Power Rankings: Pastel de Nata

Pastel de nata, the egg custard-filled pastry, are found just about everywhere in Portugal. On our first two trips to Portugal we ate relatively few of them. [In fact, on our first visit I don’t think we even tried a pastel.] Last summer, however, after canceled flights nearly ruined a vacation, I decided that one way to salvage the trip was to eat a pastel de nata every day that we were in 🇵🇹. 

We continued this trend during our week in Lisbon this winter. I also decided to conduct a “Power Ranking” of the nata we ate [both for fun and to inform the decisions of future Lisbon visitors in search of egg tart deliciousness]. To start, and without value judgment, here’s the list of the pastelarias we visited

The Power rankings

While this should be obvious, as it’s true with almost all baked goods, the sooner after preparation the pastel is eaten, the better. In my Power Rankings, freshness was the primary factor. When the nata weren’t fresh, ambiance or overall experience was used to complete the rankings

Key Takeaway: Given the importance of freshness, it’s best to visit the touristy spots, as they are pumping out fresh pastries all day. Bom apetite!