With a creamy, light filling wrapped in delicate puff pastry, the Pastel de Belém may appear simple but is one of the most emblematic symbols of Portuguese pastry. Proof of its popularity is seen in the long queues outside the famous Fábrica dos Pastéis de Belém in Lisbon, where both tourists and locals line up daily to enjoy this globally loved treat.
TasteAtlas specifies that only the pastries produced at the original factory near the Jerónimos Monastery may rightfully be called Pastéis de Belém. All other versions, though similar, are referred to as pastéis de nata. The guide emphasized this distinction by ranking the two separately.
The Pastel de Belém received an impressive rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, followed closely by the pastel de nata with 4.6.
According to the official Pastéis de Belém website, the recipe dates back to the early 19th century when, following the Liberal Revolution, monasteries and convents were closed in Portugal. To survive, a member of the Jerónimos Monastery began selling the pastries from a small shop next door. The success was immediate, and the “Pastéis de Belém” name quickly became a national reference.
Production as we know it began in 1837, and the recipe remains a closely guarded secret, passed down only among the factory’s master pastry chefs. To this day, the process remains entirely artisanal and faithful to the original tradition.
Portugal Among the World’s Best Cuisines
Beyond pastry, TasteAtlas also ranked Portuguese cuisine as the fifth best in the world, based on nearly 500,000 reviews (477,287) covering over 15,000 food items.
Portugal follows Greece, Italy, Mexico, and Spain and ranks ahead of France, which came in eighth.
Several Portuguese dishes also made the list of most popular traditional foods, including migas, francesinha, and feijoada à portuguesa.
