The interior of Confeitaria Nacional remained largely the same since it opened its door nearly two centuries ago. Ground floor serves as a bustling cafe and pastry shop offering a wide range of pastries, sweets and cookies. There's a more formal tea room located upstairs on the first floor.
We decided to go upstairs to visit the tea room and what a treat it was. The setting reminded us a little of the famous tea salons in Paris (Angelina of Paris immediately came to mind). No wonder it has long been one of the most popular cafes with the locals.
We had about an hour to spare so we decided to grab a drink and sit by the window overlooking the Rossio Square.
We started our afternoon tea session the same way we would at a Parisian tea salon with a nice cup of hot chocolate. That was silky smooth.
Less impressive was the chocolate milkshake which didn't have the normal creamy texture one would expect from a milkshake.
The much anticipated pastel de nata finally arrived and they were very good. Crispy crust combining with very creamy fillings had us craving for more. But it would have been perfect if the custard cream was a little less sweet.
Another must-do here is the house specialty "Bolo Rei" (Kings' cake), which is a fruit cake first introduced by Confeitaria Nacional back in the 19th century. It was once a dessert served to the royalty but as time evolved, it's now customarily associated with Christmas celebration here in Portugal.
Food Rating: 5/10
Price: $$
Address: Praca da Figueira, 18B, Lisbon, Portugal
Closest Metro Station: RossioTel: +351 213243000
Website: http://www.confeitarianacional.com/home.html
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