Pastelaria O Careca
Espresso
Pork Cheek Pie
Pastel de Nata
Croissant do Careca
Noz
Castanha Ovo
Founded in 1954, and tucked in a residential part if Belém, Pastelaria O Careca has earned notoriety for their Sugar Croissants, in English “Baldman’s Croissant” but in any Language a destination-worthy delicacy that sees the Café’s interior crowded from open till close.
Decorated like most of Lisbon’s Pastelaria, but with a sizable outside terrace shaded by trees more than quadrupling capacity, it is upon entry that guests are greeted in Portuguese, a largely local patronage finding English lacking and few items labeled thus leading to decisions based on prior experience and one’s eyes.
Well priced and accommodating, €1.10 per Pastel de Nata finding the shell a bit soggy but Custard jiggly with a hint of Cinnamon, do consider the Pork Cheek Pie which contains plenty of Meat as well as Castanha Ovo featuring sugary Egg Yolk inside a mm-thick skin.
Cleansing the palate with Coffee, carbonated Water alongside complimentary, it is safe to say that “Cronuts” have nothing on Café do Careca’s fried Viennoiserie shellacked in Granulated Sugar while a Walnut-topped Noz is arguably even more memorable.
www.pastelariaocareca.pt
