Casa São Miguel - Doçaria Regional Portuguesa - Casa de Pastéis de Nata — Restaurant in Lisbon

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...

I was really looking forward to coming to this coffee shop, but the experience was bad, horrible service and I lost my appetite to try some food. To respond to owner’s response - I sad the service was horrible not the food, which I came to try and unfortunately haven’t. Because indeed looks good. :)

I asked for a coffee latte to go and while looking at the food options I asked the gentlemen working there “what is inside the carrot tarte?”, it wqs my first time seeing those little pastries (and I’m a curious tourist) - he nervously responded “it’s a tart!”. I asked again what is it made of - to make sure it contains ingredients I can eat, he start waving hands and again nervously, annoyed that I’m asking questions shouted “eggs!” I just moved to a side, decided not to order anything while I was STILL waiting for my coffee. After few minutes, when everyone ordered, he saw that I’m still standing there, he asked what I’m waiting for, I sad my almond milk latte. He asked the girl making coffee where is my coffee, she didn’t make it, she forgot - so he told her to hurry up. Then I got the coffee in to stay mug instead to go, so I had to ask for a cup to go and transfer the coffee myself and finally leave. Which is such a shame, because the architecture is beautiful as you pointed out :)

So, if this is not a bad service, I don’t know what is :)

Also, not sure how you think you should recognize me? based on what? :D

And no - I am not stressing out - it was just a coffee and it’s just a review which I leave like any other, so you should’t stress...

I’m a big fan of Portuguese food and I always make a point to visit Portugal especially Lisbon. Casa de São Miguel has completely won me over! The pastries are amazing, the place is beautiful, and the decor is just perfect. I’ve been bringing more and more friends along, especially after one of the best service experiences I’ve ever had here. There’s an employee named Bianca who is just fantastic super friendly, always smiling, and she brings such a great energy to the place. It’s clear she treats everyone that way, not just us. My friends and I will definitely be coming back. I asked for her name today because I really wanted to leave this message. I hope the owners get to read it and big congrats on such a lovely coffee! All the...