There is no way to avoid pastel de nata in Lisbon. In fact – I wouldn’t judge if you have come to Lisbon simply for the natas (because I did and there is no shame in that). Being the staple child of Portuguese delicacy, it is therefore unsurprising that you’d find nata shops all around the capital and this causes a problem – where should I go?
Travel guides usually give you 5, 10 or even 15 places to try and, lets face it, as much as they are delicious it really isn’t that fun to overdose on them. So I am only going to suggest 2 here, plus a few honorable mentions and useful tips:
1. Pasteis de Belem
I don’t need to say much about this place apart from the fact that it does serve the best nata, full stop.
Pastel de Nata was invented in the Belem monastery and this claimed to be the place that still serves up the original recipe i.e. the mother of all natas. The first time I had it many years ago I was “shook” at how good it was – there are natas, and then there are the Pasteis de Belem natas. When I came back this time, now equipped with more knowledge of pastry, I think it really boils down to the fact that they are served warm and fresh out of the oven. It might sound obvious, but room temperature nata is of no rival to those fresh out of the oven – the same reason why fresh croissants always taste better, because only then you can make the butter sing and the pastry crisp.
No argument that their nata are technically perfect, but on closer inspection they also don’t display their nata on the counter like most shops do – and that is because they simply bake and serve all their nata straightaway so they come at the best condition.
Therefore, as a tip, buy and eat your nata straightaway (!). Having it cool down completely is just going to lose a bit of magic (but you can always heat it back up – see instruction at the end of the post)
So what is the catch? Well none if you want the perfect nata, but Pasteis de Belem is only located in Belem so it can be a bit of a track to visit frequently. Thus come my second recommendation…
2. Manteigaria
Manteigaria also serves up incredible pastel de nata. Personally, I don’t think it is as good as Pasteis de Belem down to the fact that they do display them in a cabinet and thus not able to always keep them warm, but it is close, and certainly a lot more accessible. You can find around 5 shops dotted around the center of Lisbon, including one in the Time Out Market which you should never miss.
Honorable mention
Castro – Atelier de Pastéis de Nata
A central, good looking shop that also serves up fresh nata. I was drawn in by its jazzy shop front, and as much as it has the potential of being a tourist trap the quality is actually top notch. Prices are also very decent: I ordered a nata for 1.3 euros plus 80 cents for an espresso. Probably one of the best valued afternoon tea I’ve had. So, yes, it is worth a visit if you walk by and want a quick break.
Tips:
How to spot a good nata?
Of course you will come across other excellent nata stores in Lisbon, and given that almost all places sell them it is important to be able to separate the good from the disappointing. As a rule of thumb, you would like to look out for 2 things:
1. The pastry case should be brown with clearly visible layers at the top and a flakey side. If it is pale then it means that it hasn’t been baked enough, and if it doesn’t have clear layers then the lamination wasn’t done properly so will unlikely to be as crispy as you want
2. The custard should have black burnt spots. This is a sign that it was baked in high temperature and the filling is correctly caramelised. Without that is another sign of under-baking
In short, just look at how the ones from Pasteis de Belem look like and only choose ones that look similar.
If I can’t eat my nata immediately, how can I still enjoy them in the best condition?
As much as I encourage everyone to have their nata fresh out of the oven, it is not always possible: maybe you bought a pack of 6, or bought extra as gift for your family and friends. Either way, I do have a useful tip on how to still enjoy them in as good a condition as you can.
Generally, it is recommended to consume the natas within 2-3 days. That is because from the moment they are baked, the nata shell will start to soften over time through absorbing the moisture from the custard and from the air. It will help to keep them in an airtight container, but natas that are 1 day old will already start to go soft and therefore a lot less enjoyable.
To bring them back into prime condition i.e. with a crispy shell, you would need to bake them in high heat:
– Preheat an oven to 220C (or use an air-fryer if you have one)
– Bake the Nata for around 6-8 minutes
It is done when the shell feels crispy again when you run a fork across the surface
Afterall, nata is fairly calorific. So why waste those calories by eating it soft and cold?
So that is it – my 2 cents on the 2 places to eat nata in Lisbon along with some tips. Might update further if I go again!
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