A Pastel de Nata Trail Through Lisbon

The pastel de nata is Lisbon's great equaliser. Bankers, tilers, tourists and grandmothers all queue for the same thing: a palm-sized tart of shattering laminated pastry filled with egg custard, blistered black on top, ideally still warm. The recipe was born before 1837 in the kitchens of the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, and the city has been arguing about who makes the best one ever since. This trail settles nothing — but you will eat very well while you disagree.

• What it costs: typically around 1.30–2 euros per tart
• How to order: "um pastel de nata, por favor" — add a "bica" (espresso) alongside
• The ritual: dust with cinnamon, never sugar first; eat standing at the counter
• Getting around: tram 15E links the city centre to Belém in around 20 minutes

Pastéis de Belém — the original

Start where it all began. Pastéis de Belém, on Rua de Belém a short walk from the Jerónimos Monastery, has been baking to the monastery's secret recipe since 1837, and here — only here — the tarts are called pastéis de Belém rather than pastéis de nata. The queue outside looks alarming; ignore it and head inside, where a warren of azulejo-lined dining rooms seats hundreds and table service moves briskly. Order at least two per person: the pastry is flakier than anywhere else in the city, the custard barely set, and they arrive warm from ovens that run more or less continuously. What to order beyond the obvious: a bica and, if you are hungry, a savoury rissol.

Manteigaria — the challenger

Back in the city centre, Manteigaria occupies a former butter factory on Rua do Loreto, at the edge of Chiado near Praça Luís de Camões. This is the modernists' choice: a single product, an open kitchen where you watch the dough being laminated and the tins being lined by hand, and a bell that rings each time a fresh tray leaves the oven. The Manteigaria tart is a touch deeper and more caramelised than Belém's, the custard richer. There is a second counter in the Time Out Market at Cais do Sodré if the Chiado queue defeats you. Order one warm at the marble counter, then — this is standard practice — a second.

Confeitaria Nacional — the grand old dame

On Praça da Figueira, within sight of the castle on its hill, Confeitaria Nacional has been trading since 1829, which makes it older than the Belém shop. It is a proper 19th-century confeitaria — mirrored ceilings, brass fittings, glass cases of bolo rei and sugared almonds — and its pastel de nata is a classical, restrained version: less scorch, more silk. Take it at a table with a pot of tea and watch the square. What else to order: the bolo rei in winter, or a duchesse pastry any time.

Fábrica da Nata — the showman

Fábrica da Nata has an outpost on Praça dos Restauradores, all painted tiles and theatrical open bakery. Purists sniff because it is new; ignore them. The tart is consistently excellent — aggressively blistered top, wobbling centre — and this is the one place on the trail where pairing it with a small glass of ginjinha, Lisbon's sour-cherry liqueur, is actively encouraged. It is a strange and correct combination.

Aloma — the neighbourhood hero

Finish in Campo de Ourique, a residential grid west of the centre that most visitors skip. Pastelaria Aloma has been the neighbourhood pastry shop since the 1940s and has won Lisbon's best-pastel-de-nata competition more than once. The version here is lighter and less sweet than its rivals', with a custard that tastes distinctly of lemon. Eat it among locals reading the paper, then walk it off in the nearby Jardim da Estrela.

How to run the trail

Do it in a day if you must — Belém in the morning, Chiado at noon, Baixa mid-afternoon, Campo de Ourique before closing — but two days is more civilised, and leaves room for actual meals. Tarts are best within an hour of baking; if the top has gone matte and the pastry soft, wait for the next tray.

Tip: Go to Pastéis de Belém before 09:00 or after 18:00, when the coach tours are elsewhere — and always eat in rather than taking away. A pastel de nata in a cardboard box steams itself soggy within minutes.