Pastel de nata: how to put it on the menu
The pastel de nata is Portugal’s best-known sweet: a crisp puff-pastry tart filled with a custard of egg yolks, milk, sugar and a little flour, baked in a very hot oven until the top caramelises.
Updated October 2026
How it reads on the menu, in each language
| Language | Name | Line for the guest |
|---|---|---|
| Portuguese | Pastel de nata | Pastel de massa folhada com creme de ovos, leite e açúcar, tostado no forno; servido com canela e açúcar em pó. |
| English | Pastel de nata | Portuguese custard tart: crisp puff pastry filled with an egg custard, baked until caramelised. Served with cinnamon and icing sugar. |
| Spanish | Pastel de nata | Tartaleta portuguesa de hojaldre crujiente rellena de crema de huevo, horneada hasta caramelizar. Con canela y azúcar glas. |
| French | Pastel de nata | Tartelette portugaise : pâte feuilletée croustillante garnie d’une crème aux œufs, caramélisée au four. Servie avec cannelle et sucre glace. |
Usual allergens to check
- Gluten
- Eggs
- Milk
A guide based on the traditional recipe. Only your recipe and your suppliers tell you what the dish contains. How to list allergens
What Pastel de nata is
The recipe comes from the convents; the Belém version in Lisbon, sold as “pastel de Belém”, is a registered name of the shop that makes it. So unless you are that shop, call it “pastel de nata”.
How to write it for visitors
Many visitors know the name already, but the line helps those who have never tried one — and saves the question “what is nata?”. If you sell singles and boxes of six, list both as options with their prices.
In English use “custard tart”; avoid “cream pastry”, which suggests whipped cream.
Where and when it is eaten
All over Portugal, in pastry shops and cafés, at breakfast and teatime. In Lisbon it is almost a ritual for visitors.
Frequently asked questions
Which allergens does a pastel de nata contain?
Gluten (the puff pastry and flour in the custard), egg and milk. If you buy in the pastry, check the supplier’s spec sheet.
Can I call my pastel de nata a “pastel de Belém”?
“Pastéis de Belém” is the name of one specific shop in Belém. Everywhere else the right name is “pastel de nata”.