The best pastry shops Lisbon

This is pastéis de nata heaven. They are baked and prepared before your eyes, a bell announcing each new batch that comes out of the oven. You can admire them in their window waiting to be eaten. A real treat. Perfect in the morning before attacking your day of visit, for a little snack between two visits in Baixa, or between two bars in the evening. If you don't have time to go to the Belém factory, this is the place to try this Portuguese specialty! Don't be afraid of the queue, it goes very quickly.

To rediscover the atmosphere of the old chromos: charming arched room, lined with Art Nouveau azulejos and columns. In front of the entrance, a panel announces "The Bread Cathedral". Mass is said! In this house listed in the impressive municipal heritage list, the breads are really excellent, the pastries deliciously sweet and tempting. The old counter has seen generations of regulars pass by and still welcomes many fans in an atmosphere that has nothing religious about it!

We had heard that it was one of the best chocolate cakes in Lisbon. Sofia, the creator of the recipe, developed this cake over the course of the tests, with her entourage as a critical opinion. She keeps the recipe for this little wonder secret. A kind of dark chocolate fondant, with its ganache and mousse, you literally melt! Only one large table in the middle to enjoy this little marvel gently. If you don't have time to stop by LX Factory, they have another address in the centre of Lisbon.

For several decades, it was a tea and coffee shop. A Carioca, founded in 1936 by Isidoro Teixeira, has given way to a store selling vegan pastéis de nata (i.e. without any animal products). However, the historic store has not disappeared completely, as you can still buy its coffee, or even enjoy it directly with a good pastel de nata. The decoration has also been preserved as it was. At night, you can admire its colorful, vintage neon facade, which gives it a real cachet.

Juliana's passion for pastry-making began at the age of 12. She made it her profession and trained with the best. While in confinement, she set up her own project, "Barü", which later took on its own name: a patisserie all her own, where she serves up cakes as beautiful as they are delicious. She mixes flavors and, above all, uses her favorite ingredients, such as flowers and essential oils. New sweets to discover every week.

Housed in a building where you can admire Querubim Lapa's sublime Art Deco azulejos, this patisserie comes straight from Alcobaça. It specializes in traditional doces conventuais , sweets made from egg yolks left over from the production of hosts. It's amazing how, with the same base of eggs and sugar, you can have such a variety of cakes. It's hard to choose from among those on display in Alcôa's showcases. We warn you, though, that they're very sweet, so not to everyone's taste.