Pastéis de Belém

Pastéis de Belém is the bakery on Rua de Belém in the Belém district of Lisbon, Portugal, that has made custard tarts since 1837 and is widely regarded as the origin of the pastel de nata as visitors know it today. The recipe is described as secret and is known to only a small group of the bakery's masters. The tarts, sold here as pastéis de Belém, have a crisp, blistered puff pastry shell and a warm custard filling, and are served dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar from shakers on the table. They cost around 1.50 to 2 euros each, and a half-dozen box is a common takeaway order. The premises run through a series of rooms covered in blue-and-white azulejo tiles, with a counter at the front for takeaway and dining rooms behind that seat several hundred people, which is why seated tables often move faster than the queue outside suggests. The atmosphere is bustling, noisy and unpretentious, with waiters in traditional uniforms. Besides pastries, the menu includes coffee, bica espresso, simple savoury items and light lunches. The bakery is open daily from early morning until late evening and is always busy, especially midday and weekends, when the takeaway line can stretch along the pavement. It sits a short walk from the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries, so many visitors combine the pastry stop with sightseeing. No reservations are taken, and the best approach is to head inside past the takeaway queue and ask for a table. Eating the tarts warm from the oven, as locals do, remains the central appeal of a visit.