Most cities are known for something, and for me, forever more, Lisbon will be known as the city of pastries! And some would argue that it’s all about the Pastel de Nata! Pastel de Nata is a Portuguese egg tart pastry originally from Portugal but also found in countries with significant Portuguese immigrant populations. Its main ingredient is egg yolks.
Pastries were everywhere in Lisbon. I’ve never seen so many pastry shops, pastelarias, and so many different kinds of pastries. The question became how to narrow it down to which ones to sample. I asked some born / raised / and still living in Lisbon friends to narrow it down for me. They suggested I start with the Pastel de Nata, and in particular, Pastéis de Belém. The pasteis de nata is Portugal’s most famous dessert and it’s found everywhere around Lisbon. But there is a catch. There is a secret recipe that’s closely guarded here at Pasteis de Belem.
On my first full day in Lisbon, a friend who lives there picked me up and off we went. Of course I let him plan the day. While walking to his car, we stopped for my second espresso of the day and it was only 9:30am. Those espressos go down way too easily! As he drove, I had a hunch where he was heading, and I was right. As we pulled into the parking space I saw Pastéis de Belém and knew we were starting my Pastel de Nata tour.
