So here's the interesting thing - this was one of *many* places to get pastel de nata that made to multiple lists of places you had to stop, which meant I obviously had to stop at as many of them as possible over the course of the couple weeks I was in Portugal, a couple months ago, in both Porto and Lisbon (also to a lesser extent, Coimbra). This means I can now say who made them best, and more importantly, why. The interesting thing is, I didn't think the pastel de nata here were particularly great, on any dimension - fairly flimsy, doughy crust, with a pudding-like, drippy filling that was too sweet and not quite eggy enough. Don't get me wrong, I'd still eat them any time someone offered, they were still tasty, you just have a ton of options nearby, some of them notably better than the ones here. I also tried one of their fancy-looking cookies, which definitely looked fancier than it tasted. Was just a cookie. Dessert-wise I was unimpressed. They were also always fairly busy, which made ordering feel a bit rushed. So why am I still giving this bakery 5 stars, and why did I come back here a couple more times, including to get food to-go the morning we left, to get food to take on the plane with us? For exactly one reason, and it's a weird one: oddly enough, the samosas here are the best samosas I've ever had, and by a wide margin. You'd think the best samosas ever would come from an Indian restaurant or bakery, but nope, they're here. The other small savory food items we tried were also pretty good, but the samosas are the juiciest, meatiest, most perfectly bursting with spices samosas I've had. Who knew? They also had pretty solid espresso and pretty solid free-squeezed orange juice, but those aren't hard to find in Portugal (I miss seeing inexpensive fresh squeezed OJ all over the city... especially *truly* fresh squeezed, to order, from whole oranges. Portuguese OJ definitely was the best. Though obviously not *better* than other places you can get the same thing around - probably indeed the same oranges. Definitely better than anywhere you can get fresh OJ for a few bucks in the US, though, if you can find such a place. :p) read more

Confeitaria Nacional - the surprise star of the show, imo - life-changingly good chicken samosas. We ate a whole bunch of them this trip - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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The first spot we stopped in Lisbon after getting the recommendation from our driver. The pastel de nata was incredible here, and went well with our morning coffee. read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Poached eggs - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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The perfect rest stop in between exploring. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even sweeter. I tried the African coconut cake and the lemon éclair--both were delicious, perfectly balanced, and clearly made with care. A must-stop spot if you're craving great pastries and warm service. read more

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Confeitaria Nacional is where royalty once snacked and we followed suit like the dessert peasants we are. Established in 1829, because apparently sugar was the real crown jewel. We tried God's Bread, which sounds like it should open the gates of heaven but mostly just made us want coffee. Also had the Berlin cake, basically a donut that got a theology degree. Egg yolk and sugar stuffed inside with all the glory. read more

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This is a century old establishment, so it really needs no introduction. But honestly, I prefer their chocolate donuts over their famous pastéis de nata. The place has two floors, so there's plenty of space and usually no long wait. read more

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I visited Confeitaria Nacional on a Tuesday a little before 6 pm. The main pastry area was crowded due to a tour event, but the dessert display area had no queue--I just had to wait a short while for someone to take my order. The servers were very nice & helpful, answering my questions about the different treats. The desserts I ended up choosing were delicious, & I'd visit again the next time I'm in the area. read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Always packed, the origin of this Portuguese cake was interesting. They look amazing & fresh, but only had a piece. Not a fan of nuts & fruit in bread, but it was good. Good prices, though a full cake is expensive. read more

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I think all the hype was the age of the establishment. The food was okay. The service was quick. I felt like we paid for the ambiance of being in the oldest bakery in Lisbon. But the food wasn't anything to rave about. read more

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This was my first stop in Lisbon after an overnight flight. Jetlagged AF, I stumbled in here to see a counter full of pastries and an extremely long line. I learned that there were seating options upstairs, so opted to do that in order to take a seat and relax after such a long trip. The ambiance upstairs is very classy, with big open windows and decorative light fixtures. Service was prompt, though the one drawback of sitting upstairs was that you couldn't look at the pastries and point to what you wanted, so you kind of had to know what you wanted to order off the menu. We got some pastel de nata and much needed coffee. The pastries were tasty, and the coffee honestly hit the spot. I saw folks having more elaborate brunch items around us and had a bit of fomo, but regardless of what you're looking for this is a great food spot. read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Pastel de nata - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

The decor inside was stunning and it look very ornated inside, but there's counters everywhere and the ordering method was confusing to me, at least. The workers also look busy so we weren't sure what we were doing, but we approach the front counter facing the Praca de Figueira and just ordered some pastries and coffee and sat outside. It food was decent, and the cake slice that looked like a brigadeiro also tasted like one. read more

This place is a gem! So many different types of sweets and desserts! It is very busy so be patient with getting a seat! They employees will happily make recommendations, just ask! read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

After a long day of sightseeing, this place was honestly amazing! The food was so good and the staff were so friendly. The ambiance was just right and it was not noisy at all! Either you want a quick coffee or a very cute date spot, highly recommend this place to anyone! read more

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I wasn't feeling it here. The lady serving us at the counter was very rude and felt annoyed when we asked her what were the desserts. We got a coffee and a few desserts that all tasted like just pure sugar. Not impressed. Only a few tables downstairs and the pigeons attack you if you sit outside. No thanks. read more

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The oldest bakery in Lisbon and the tarts were delicious! The service was pretty fast even though there was a line! read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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The oldest bakery. Definitely worth a visit. Pasteis are not served hot like other locations but still delicious. They have a location at the airport too. read more

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Open since 1829 and once served as the official bakery for Portugal Royalty, it's often crowded and the first stop of many of the tours leaving from Rossio Square. You are definitely eating at an institution and the accolades and history decorate the inside and outside walls, it appears much larger than it is because of the mirrored walls and ceiling and is quintessential classic Portuguese in design and architecture. Pão de Deus, "god's bread": associated with Saint's Day. It's a soft brioche bun with coconut and powdered sugar. The name was so epic I had to order it, it tasted great and there are some pastries I've had from Hong Kong that are definitely replicas of this. Bolo De Arroz: a light, fluffy pastry with a light lemon flavor, tasted great with an espresso. If you want to gift some of these pastries don't buy it here, they sell "to-go" versions at almost every Portuguese store at the airport if you want to bring some back for friends and family. read more

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Everyone must stop here when visiting Lisbon! This is allegedly one of the oldest pastry shops in Lisbon. The inside was beautiful and historic. We couldn't tell what any of the pastries were, so we randomly picked a few from the menu as well as the eggs benedict. The food was delicious! I would've loved to go back and try more pastries! read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Oldest cafe in Lisbon since 1829. You can tell this is a must stop by place just by looking from outside. We really wanted to try the circular desert they display but we were told they weren't available. What a shame. But, everything we ordered tasted good including the coffee. I had a wonderful time. read more

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This place was on multiple foodie lists to go as it's one of the oldest Lisbon sellers of Pasteis de Nata (since 1829 aka it's s 185 years old patisserie-restaurant!!) It's located on two levels with the downstairs being the patisserie while the upstairs is a restaurant serving up things like quiches and soups. The shop opened at 8am and our group of 4 was among the first in line to get some warm and crispy Pasteis de Nata, but OMG! The display case had lots of yummy treats which we resisted the temptation of purchase any other desserts. We didn't go up and eat at the restaurant, so this review is for the downstairs patisserie alone. The strong and clean Art Deco decor and lines of this place is a visual treat for the eyes, and in that midst, the jewel coloured varieties of the various dessert sparkle in the light, tempting you to purchase them. So this place is my 2nd fave Pasteis de Nata with its vanilla flavor notes (the top Pasteis de Nata shop for me is Alfama Dolce with its lemon peel). The Pasteis de Nata here had a lovely crisp and flaky outside and the egg custard filling was wonderfully moist and softly firm. That hint of vanilla added a wonderful piquancy. We found out later that this place also sells another special dessert called Bolo Rei (which is a ring-shaped fruit bread, covered in crystallized fruit and nuts, traditionally eaten at Christmas time). For cake non-fruit lovers, this place has the Bolo Rainha (Queen Cake) whereby the fruits are replaced with nuts. I definitely plan to return when next in Lisbon as would like to sample their other desserts and maybe check out the upstairs dining room too! Note - Day 4 of Lisbon, Portugal adventures Yelp 207 /2019 read more

Sweet Pastry were pretty good (didn't take pics since we had it to-go) Savory dishes were pretty terrible. - cod croquette was served cold - ham and cheese croissant was served cold and thin. - bacon egg benedict, toast tasted old and dry, hollandaise sauce tasted bland and cheap. Stick with the sweet pastry. read more

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Came here on a rainy day and it made the morning perfect. Wonderful pastries and coffee in a quiet setting. If you need some time to unwind, this is the perfect place to come and visit. I think they have the best pastel de nata. I am not an expert, but if you like the natas more firm and not so sweet, this cafe makes a good one. I also love the flaky crust. read more

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Went here for the history and how gorgeous the interior of the building was. The food was great for breakfast. My favorite were the sweet pastries such as the eclair and pastel de nata. read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Ham and cheese croissant, chocolate eclair, pastel de nata, ham and cheese toast, poached eggs, meat croquette - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

This place is amazing! Food: 4/5 - good variety of drinks, food & pastries. If you are in the mood for something more than a pastry, go for the roast beef sandwich. It's a 5/5 - caramelized onion with a sweet mayo. I had the lemon cake of the day. (4/5) Not too sweet but could be moister. Ambiance 5/5 - if you love old world charm, this is it with crystal chandeliers & fine tablecloths. Go upstairs for sit down service especially after a day of sightseeing. If you're lucky, sit by the window for a great view of the square. Service: 4/5 - they were busy, and part of my order was missed. They were apologetic. read more

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The worst service I have ever received. I walked out. It took 45 minutes from seating to order and then I never received my drink- and before I asked- where is my drink? Unacceptable- so many better places like Cafe Brasiliera. More expensive but worth it - so rude and didn't care. Unlike Portugal. This place is a waste of space and money.! BTW as I walked out my drink had been sitting there for 30 min. Mean and rude servers! Uncomfortable chairs! read more

Absolutely delicious and a place you must try. A cute shop with a lot of history. It gets very busy and there is not really a line so be sure you are present when ordering. Tried espresso, egg tarts and gods bread. Everything was delicious and have zero complaints. This was not the best egg tart I ever had, but it really was absolutely delicious. The gods bread is something I would 100% order again. Indoor and outdoor seating with free wifi. read more

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This is the oldest coffee shop in the city. Apparently this is where royals would come for meetings! We stopped for an espresso and some pastries. It was the perfect stop. Great seating areas inside if there is room. The small pastries are delicious! It exceeded expectations. Waiters are respectful and quiet. read more

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Great place I liked it the coffee was good and pastil de nata delicious the service was great read more

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I came here as part of a food tour, and we tried some of the pastries Confeitaria Nacional offered. It was fantastic. This bakery had to be one of my favorite spots we visited. Everything was fantastic, but especially the bola de berlim! read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

You have to go to this place. Inside is so nice. The person at the counter was very friendly and answered a few questions we had. We split a few pastries. All were good. read more

Wow. It took some two decades to learn of this pastelaria (pastry shop and coffeehouse). It could have been that the closing of Cafe Suica might have pushed me to find other coffeehouses in the historic center. One could have just relied on Cafe' Nicola and Suica on opposite sides of Praca Dom Pedro IV for their pastry and coffee/tea requirements. Suica had this strawberry cake that I couldn't/can't get off my mind. I asked someone at a kiosk on that very praca if they knew of another good pastry shop, given that Suica had closed, and was told about Confeitara Nacional. They literally pointed to it. From the south end of Praca Dom Pedro IV, you can see the south end of Praca da Figueira. And there it was, on the corner. And with a name like nacional, it sounded like it would have been there a long time - a stalwart. Confeitaria Nacional is an old school pastelaria and Lisbon, and Lisboetas, sure seem to like these places. So do the tourists. It has two levels and people can buy their things to go, if they so wish, downstairs. There is table service upstairs. The quality of the woodwork and the furnishings takes the customer back in time. I had two croquettes, a slice of cake, and coffee. You have to ask what the unlabeled pastries are and they'll do their best to describe them to you, working with some knowledge of the languages of countries from which visiting folks will most likely be from. The savory items were good, with the cake being excellent. The coffee was standard fare, but then I'm not looking for much more when it comes to coffee and tea. Allow me go off on a pedantic tangent. In the three romance languages one will most likely encounter in the U.S., tea is "t(h)e'." I'm sure everyone at this place knows that! But, if you want to file this away and score points with the locals, tea is "cha" (almost like Shah of Iran, but without the "of Iran" part) in Portuguese. Then, with their intertwined history with the English for centuries, some of their food and such has been affected. Thus, if ordering tea, they aren't as likely to reflexively think you're from the British Isles like they might in Spain and Italy. Now, I couldn't see English ladies doing the afternoon tea and crumpets thing here because it's probably not posh "enough." That, in my book, is a good thing. The table service was almost professional in its nature. The prices were fair. I recommend leaving a tip, for which the rules in Europe are all over the map. It's also very cool to sit in an old school Lisbon coffeehouse, with its tall ceilings, interesting fixtures, and formalities of sorts to savor its history and its past. If in the historic center and wanting pastries in a coffeehouse setting, Confeitaria Nacional should be on your list. I wish I had learned about this pastelaria much earlier. read more

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Breakfast spot in the center of the historic area. Had eggs bendict. Really tasty. Would definitely recommend.

Now in its sixth generation under the Castanheiro family Confeitaria Nacional has been serving Lisbon since 1829, locations in Belém and at the airport doing little to diminish lines at the Praça da Figueira original that start to form twenty minutes prior to opening. Old World without feeling dated, tiled outside giving way to mirrored ceilings and a curved stairway within, it is starting at 09h00 that guests are invited to investigate historic recipes, a crescent Meia Lua eating slightly softer than Biscotti with warm baking spices while Nacional's Nata is a bit overcooked compared to competitors. No doubt a diverse collection, Torta de Coimbra placing familiar Custard inside a rolled Sponge, the stacked Palmier falls just short of that at Aloma while a slice of Almond Tart makes it easy to forget everything else thanks to a soft yet crumbly bottom supporting Dulce de Leche and slivered Nuts. read more

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The second best pastel de natas I had in portugal - (after the ones in belem), but these were honestly amazing as well. The custard is decadent: rich, eggy, creamy, and smooth with the perfect balance of flavors. You get the crispy crunch of the delicate crust followed by the soft custard with every bite, which only gets better. Far better than Manteigaria in my opinion, which was too sweet, and tasted like a mass produced creme brulee. Come early to find seating! read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Great pasteis! We got other items and they were okay- the savory pastries were below average but the pasteis were good. Line moves fast.

Got a chinesa + pastel de nata for breakfast. Both were pretty standard, delicious but not outstanding. The pastel was still warm and very flakey and caramelized on the top, which I loved. Service was great, and I enjoyed the food outside on a peaceful sidewalk. read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

My first meal in Lisbon took place at Confeitaria Nacional for lunch. Confeitaria has quite the history as it's been around since the early 1900's. It was also recommended in my guide book. While they're known for their pasteis de nata, the delicious Portuguese specialty, I went in a different direction. We sat outside on the patio and service was pretty slow. I went with a ham and cheese sandwich on brioche bread and a slice of ham and cheese quiche. Both were served lukewarm and weren't very good. For a bakery with as decorated of a history, I expected much, much more. read more

Confeitaria Nacional - One of the oldest bakeries in town - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Iconic cafe We came to this cafe intending just to have a coffee because it was listed on the internet as one of Lisbon's iconic cafes. However after checking out the very good value Prato del Dia, we decided to have lunch here instead. We had a very tasty cream of carrot soup and "bacalhau espiritual" with vegetables. The staff were very friendly too! read more

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Had their melt in your mouth raspberry cheese cake and their good pastel de nata. but I need to come back for more!. Very busy and they don't have a "take-a-number" system. It's whomever is the loudest gets served 1st. So be assertive! Awesome interior décor and great staff once they attend to you. Just watch for that quick 1st set step as you walk in the swinging doors! read more

Confeitaria Nacional - Their melt in your mouth raspberry cheese cake and the ok pastel de nata. In the "to go" box. - Bakeries Near Me - Lisbon, 11

I can't say much about Confeitaria Nacional's other pastries, but their natas are probably the worst. They are half the size as those from other places, 50% pricier, and with average taste at best. read more

This is a historic spot in Rossio square that is great for pastries and coffee in the morning. We had pastries and a large fruit cup along with large coffees with milk. They have a nice selection of pastries as well as coffee drinks. Upstairs they have 2 rooms to sit and look out over Rossio square. read more