Pastelaria — Portugal's pastry-shop café tradition

A pastelaria is a Portuguese café built around pastries as much as coffee — a combined bakery and coffee counter found on most streets in Portuguese towns and cities. Portugal's small, strong coffee — often ordered simply as a "bica" in and around Lisbon, or just "café" elsewhere — is typically drunk quickly at the counter.

The pastry case is usually the centerpiece: alongside general Portuguese pastries, the pastel de nata — a custard tart with a flaky pastry shell, traditionally dusted with cinnamon or icing sugar — is one of the most widely recognized items found on a pastelaria counter, and is commonly eaten alongside a coffee at any time of day.

As in Italy, many pastelarias offer counter service that's quick and inexpensive, with table service, where available, generally costing more. It's common to simply point at whichever pastries you want in the display case rather than order from a written menu, then take a coffee to go with them.