Nata: A Taste of Lisbon in Greenwich Village

We first tasted pastéis de nata while hiking up a steep winding road to the Castelo de São Jorge in Lisbon. A pastel de nata is a traditional Portuguese egg custard tart; featuring a flaky, buttery puff pastry crust and a rich, creamy, caramelized custard filling. They're often dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and usually served warm from the oven (ideally with a cup of coffee).

Pastéis de nata are the only the food items served at Nata, along with a variety of hot and cold drinks, with coffee and without. The combination of crisp, shattering crust and smooth filling was almost as transporting as I remembered (though Waverly Place isn't as romantic a location as a tile-covered bakery on a Portuguese hill).

They may look small, but they're very rich. One or two is plenty. Until we get back to Portugal, these are the next-best thing.

Nata, 11 Waverly Pl., Greenwich Village.