Best Pastel de Nata in Porto: I Tried 7 Bakeries (2025)

I tried seven different pastel de nata bakeries during five weeks in Porto. Some were excellent. Some were disappointing. Here is what actually matters when choosing where to get pastel de nata, based on testing them myself.

What Makes a Good Pastel de Nata

Before ranking bakeries, you need to understand what you are looking for in a pastel de nata.

The pastry: Should be crisp, flaky, and crack when you bite it. Not soft or soggy. The layers should be visible and distinct. If the pastry bends instead of cracks, it is not fresh or not done properly.

The filling: Creamy, custard-like, with egg yolk richness. Should taste of vanilla and have subtle caramel notes from baking. NOT overly sweet – Portuguese pastéis de nata should have custard flavor, not just sugar.

The top: Slightly caramelized, with darker spots from high-heat baking. This adds texture contrast and deeper flavor.

Temperature: Best eaten warm from the oven, but good pastéis should still be excellent at room temperature. The pastry should not go soggy as it cools.

Size: Traditional Portuguese size is smaller than you might expect – about 2-3 bites. Not giant American-style pastries.

1. Castro – Best Pastel de Nata in Porto ⭐⭐⭐

This is my top pick and it is not close. Castro consistently makes the best pastel de nata I had in Porto.

Why Castro wins:

The pastry cracks. This is the most important indicator of quality. When you bite Castro’s pastel de nata, the pastry shatters into flaky layers. It does not bend or squish – it cracks. This means the pastry is fresh, properly laminated, and baked at the right temperature.

The filling is perfectly balanced. Creamy, eggy, vanilla forward. Not over-sweetened like tourist-targeted versions. You taste custard, not just sugar. The vanilla is noticeable but not artificial.

They stay crisp. I tested this multiple times – Castro pastéis stay crisp for hours after purchase. The pastry does not go soft quickly like inferior versions.

Consistent quality. I went to Castro probably 15+ times during my five weeks in Porto. Every single time, the quality was identical. No off days. That consistency is rare.

Location: Near Clérigos Tower, central Baixa. Easy to find.

Cost: 1.50 euros per pastel

Queue situation: Expect 45-minute wait at lunchtime (12:30-2pm). This is not exaggeration – locals know Castro is best and they will queue. Go before 11am or after 3pm for shorter waits (10-15 minutes).

What to order: Pastel de nata obviously. They also have good sandwiches and salads if you want light lunch.

2. Manteigaria – Solid Runner-Up ⭐⭐

Manteigaria is the safe choice. Not quite as good as Castro but very reliable and more accessible.

What Manteigaria does well:

Creamier filling. Manteigaria pastéis feel more cream-forward than Castro. Some people prefer this – more luscious, richer mouthfeel. I personally prefer Castro’s balanced approach, but I understand the Manteigaria fans.

Multiple locations. Manteigaria has several branches in Porto. I found branches with no line while others had queues. Check which location is nearest and least busy.

Vetted by both locals and tourists. This place is popular with everyone. That means something.

The ones near Clérigos Tower surprisingly had fewer lines than the main branch, despite being in tourist central. Go figure.

Where Manteigaria falls short:

The pastry is not quite as crisp as Castro. It is good – definitely flaky, definitely fresh – but it does not have that perfect crack. Close, but not quite.

The filling is sweeter than Castro. Still not overly sweet, but you taste more sugar, less custard complexity.

Cost: 1.50 euros

Verdict: Excellent choice if Castro queue is too long or you prefer creamier filling. Not quite top tier but very good.

3. Nata Sweet Nata – Best Fresh/Warm Option ⭐⭐

Nata Sweet Nata serves pastéis fresh from the oven, still warm. On a hot August day, this might sound less appealing, but warm pastel de nata is genuinely better.

Why it works:

Warm from oven. I got mine fresh out and it was still hot. The custard was liquid-ish, the pastry was at peak crispness. When you eat pastel de nata at this temperature, it is a different experience.

Good filling. The custard was really good in this one – creamy, vanilla forward, not too sweet.

Nice cafe. They have seating inside if you want to sit and eat rather than takeaway.

More off the beaten path. Less touristy than Castro or Manteigaria. Felt more like a local discovery.

Challenges:

The pastry was good but still not as crisp as Castro even when fresh. Closer to Manteigaria level.

Hit or miss timing – if you show up when they are not actively baking, you get room temperature pastries that are just okay. The whole appeal is getting them fresh.

Cost: 1.50-2 euros depending on what you order

Best for: If you happen to be nearby and they are actively baking. Worth the detour if you time it right.

4. Nata Lisboa – Decent, No Line

Nata Lisboa is fine. Not memorable, but acceptable if you are nearby and want a quick pastel without queueing.

Good: Decent pastry, no line, centrally located, good coffee to pair with it.

Not great: Nothing special. The name suggests Lisbon origin (I think it is a Lisbon chain) and maybe their Lisbon locations are better, but in Porto this felt generic.

Cost: 1.50 euros

Verdict: Acceptable but not worth going out of your way. If you are walking past and want a pastel, fine. But do not choose this over Castro or Manteigaria.

5. Traveller – Average Pastel, Good Coffee

Traveller is better known as a coffee shop than a pastel de nata destination. Their pastries are average but the coffee is good.

Why you might go: You want coffee and a pastel in one stop. The coffee is actually good here (better than many tourist cafes). The pastel is fine enough.

Why you might skip: The pastel de nata is not special. Soft pastry, overly sweet filling. Tourist-level quality.

Cost: 2 euros for pastel, 2-3 euros for coffee

Best for: Quick coffee and pastry stop in Old Town when you do not care about having the BEST pastel, just an acceptable one.

6. Odete (Vegan) – Great Bakery, Subpar Pastel de Nata

Odete is a great vegan bakery overall. I loved other things I bought here. But their vegan pastel de nata did not work for me.

Unfortunately, the vegan pastéis de nata were sunken, although they still tasted good. But if you are used to the traditional pastéis that puff up because of eggs in the custard, this one will likely disappoint. Without eggs, the filling stays flat. This changes the texture and the whole eating experience.

The filling was okay flavor-wise – you could tell they tried to replicate the vanilla custard taste. But the texture was off and the sunken appearance was unappetizing.

Should you try it? If you are vegan, yes – this is probably the best vegan pastel de nata you will find in Porto. But if you are not vegan, traditional versions are significantly better.

What Odete does well: Other vegan baked goods. I had excellent vegan pastries and bread from here. Just not the pastel de nata specifically.

Cost: 2-2.50 euros

7. Fabrica Da Nata

It was mediocre – soft pastry, over-sweetened, for my liking. Plus I don’t know if it was just sitting out too long due to the less-than-crispy pastry.

How to Eat Pastel de Nata (According to Portuguese Tradition)

Temperature: Ideally warm from the oven, but room temperature is fine if the quality is good (Castro remains excellent even hours later).

Toppings: Traditional Portuguese eat them plain or with light dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar. Many bakeries have shakers available – use sparingly. The pastel should taste good without additions.

With coffee: Pastel de nata pairs perfectly with espresso or coffee. The bitter coffee balances the sweet custard.

Time of day: Traditionally eaten as afternoon snack (lanche) around 4-5pm. But locals eat them any time. Morning with coffee is very common.

How many: One is usually enough as a snack. Two if you are hungry. Three+ and you are overdoing it (though I did this multiple times at Castro because they were so good).

Castro vs Manteigaria: The Great Debate

Porto locals are divided between Castro and Manteigaria. Some swear by Castro. Others prefer Manteigaria. Here is my analysis:

Choose Castro if:

• You want the crispest possible pastry
• You prefer less sweet, more custard-forward filling
• You appreciate vanilla flavor over sugar
• You are willing to queue for quality
• You are staying in Baixa and can visit multiple times

Choose Manteigaria if:

• You prefer creamier, richer filling
• You like slightly sweeter pastries
• You want multiple location options
• You do not want to wait in long queues
• You are eating pastel de nata for first time and want reliable choice

My verdict: Castro is objectively better on pastry quality (the crack test does not lie). But Manteigaria filling is richer and some people genuinely prefer that. Both are excellent. You cannot go wrong with either.

But if you only try one bakery in Porto, go to Castro.

Pastel de Nata History (Quick Version)

Pastel de nata originated in Lisbon at Jerónimos Monastery in the 18th century. Monks used egg whites to starch clothes and needed to use the leftover yolks. They created this custard tart recipe.

After the 1820 revolution, monasteries closed and the recipe was sold to a nearby sugar refinery. In 1837, they opened Pastéis de Belém bakery in Lisbon, which still operates today using the original secret recipe.

The pastry spread throughout Portugal. Every region has their version. Porto’s pastéis are slightly different from Lisbon’s – some say the custard is less sweet, the pastry is crispier. But both are delicious.

According to Visit Portugal, over 10,000 pastéis de nata are consumed daily in Lisbon alone. Porto likely has similar numbers. This is Portugal’s most famous pastry for good reason.

Where NOT to Get Pastel de Nata in Porto

Tourist trap cafes: Generic cafes in Ribeira charge 2.50-3 euros for mediocre pastéis. They are counting on tourists who do not know better. Skip.

Hotel breakfast buffets: Almost always terrible – soggy pastry, over-sweetened filling, sitting under heat lamps for hours. Do not waste stomach space.

Supermarkets: Pingo Doce and Continente sell packaged pastéis de nata. They are acceptable for a cheap snack at home but nothing like fresh bakery versions.

Majestic Café: Overpriced, long queues, mediocre pastéis. You are paying for the beautiful interior, not quality pastries.

Can You Make Pastel de Nata at Home?

I took a pastel de nata cooking class in Porto. It was fun and educational but also made me appreciate how difficult proper pastéis are to make.

The challenges:

The pastry requires 16-20 steps. Laminating the dough, rolling it precisely, cutting circles, forming shells – it is labor-intensive and technique-dependent.

Temperature control is critical. The custard and pastry both require exact temperatures. Home ovens struggle to reach the 400°F+ heat needed for proper caramelization.

Timing matters. The filling must be poured into shells at the right moment, baked for the exact right time, and removed at peak doneness. A minute too long and they burn. Too short and they are undercooked.

Reality: You can make acceptable pastéis at home with practice. But matching Castro or Manteigaria quality requires professional ovens, years of experience, and daily repetition. Our cooking class pastéis were good but nowhere near Castro level.

That said, the cooking class was still worth doing. You learn the technique, eat warm pastéis from the oven, and gain appreciation for how hard professional bakers work.

Pastel de Nata Calories (If You Care)

One pastel de nata contains approximately 200-250 calories. Roughly:

• 60% from fat (butter in pastry, egg yolks in custard)
• 35% from carbohydrates (sugar and flour)
• 5% from protein

They are not healthy. But they are delicious. And in Portugal, you are on vacation. Have the pastel.

I ate probably 30+ pastéis de nata during five weeks in Porto. I walked everywhere and climbed hills daily. It balanced out.

Best Time to Visit Castro (Queue Strategy)

I experimented with different times to figure out the pattern:

Before 11am: 10-15 minute queue. Pastéis are fresh (they bake morning batches around 9-10am). Good time to go.

11am-12:30pm: Queue building but manageable. 15-25 minutes.

12:30pm-2pm (LUNCH RUSH): 45+ minute queue. Locals on lunch break. This is when Castro is most packed. Avoid unless you have time to wait.

2pm-4pm: Queue dropping. 15-20 minutes. Good afternoon window.

4pm-6pm: Traditional lanche (snack) time for Portuguese people. Queue picks up again but not as bad as lunch. 20-30 minutes.

After 6pm: Depends on closing time and remaining stock. Sometimes shorter queues, but they might sell out.

Best strategy: Go at 10am or 3pm for shortest waits with fresh pastries still available.

Beyond Pastel de Nata: Other Portuguese Pastries

While pastel de nata is the most famous, Portugal has many other excellent pastries worth trying:

Travesseiro: Pillow-shaped pastry filled with egg cream and almond. Originated in Sintra.

Bola de Berlim: Portuguese doughnut filled with egg cream. Best eaten at the beach.

Pastel de Tentúgal: Very thin pastry layers with egg cream filling. From Tentúgal region.

Ovos Moles: Sweet egg yolk confection from Aveiro, often shaped into shells or fish.

Queijada: Small cheesecake-like tarts, many regional variations.

For more Portuguese pastries beyond pastel de nata, read my guide to best bakeries in Porto where I cover cardamom swirls, Ovos Moles, and other pastries.

Final Pastel de Nata Rankings

Tier 1 (Excellent, worth queueing for):

1. Castro – Best overall, crispest pastry, balanced filling

Tier 2 (Very good, solid choices):

2. Manteigaria – Creamier filling, multiple locations, no long queues
3. Nata Sweet Nata – Best when fresh/warm from oven

Tier 3 (Acceptable, convenient but not special):

4. Nata Lisboa – Fine if you are passing by
5. Traveller – Better for coffee than pastries

Tier 4 (Skip unless specific reason):

6. Odete – Good vegan bakery, but vegan pastel de nata does not work
7. Random tourist cafes and street vendors – Avoid

If you only have time for one bakery: Go to Castro. Queue if necessary. It is worth it.

If you want to try two: Castro + Manteigaria gives you the best comparison of Porto’s top pastéis.

If you are obsessed with pastéis: Try all seven and form your own opinion. But I am confident Castro will win.

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Related Porto Guides

• Porto Travel Guide: 5 Weeks Living in Portugal
• 3 Days in Porto Itinerary
• Porto Cooking Class: Pastel de Nata from Scratch
• Best Bakeries in Porto (Beyond Pastel de Nata)
• Best Restaurants in Porto
• Where to Stay in Porto

Last Updated: November 2025