This was the first place I came to eat something in Lisbon! A custard tart for lunch! I can't tell…read moreyou how right the foodie's videos were about the original place where the pastel de nata originated. Actually it was better than the claims! I "ubered" out to Belem from my hotel. There was a small line up but it moved quickly. Cute and quaint place in blue and white. We walked across the street to a park to enjoy them. The pastry was so flaky that it flaked off very easily. The pigeons were aware of this and stood guard for any fallen morsels. The custard was so smooth and creamy and you could see the heat bubbles! I may have to go back for more!

A Lisbon Must-Do for Pastéis, Coffee & a Little Old-World Charm…read more First trip to Lisbon = Pastéis de Belém had to be on the itinerary! I had read up on the famous bakery before our visit and knew that arriving early was key. So we did -- and I'm very glad we did because this place gets busy FAST! There was a little confusion at first about which entrance to use and where to line up for a table, especially with people coming through different doors. Thankfully, we only waited about 5-10 minutes, which really wasn't bad at all. We weren't lucky enough to be seated in the beautiful old section of the café, but we did get to wander through it -- and wow! The historic rooms are incredibly charming, with gorgeous old-world details that make the whole experience feel like a little step back in time. We were seated instead in the much larger, newer dining hall. Our waiter was friendly, although definitely a little stern-ish, and after scanning the QR menu, we took a few minutes to decide what we wanted. Our waitress came by, took our order and quickly disappeared into the sea of tables. And honestly, I get it -- this place was HUSTLING! Of course, we ordered the famous Pastéis de Belém because... well, when in Lisbon! We also added a Torte de Chocolate because apparently one pastry each wasn't going to cut it, plus a couple of lattes. I actually loved that the menu included photos -- sometimes you just need to see the pastry before committing! Our order arrived surprisingly quickly, and the pastéis were delicious. The pastry was flaky, the custard was creamy and they absolutely hit the spot. I had expected them to arrive warm, though, and ours weren't, so I'm not sure how fresh from the oven they were. Still delicious nonetheless. The lattes were hot, tasty and served in pretty little glasses -- always a nice touch. One thing I did notice was that the tables, chairs and menus could have used a little more attention in the cleanliness department. That said, considering the sheer volume of people moving through this place every day, it's easy to understand how quickly things can get a little messy. Before leaving, we took another stroll through the historic portion of the bakery and café, which was definitely worth a look. There's so much character and history tucked into those rooms. And by the time we walked out? The line was already stretching outside! If sitting down isn't your thing, there's also a quick-order counter where you can grab your pastéis and keep exploring Lisbon. So, would I stop here again? Absolutely. Is it a leisurely, quiet café experience? Definitely not. It's busy, bustling and very much a Lisbon institution. But experiencing the history, seeing the beautiful old bakery, sipping a latte and eating one of these iconic Portuguese pastries is part of the fun. Put it on your Lisbon itinerary -- just go early, embrace the crowds, and save room for pastries!

In the neighborhood of Lumiar, so far away from downtown and other tourist attractions I doubt few…read morenon-locals will ever visit, we found this local bakery after visiting a friend. I figure the raving reviews by locals should mean something, and thankfully, I was right!! I won't call this a small bakery, as inside it is rather big with many tables. We wandered in, admiring all the pastries and bread they have, and I am sure looked very much out of place. To our delighted surprise, the owner came up to us and asked in excellent and polite English how she can be of assistance. She told us their specialty is pão da avó (which is in fact recommended by one reviewer) so we ordered that, plus a few other items to try. My husband loves pão da avó (which translates to grandma's bread) and he declares this to be excellent, much better than all the other places we've tried so far, including the much-scorned-by-locals A Padaria Portuguesa (even the uber drivers tell us to avoid that!) The owner told us that unlike the chain who uses frozen dough, here they make everything fresh, from scratch, starting at 3 in the morning. Some of the bread we got were still warm. For me I was delighted that they have ovos moles, a specialty from Aveiro much further north, the chestnut eggs, and the chocolate salami, to satisfy my sweet tooth. Needless to say, like any pastelaria in town, they offer the pasteis de nata. The owner even offered us one to try! The bread is ridiculously inexpensive, €2-3 for one kilo! We ended up getting a bunch of this and that, to fill up any luggage space we may have. Surprise again, the owner has some beautifully printed hexagonal tubes for us to put the egg tarts in, so they can survive the trip home! And oh, they are open on Sundays too!

Darling local bakery and coffee shop in the "Lapa" area. Delicious pastries and coffee that is…read moreserved by charming people. Extremely reasonable prices. A place not to be missed!

This place was a pleasant surprise while traveling through Lisbon. My boyfriend and I were looking…read morefor a cheap but authentic and delicious cafe and this was perfect. It's a typical Portuguese cafe and filled with the best food and it's very cheap. There are only three tables so be prepared to to wait for a seat or do take away. Every time I go to this place I always find a table within 5 minutes so don't let any crowd scare you. The service is also exceptional. The owners speak hardly any English but they were sure to make us feel welcome and gives us great service. This place is 100 percent recommend.