![]() The tiles from the interior and exterior remain, but the smoke has been replaced by the smell of sugar and an enticing window display of sweets. Pastelaria Alcôa opened at the beginning of 2017 in what was once a beautiful tobacco shop. Price per egg tart: 1,10€ Egg tarts at Alcoa Pastelaria Alcôa The best move is to buy a dozen pastries: Fill half the box with egg tarts, and then add whatever other convent sweets catch your eye. It features a more dense and sweet custard, a nice contrast to the crispy and flaky layers of the pastry. Some of the recipes used by Confeitaria are secured under lock and key, including the recipe for their egg tart. In 1873, Confeitaria Nacional became the official supplier of the Casa Real (Royal Household). ![]() The shop first gained renown in the 19th century, when the owner invited bakers and chefs from France and Spain to teach the art of pastry. A spiral staircase leads up to the tea room on the second floor. Open since 1829, the sixth-generation family pastry shop is fanciful and opulent, with decorative woodwork, a mirrored ceiling, and marble counters. Nestled in the narrow streets of downtown Lisbon, this is one of the oldest confeitarias in Portugal. If you want to avoid the line, go at breakfast or on a day when the nearby monastery (a big draw) is closed.Ĭonfeitaria Nacional Confeitaria Nacional The line might suggest that this is a tourist trap, but Lisboetas also trek out here for their pastel de Belém fix. An order fresh out of the oven alongside a glass of port wine is one of the best egg tart experiences you can have. The confeitaria sells thousands of egg tarts per day, and while the occasional tart can be a bit burnt or underdone, 90 percent are perfect. Only six people alive today know that recipe, including the three master bakers who work behind closed doors at the so-called Secret Atelier. Antiga Confeitaria de Belém's egg tarts are called pastéis de Belém, not pastéis de nata the name is trademarked, and their original recipe is secret. During the day, international and Portuguese tourists queue for hours to buy boxes of egg tarts at the takeaway counter or nab a seat in one of the five massive dining rooms.Įgg tarts, in their modern form, originated here in 1837. In Belém, Lisbon’s most touristy neighborhood, one of the longest lines is not for the 16th-century monastery Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, but for the dark blue pastelaria next door. You can find delicious pastéis de nata all over Lisbon, but I promise you’ll compare every one to the perfection of Pastéis de Belém.Exterior of Confeitaria de Belém Antiga Confeitaria de Belém When the heat of the tart warms the cinnamon, the most irresistible fragrance of sugar and spice is released. Shakers of cinnamon and powdered sugar are offered at the bar and I like a light shake of cinnamon best. The kitchen sends out wave after wave of pastry to fill demand, guaranteeing your order will be fresh and warm. Best to eat your tarts at the counter with a shot of espresso. The pastry tops blister in high heat adding a toasty hint of caramel to the flavor profile. Paper thin layers of buttery crisp pastry are filled with a rich, yet balanced, custard of sugar and egg. The namesake pastries (called Pastéis de Nata throughout the region) are the original and still gold standard in Portugeuse egg tart pastry. This is a truth of Lisbon in general, but it could not be more crucial than when you come upon the blue and white banner of Pastéis de Belém. But here’s something you must do while you’re in the district. If you’re visiting Lisbon, chances are you’ll make your way to nearby Belem to see some age of Discoveries sites like the Tower of Belem or Monastery of Jerónimos.
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