A lot of people are obsessed with egg tarts. And for good reason. Custardy filling and flakey crust, what’s not to love? A lot of people love it, but not me. I’ve never been much of an egg tarts person. No, not even at dim sum. Sure, I’d have a bite here and there, but it was never something I’d seek out. That is, until I landed in Lisbon. And went to Belem. And get the real deal pasteis de natas. It was like an epiphany. Instantly converted to a fan of egg tarts, or at least, a fan of these ones.

The bakery has a long history in Belém, starting off as a sugar cane refinery in the early 1800s before becoming a bakery in 1837. The story goes that when the monastery was shut down, someone began creating sweet pastries to sell in the shop to survive, which became Pasteis de Belém, the very same pastries that has the whole world flocking to Belém today.

Today, Pasteis de Belem is like a pastry emporium. What looks to just be a busy storefront keeps going and going once you’re inside. The bustling energy does evoke a similar atmosphere to a busy dim sum restaurant on a Saturday morning, and the way they wheel out orders on carts just adds to the vibe. Sure it’s a tourist destination if I’ve ever seen one, but it’s not one to skip.