Pastéis de nata: the story of Lisbon's iconic pastry

By GoPocket · 29 Jun 2026 · 7 min read

Warm, crisp outside and creamy inside: pastéis de nata are the taste of Lisbon. You'll find them on every corner, yet few people know the story behind this little pastry — one that begins within monastery walls, passes through a revolution and ends up in shop windows around the world. Here's everything to know before you bite into your first.

Born within monastery walls

The story begins in Belém, at the great Jerónimos Monastery. Before the 19th century, convents used vast amounts of egg white to starch the clergy's robes and, it is said, to clarify wine. That left mountains of yolks, which the monks learned to turn into rich, golden sweets. From that abundance of yolks came the pastéis custard: dense, vanilla-scented, with the warm colour that still makes them unmistakable.

A recipe born of necessity

What looks like refinement was, originally, pure household economy: nothing was wasted. Portuguese convent baking — the famous doçaria conventual — is full of sweets made from yolk and sugar for exactly this reason. Pastéis de nata are the most famous member of a large family that includes dozens of sweets with curious names, often tied to saints and monasteries.

From revolution to pastry shop

In 1834, when religious orders were dissolved, the monastery closed and the monks were left without income. To survive, they sold the recipe to a nearby sugar refinery. Three years later, in 1837, the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém opened next to the monastery: there, to this day, the pastries are made to the original recipe, kept in a locked room and known only to a few master bakers who have signed a pact of secrecy.

Pastel de Belém or pastel de nata?

A distinction that matters in Lisbon: only the pastries made in the historic Belém factory may be called pastéis de Belém, a registered trademark. All the others, identical in looks but with their own recipes, are pastéis de nata. Arguing over which is best is a national sport: some swear by Belém, others prefer more modern bakeries like Manteigaria, where you can watch the bakers shape the pastry in front of you.

How to spot (and enjoy) a good pastel

A well-made pastel has thin, many-layered puff pastry, crumbly and slightly buttery. The custard should barely wobble, never rubbery, and the top marked with those dark caramel spots that form only at very high temperatures — traditional ovens go above 400°C. Enjoy it warm, fresh from the oven, dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar. Alongside, a short coffee: in Lisbon they call it a bica.

Where to try them in Lisbon

The two cult addresses are the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém, next to the monastery, and Manteigaria, with branches in the centre and at the Time Out Market. But almost every neighbourhood bakery makes excellent ones: always order them quentinhos, nice and warm. To learn more, many of the city's food tours stop at a historic pastelaria, telling the story of doçaria conventual while you taste it.

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