Explore Lisbon through its Pastry Shops

Visiting Lisbon is a real treat, and not just a treat for the sight but also for the palate. Touring the streets of the Portuguese capital becomes a lot more tempting with the sweet background smell of its typical sweets, straight out of the oven, seducing the traveler’s senses. And that’s why we’d like to suggest you step into the shoes of a taster for a day and explore the city from the windows of its best bakeries… Pick up your map of Lisbon and take good note!

 

Our starting point is the Casa Pastéis de Belém, who have maintained their original 1837 pastry recipe to our days. But don’t expect anyone to let you in on how to recreate that delicious taste in your own kitchen, it’s a big secret! Located on Rua de Belém 84-92, it’s perfectly positioned to start the day off with a visit to the Jerónimos Monastery, where the popular mix of ingredients that’s responsible for these Pastéis originated, and obviously the Belém Tower, an emblematic monument built in the Manueline style.

 

Moving on- if walking is not quite your thing we’d suggest you take the tram or the subway to Terreiro do Paço. As you can see, this stop is right by the Praça do Comércio, where you’ll find several cafeterias that serve the popular pão de ló (a type of cake). This will be the perfect time to have a light lunch and a fresh cup of coffee.

Crossing through Lisbon in the direction away from the sea, you’ll find four pastry shops not too far from each other. These are Café A Brasileira, la Casa Brasileira, la Confeitaria Nacional and Pastelaria Suiça. They all sell cream pastries and baked pies that turn heads, but if you’d rather avoid long lines and crowds of tourists it is best to just have a quick look and continue with your tour, visiting some more Portuguese monuments. You’ll find the statue of King John I nearby, as well as the Praça Luís de Camoes.

 

And to end with, we suggest you take the green line to the stop called Alameda to visit the two last pastry shops on our list: La Mexicana, with very original wall tiles (don’t mistake it for a Mexican restaurant), and Empório do Chá, with an enchanting terrace where you can enjoy all kinds of teas and infusions.

 

You obviously don’t have to visit them all on the same day, and if you are staying at another beautiful town, like that of Sintra, we won’t force you to head down to the Portuguese capital. However, if you are staying at a Lisbon apartment, how about trying one of these delicious pastry shops for breakfast each day of your stay?

 

Fancy a holiday in Portugal now?