This is probably more a 3-star, but with so so so many places serving up the Portuguese Egg Tarts (Pastel de Nata), the tarts here simply pale in comparison, and the egg tarts are what their claim to fame is supposedly for. Oddly, the flakiness was inconsistent, as parts were flaky and parts were not. Also, the custard seemed as it had been sitting out for a while. It hadn't gone bad, but just didn't taste super fresh. When you've had ones that are super fresh, you can taste the difference right off the bat.
I was attracted to Casa das Tortas mainly because there was a huge sign saying that they were celebrating their 125th year in business. I thought, wow, with 125 years under their belt, this place should be great. Alas, it wasn't, in any way. Not a particularly pleasant place to sit, and nothing special about the service. I should've known better when I didn't see any lines, or barely any people inside.
We've been burned before in Barcelona, and even at home, when we've selected places just because they've been around forever. Old doesn't necessarily mean great or even good in any way. Sometimes it just means just old, in every way.
Save your time, money and calories and head over to nearby Fabrica da Nata instead, where I saw lots of peoples and a nice little line, which moved very quickly. Most importantly, at Fabrica da Nata is where I had my best Portuguese Egg Tart, to date.
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