Lisbon: Pastel de Nata Cooking Class & Portuguese Pastry

Two Hours, Two Recipes: How Lisbon's Monasteries Taught You to Bake

You'll spend two hours making Pastel de Nata and another traditional Portuguese pastry from scratch in a Lisbon kitchen, tasting what you bake and getting written recipes to take home. The class includes tea and coffee, and works with children if a participating adult joins. You leave with the techniques and the instructions to recreate both recipes whenever you want.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hands-on Pastel de Nata cooking class

• Arrive at the cooking class kitchen
• Learn to prepare Pastel de Nata
• Make another traditional Portuguese treat
• Enjoy tea and coffee
• Receive recipes to take home

The experience

The instructor laughed when I asked if we could mess up the custard filling. "Everyone does," she said, and then showed us exactly how to fix it. That's the thing about a two-hour Pastel de Nata cooking class in Lisbon. It's not about being perfect. It's about learning why a 19th-century monastery pastry still tastes like nothing else, and then actually making it in a kitchen with six other people who are equally uncertain about laminated dough.

You start with the basics: how the egg yolk and sugar become that glossy, caramelized top, why the pastry needs to rest, what the cinnamon is really doing. The instructor walks you through the first recipe step by step, and you're handling the dough yourself: folding, rolling, pressing it into the little metal molds. It takes longer than you'd think, and your hands get sticky, and someone always asks if they've done it right. Then you slide your tarts into the oven and wait. While they bake, you learn the second traditional recipe, which changes depending on the day: sometimes it's a different Portuguese pastry, sometimes a custard-based treat. The class includes tea and coffee, and by the time your Pastel de Nata comes out golden and bubbling, you've already tasted what the instructor made earlier.

What makes this stick is that you don't have to memorize anything. After the class, they send you the full recipes in writing, so when you're home and want to impress people, you have the exact measurements and the steps written down. You'll taste your own creations before you leave, and you get to take notes on what worked and what didn't. Two hours, two recipes, one kitchen, and you walk out knowing how to make something that's been a Portuguese symbol for over a century.

What’s included

Your two hours in the kitchen include hands-on instruction for making Pastel de Nata and a second traditional Portuguese pastry, tea and coffee throughout the session, a tasting of what you've baked, and written recipes sent to you after the class so you can recreate both treats at home.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 10:00, 15:00, 15:30 and 16:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (14 and older) · Infant (2 to 13 years)

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Compadre Cooking School

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to learn a real Portuguese skill in one morning and have the instructions to keep practicing: the two-recipe format and the written guide mean you're not just tasting something, you're taking the technique home with you.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (2 to 13 years).

How long is the Pastel de Nata cooking class?

The class runs for 2 hours.

Do I get to eat what I make?

Yes. You taste your own Pastel de Nata and the other pastry you prepare during the class.

Will I get the recipes to take home?

Yes. After the class, the instructor sends you written recipes for both the Pastel de Nata and the second traditional recipe so you can practice at home.

What's the second recipe?

It varies, typically another traditional Portuguese pastry or custard-based treat, chosen by the instructor.

Are alcoholic drinks served?

No. Participants under 18 receive water or tea instead.

What's included in the class?

The class includes instruction on two recipes, tea, coffee, water, and written recipes to take home. You also taste your creations before leaving.

Is this class suitable for beginners?

Yes. No prior cooking experience is needed. The instructor guides you through each step.