Walking around most city streets reveals that Portugal has a strong sweet taste. Bakeries and pastry shops are as common in the Northeast as Dunkin Donuts, and every other window appears to be beckoning eager eyes toward cakes, bread, custards, and other delicacies. However, there is one treat in especially that must be tasted when in Lisbon: the pastel de nata, aka Coffee Nata.
The recipe for coffee nata’s traditional Portuguese dish may be traced back over three centuries to Belém, a civil parish west of Lisbon. Monks of the Jerónimos Monastery, which is now a significant tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, invented pastéis de Nata.
In this article, we will discuss about coffee nata (pastel de nata) and from where you can buy the best coffee nata online.
What Exactly is Coffee Nata (Pastel de Nata)?
Pastel de nata are egg tart pastries that appear like a mix between a custard tart and a cake. Crispy and flaky on the surface, creamy and sweet on the interior. Each area of Portugal and each bakery has its own method of modifying the original recipe, but everyone wants the egg filling and crispy crust. Although these sweets are time-consuming to create, but the key of Pastéis de Belém’s popularity remains a mystery.
Top Stores to Buy Pastel de Nata
1. Manteigaria
The modest but lively Manteigaria on Largo de Cames in Chiado has expanded into the Mercado da Ribeira, where the tastiest pastéis de nata in town are continually coming out of its ovens. The key to success is extremely easy, and it doesn’t have to be kept hidden from prying eyes. The quality of the ingredients used whole eggs, plenty of sugar and proper butter instead of margarine, and no preservatives The procedure by which the flaky pastry is mashed and folded by hand, which requires several months of training to learn properly, are the secrets of these tarts’ success.
2. Noodle Bird
Noodle Bird, an Asian-inspired restaurant from the award-winning creative brains of Fat Rice, brings the colorful street food culture of Macau and Asia to Chicago’s Logan Square. Order at the counter in this lively, fast-casual setting with a view of the kitchen, where you can keep an eye on the activity while the meal is prepared. Handmade rice noodles with crispy peanuts, pillowy dumplings, crisp cucumber salad, sweet glazed Berkshire grilled pork, and delicious pastel de nata are just a few dishes on the menu. Come in for one of our famed flaky egg custard tarts or a cup of hot milk tea.
3. Alfaia Restaurant
Alfaia Restaurant’s traditional cod dishes, which alternate with shellfish and fish, were created to be shared with family and friends in a warm and inviting environment. An attentive crew would be glad to greet new guests as well as those who are already members of our house, serving rich and flavorful meals from Portugal’s birthplace.
4. Pastelaria Versailles
With elegant design, a pleasant environment, and incomparable pastries and custard tarts, stepping inside Pastelaria Versailles is like stepping back in time. Its beautiful 1920s ambiance, along with classic pastries and tarts, gives the impression of being transported to another planet. Local people love coming here for a relaxing coffee and meal, and they like how active it is without feeling overcrowded. Make the time for a coffee and donut break at Pastelaria Versailles if you want to enjoy pastéis de nata the way the locals do.
