Pastéis de Belém vs Manteigaria: Which Is Actually the Best in Lisbon?

Everyone will tell you the best pastel de nata in Lisbon is in Belém.

And to be fair, that’s where it all started. The original recipe dates back to the 1800s, created by monks at the Jerónimos Monastery, who used leftover egg yolks to make these little custard tarts. When the monastery closed, the recipe was sold, and that’s how Pastéis de Belém became a thing.

But we thing there is a better one you should not miss.

When we first visited Lisbon, we wanted to try the famous ones in Belém. But looking at the map, it felt a bit out of the way, so we skipped it and just thought, okay, let’s find something in the city center.

That’s how we ended up at Manteigaria.

At that time, it was just one small place, kind of tucked into a side street. Nothing big, nothing touristy, just a simple shop.

We tried one.

And that was it. We were sold immediately.

That creamy filling, slightly cinnamony, not too sweet, and the pastry… crispy, but not overly crispy. Just the right balance. We looked at each other and just went back to buy two more.

After that, it kind of became our routine.

After dinner, after brunch, sometimes just randomly, we’d stop by and get a box. Usually a 4-pack, telling ourselves it’s “for later”, which never really worked out that way.

Then on our third trip to Lisbon, we finally went to Belém.

By that time, Manteigaria had expanded, and of course, there was one right next to Pastéis de Belém.

So we did what anyone would do.

We had to compare them.

We stood in line for the Belém ones, got them fresh and warm, and then grabbed Manteigaria right after without any waiting.

And honestly, it surprised us a bit.

The Belém ones were definitely fresher, straight out of the oven. Very crispy, almost too crispy, and they give you cinnamon and sugar separately so you can add it yourself.

Sounds nice, but the taste felt a bit… plain. Good, but missing something.