Sonya Hu
Google
Adorable little cafe serving a giant selection of Portuguese pastries and snacks! I stumbled upon Casa São Miguel after a bit of Googling / Yelping about for the best pastry shops in Lisbon and was immediately entranced by photos of their giant pastry case -- after all, while I love a good pastel de nata as much as the next person, Portugal has SO many different types of pastries and treats to try out! It's a super cute, hole-in-the-wall shop nestled into a charming, narrow street in Alfama. As I walked inside, I absolutely fell in love with the gorgeous, cottage-core-esque decor and lovely pastel colours.
The layout is a bit confusing, as the line starts in the back of the store, but the shop is so narrow that you have to squeeze through the half-foot space between the tables and the rest of the people in line. This also makes it a smidge uncomfortable to stick around and enjoy your treats in the cafe, which is a shame because the treats are so tasty and the shop so adorable that I wanted to soak it in for as long as possible!
My mom and I decided to sample three of their pastries, including the classic pastel de nata, a beautiful green tart made with some type of bean, and an apple tart. They were all gorgeous, as well as served on the most beautiful little porcelain plates, and they tasted just as beautiful as they looked. The green tart had a great spongey, slightly chewy texture, and it wasn't overly sweet, which I really appreciated. The apple tart was also delightful, with a great fruity flavor and hit of cinnamon; the pecan pieces mixed in also offered a great crunch. The pastel de nata was, of course, delightful as well, with a creamy, custardy center and light flaky crust. Everything was the perfect level of sweetness (i.e., not overly sweet), but I do wish they had warmed them up. They were super tasty cold, but I can only imagine how much more scrumptious they would have been slightly warmer.
