Top 5 Portuguese pastry shops to try around Lisbon

Do you love Portugal? Do you love Portuguese cuisine? But how well do you know Portuguese pastries?

In Portugal, we talk much more about savory dishes than sweet treats. In the land of Camões, after a good meal, there’s not always room for a sweet ending… And yet, there are many Portuguese pastries.

Today, I’ve decided to introduce you to 5 of them, which are specialities of towns around Lisbon. To discover or rediscover when you’re in Lisbon (this list is obviously not exhaustive).

1 – Queijadas de Sintra

Queijadas de Sintra are a traditional Portuguese pastry from the town of Sintra, 40 minutes north of Lisbon.

They are quite small, round, sweet pastries made with sweet cottage cheese and eggs. Sometimes they are flavored with lemon or cinnamon. On top of this filling is a very thin crust. They are served either warm or at room temperature, with a cup of coffee.

Sintra’s queijadas have a long history and have been mentioned in historical documents dating back to the 15th century. They are believed to have been created by the monks of the São Martinho de Tibães monastery, who used cheese and eggs to make these pastries.

There are many bakeries and patisseries in Sintra offering freshly baked Queijadas de Sintra, but Piriquita is a real institution when it comes to tasting them.

My favorite address: Piriquita

Queijadas de Sintra. Photo credit: @foodlustpeoplelove

2 – Travesseiros de Sintra

Travesseiros deSintra are another type of traditional Portuguese pastry from the town of Sintra.

If translated into French, it means “Sintra bolster” because of its bolster-like shape.

They are made from thin, crisp puff pastry, filled with a sweet cream made from marzipan, eggs and sugar. Sintra travesseiros are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Sintra travesseiros are considered a typical product of the town of Sintra, and were awarded a Denomination of Protected Origin (DOP) by the European Community in 2011. There are variations of these cakes in other regions of Portugal, but “the real ones” are those originating in Sintra. By the way, “the real ones” must have an elongated shape, like a bolster, and a minimum dimension of 14 cm in length and 7 cm in width.

My favorite address: Piriquita as in Sintra’s queijadas

Travesseiros de Sintra. Photo credit: @vortexmag

3 – Tortas de Azeitão

Tortas de Azeitão are Portuguese pastries from the Azeitão region, located 30 km south of Lisbon, across the 25 Abril bridge. These cakes are made from eggs, sugar and flour, and topped with egg cream like many other Portuguese pastries.

The original recipe has remained almost unchanged over the centuries and has become a symbol of the Azeitão region. There are many variations on the original recipe, such as tortas de Azeitão with almonds or walnuts, or savory versions.

There is also a DOP (Denomination of Protected Origin) for tortas de Azeitão, which guarantees that the cakes are made using traditional methods, with top-quality ingredients, and in a defined geographical area. This ensures that consumers benefit from an authentic, high-quality product.

My favorite address: Fábrica de Tortas Azeitonense, Coina

Tortas de Azeitão. Photo credit: Mauricio Abreu / AWL Images

4 – Pastel Feijão de Torres Vedras

Feijão de Torres Vedras pasteis are cakes from the town of Torres Vedras, 50km north of Lisbon. They are made from red beans (feijão), flour and sugar.

Feijão de Torres Vedras pasteis have a light texture and a mild flavor, with a hint of cinnamon. They are diamond-shaped and at least 8 cm long.

Legend has it that Feijão de Torres Vedras pasteis were created by local women during the War of Independence (1803-1811) to feed the soldiers. These women used simple, abundant ingredients such as kidney beans and flour to create cakes that were nourishing and easy to transport. Since then, these cakes have become a symbol of Torres Vedras.

My favorite address: Fábrica Coroa – Pastéis de Feijão

Pastel Feijão de Torres Vedras. Photo credit: @teleculinaria

5 – Bocagiano de Setubal

Bocagiano is another Portuguese pastry, originating in the Setúbal region. This one is recent, having been created in July 2018, by the parish council of S. Sebastião and the company “Doces Afectos”.

It’s an orange and chocolate pastry that pays tribute to the history of the parish of S. Sebastião. Flour, water, lard, sugar and salt make up the crisp dough. Setúbal orange jam and chocolate are then added.

The orange recalls the days when orange groves occupied a large part of the Setubal peninsula. Indeed, Setúbal was the home of the famous Portuguese orange, with beautiful farms and large orange orchards. Orange jam was born here in the 1900s. The jam was sold in oranges, emptied of their pulp and filled with the jam. Sadly, many of Setubal’s orange groves no longer exist, and the orange groves’ land has been replaced by concrete and buildings. Production of these fruits has now migrated to the Algarve.

Bocagiano is packaged with Bocage‘s famous sonnet “Autorretrato” as a gift.

Where to find them? In Setubal at the Moinho de Maré da Mourisca, at the Forte de São Filipe and also at Casa da Baía.

Bocagiano. Photo credit: @setubalmais

In conclusion

As you can see, there are many Portuguese pastries to try around Lisbon. I urge you to try them in the towns in question, as they are often much better there. And if you’re a foodie, be sure to read my other blog post on must-try Portuguese desserts.

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