigaria is expanding at rapid pace and only sells tarts and drinks, so depending where you go you’ll wait maximum five minutes.
• Takeaway: Manteigaria tarts do travel better, so you can eat them the next day or try to take them home.
• Locations: In 2025, Lisbon has 5 stores (Chiado, TimeOut Market, Baixa, Belém) and Porto has 2 stores.
• Bonus tip: If you’re feeling game to see how the sausage is made, watch my Instagram Reel of the bakers at Manteigaria.

Read next: How to spend 48 hours in Lisbon: Two-day itinerary

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Do a Portuguese custard tart crawl in Chiado

Okay, so now once you’ve tried to two greatest rivals for king of the pastel de nata in Lisbon, you can go beyond. Below I’m listing a handful more bakeries and Portuguese custard tart shops that I – someone that lives in Lisbon – actually highly recommend.

When I have friends visit (or I take a custom food tour), one of my favourite things to do is compare the best pastéis de nata on a street I’m dubbing the Pastel Promenade: Rua Garrett. Within 200 metres (650 feet) you can find four tart shops that are easily in my top 5 picks.

If you can handle the custard, bounce your way between Manteigaria at Praça Luís de Camões (your benchmark), then cross the square to Pastelaria de Bairro Alto Hotel before continuing down Rua Garrett to Castro and Alcôa. I’ll dive into each, plus more top Lisbon custard tart stores, below.

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Pastelaria de Bairro Alto Hotel, Chiado

An unexpected and offbeat favourite of mine is the pasteleria at the base of the 5-star Bairro Alto Hotel. On the opposite side of Praça Luís de Camões square to Manteigaria in Chiado, this insanely beautiful space takes you out of Lisbon for a moment. There’s classic stainless steel countertops in sight, instead it’s all warm wood paneling and marble with the sweets displayed like little diamond rings. 

The pastéis: I headed here after reading an interview with chef Nuno Mendes who consulted for the hotel. He spoke about memories from his childhood, scooping barely set custard with a spoon. Inspired by this, the custard in his recipe is indeed less set, the top burnt with flecks of vanilla and a hint of lemon. The pastry is thinner than others, but just as crunchy.

• The price: Pleasantly, it still only sets you back €1.30 – but the other items in the counter and coffee are more expensive (but also, just superior!)
• The space: I’ve never needed to queue here as it’s a bit of a secret. Beside the beautiful light-filled space, there is a mezzanine lounge. The 5-star bathrooms are a treat too.
• Location: Corner of Praça Luís de Camões in Chiado, Lisbon. Google Maps

Related Blog: Where to eat in Lisbon

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Pastelaria Alcôa, Chiado & El Corte Inglés

It’s worth visiting this pasteleria just to see the incredible mid 20th-century tiles. Once a stunning tobacco shop, this historic bakery took over the space on Rua Garrett in Chiado in 2017, keeping the funky three-dimensional tiles and swapping wafts of smoke for wafts of sugar.

The original Alcôa bakery opened in 1957 in a religious town called Alcobaça, two hours north of Lisbon, so you’ll find plenty of other conventual sweets that make the most of egg, yolk, sugar, almonds and other traditional ingredients (the chocolate cake is insane). While there are not longer any gluten-free tarts available in Lisbon, this bakery has a dozen or more choices of traditional sweets that happen to be gluten-free.

• The price: Just €1.30 – but you’ll be tempted by other (excellent) traditional sweets, which are more like €3-4 each. Still a bargain!
• The space: It’s small, mostly a bakery counter but you can get a coffee and stand at bar-height counters to one side.
• Location: Rua Garrett in Chiado, Lisbon, plus there’s a small counter within El Corte Inglés. Google Maps (multiple locations)

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Castro, Chiado & Baixa

Appetite for a great pastel de nata in Lisbon is at all-time high. As mentioned, in the heart of the Chiado neighbourhood you’ll find Manteigaria, Alcôa, Pasteleria de Bairro Alto Hotel and Castro. The self-titled pastel de nata atelier launched in Porto two years ago and Lisbon at the end of 2021 – now is has two stores in the capital.

The pastéis: A similar concept to Manteigaria, step inside the pastry shop with old-world European vibes and an open kitchen window where you can watch the master bakers at work. The spaces of Castro are so beautiful, perfect to pause and indulge in a thin-yet-crisp crust pastel de nata that’s not too sweet. I find this one competes highly against Manteigaria, and I might struggle to pick between the two in a blind tasting.

• The price: Just €1.30 for one – but the other items in the counter and coffee are more expensive (but also, just superior!)
• The space: There’s a handful of tables inside the Chiado location so you can rest between sightseeing or shopping. The Baixa location has a big terrace.
• Locations: Besides the Castro on Rua Garrett in Chiado, there’s another location nearby in Baixa at the base of the famous Elevador de Santa Justa Google Maps

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Pastelería de Santo Antonio, Alfama

I like to order pastéis de nata “escuro” or darker – I like the ones with the extra burnt tops!

Located near the castle, Pastelería de Santo Antonio is a great spot to mark in your map when you’re hot on the tourist trail of Lisbon. It’s wedged on the corner of a backstreet between Alfama and Lisbon’s São Jorge Castle, so there’s a good chance you’ll be in the area seeking a sweet treat (or rapid lunch). This bakery took the spotlight in 2019 when it won the best pastel de nata award in Lisbon.

• The price: €1.20 for one.
• The space: There’s two storeys. The bottom is almost like a canteen with fast service – you can grab sandwiches, soups etc too. Then head upstairs to a dining room if you wish to chill out.
• Location: Rua do Milagre de Santo António 10. Google Maps

Other great Lisbon pastéis de nata in 2025

Here’s a few more for your list in case you’re on the hunt for more, or want to add them to your map.

• Aloma: This bakery won “best pastel de nata in Lisbon 2024”, and it’s easy to find. There are two bakeries in the city – plus you can buy six-packs of fresh Aloma pasteís de nata at the airport.
• Confeitaria Nacional: Open since 1829, step back in time and take lunch in the upstairs canteen too. Find a bonus cafe at Lisbon Airport T2. I often grab these at the airport when visiting friends abroad.
• Fabrica da Nata: These are also good. with a couple of locations near Rossio Square and in Sintra, though I often find the pastry a little too buttery for my liking.
• Confeitaria da Gloria: This bakery in Almada won “best pastel de nata in Lisbon 2023”.
• Casa do Padeiro: This pastel de nata spot in Pontinha won “best pastel de nata in Lisbon 2022”.
• Padaria da Né: This bakery won “best pastel de nata in Lisbon 2021”.

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Where to find a gluten-free or vegan pastel de nata

For your vegan friend, try the aptly named Vegan Nata, with stores in Chiado and Campo de Ourique. Apparently it’s great, according to an egg-free friend who tried it.

Unfortunately there is no longer a gluten-free pastel de nata bakery in Lisbon. Zarzuela used to be the place, but it closed. If you’re gluten-free and want to try Portuguese sweets, I’d visit Alcôa (mentioned above) as they have a huge range of naturally gluten-free traditional convent sweets.

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Lisbon’s best pastel de nata map!

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Join a pastel de nata cooking class

Eager to take pastel de nata’s great secrets home with you? (Spoiler, it’s loads of butter). While you might not have a commercial oven or those cute little pastel de nata tins, you can learn how to recreate Portuguese custard tarts at home in a muffin tin when you join one of the best pastel de nata cooking classes in Lisbon, like this top-rated one by HomeCooking.

Related Blog: Where to eat in Lisbon

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