Breakfast in Lisbon or the Secrect of the Belémian Monks

Breakfast in Lisbon or the Secrect of the Belémian Monks

Text: Christian Hollweg
Photos: Ricarda Hollweg

How Belém came to unexpected fame

As a result of Portugal’s liberal revolution of 1820, all monasteries were closed and the monks and labourers expelled, also in the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. This extremely interesting World Heritage Site is located in Belém – now a part of Lisbon – and one of the main attractions of the City.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Lisbon
Heironymite Monastery in Lisbon

One of the dismissed employees of the monastery began to sell sweet pastries in a next-door general store, which soon became very popular among  the vistors of the magnificent monastery and the also nearby Torre de Belém. The sweets which are baked following the unchanged “secret recipe of the monks”, said to be passed on exclusively to the master confectioners until today, soon became known as
“Pastéis de Belém”.

Special Pastéis de Belém

Producing Lisbon's best Pastel de Nata
Production of Pastéis de Belém

You can get Pastéis everywhere in Lisbon. You shouldn´t miss the little tartlets of sweet puff pastry, filled with a pudding-like mass, under any circumstances. They are served warm or hot and you can can refine them with cinnamon or powdered sugar, if you want. The “original” Pastéis that you get at the Única Fábrica dos Pastéis de Belém are particularly tasty. Go there, if you’re near! Ignore the queue in front of the restaurant. It´s just the takeaway row. Use the other door. The pretty and winded café has a total of 400 seats. They always have a table for you.

Tile-Style in the cafe
Tile-style in the cafe

Menus are redundant and not distributed, because every guest wants the same anyway – and a coffee.

More Travel Inspiration by Hiddentraces

If you liked my blog post on Pastéis de Belém  you might also be interested in our articles about coffeehouse culture in Austria and having breakfast at the Viktualienmarkt market in Munich.

Transparency: The naming of destinations or commercial providers is based on my voluntary decision. We paid for the costs of our trips completely ourselves.

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4 thoughts on “Breakfast in Lisbon or the Secrect of the Belémian Monks

  1. Echt lecker! Wir waren auch total angetan von den kleinen pasteis in Lissabon 🙂
    Lg
    Alex & Birgitta

  2. Ricarda Christina Hollweg

    Schön, dass es Euch auch so gefallen hat. Das hat echt Suchtpotenzial…:-)
    Liebe Grüße
    Ricarda

  3. What a great experience to see this place with other eyes. Nice work Ricarda!
    All the best

    Francisco

  4. Ricarda Christina Hollweg

    Thanks very much, Francisco. We were really thankful for this great recommendation. See you soon!

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