If you want to get a taste of Lisbon but don’t have time for a trip, we may have found a quick fix for you.
The newest pastelaria located in Dublin 2, Lisboa, opens today and they’ll be giving away 500 free pastéis de natas to the first customers who stop by from 12pm onwards. These “world-famous” Lisbon traditional pastries consist of a crispy puff pastry enclosing a gooey vanilla custardy centre. They will be baked on-site in the new Dublin deli every day, using the best traditional recipe.
The pastelaria, inspired by Portugal’s capital, specialises in Portuguese pastries, traditional sandwiches, salads and new roasted coffee to go, so there are a few options for you if you’re feeling peckish on your lunch break. Other than the freebies, you can try different flavours of the pastéis de natas which include chocolate, raspberry and blueberry. Their specialty coffee has vegan options available too.
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Other options to try are also “the hangover cure of the century” or Francesinha which is “meat-feast layers ham, sausage, chorizo and steak, covered entirely with melted cheese and topped with a secret tomato and beer sauce”. Yum. Carnivores might also love Bifana – sourdough bread hosting thin layers of pork marinated and simmered in a peppery tomato sauce. Frango Piri Piri chicken roll with tomato and lettuce and a spicy mayo finish might also become a lunch time favourite.
If you’re still hooked on the pastry-side of what Lisboa might be offering, they have a range of other delicious pastries like filled muffins in a range of flavours, large donuts filled with custard, raspberry jam and whipped cream, giant cookies and gateaux slices. There will also be sausage rolls (vegan options available), savoury pastries and croissants.
Combined with the food, the interior design of Lisboa is also bound to leave you feeling like you’ve left Dublin behind – it’s all inspired by Lisbon’s staple tiles, narrow alleyways, and yellow tram cars. The pastry shop is painted with Lisbon’s traditional inky blue shade, drawing inspiration from the original pastelaria in the 1800s that introduced the crispy pastéis de natas to the market.
The owners behind the new shop are not new to the Dublin scene. Lee Sim and Marcin Skudlarski have been working with Spanish and Portuguese suppliers for years. They are the people behind the Port House tapas restaurants that offer traditional Spanish food and wine. Their other most recent business venture was the new Italian cicchetti restaurant Aperitivo on Nassau Street, which has received rave reviews.
“We’re so excited to finally be bringing our little bit of Lisbon to Dublin and opening our doors to the public this week,” said Lee Sim, Director of Lisboa. “Since we began travelling to Portugal in the late 1990s, the city has always held a special place in our hearts. We wanted our friends in Dublin to have a place where they can get a great sandwich on the go and enjoy the tastes of Lisbon without having to travel too far.”
Lisboa is situated on 7 Andrew Street Dublin 2. Normal opening hours will be from 8am to 9pm Monday-Sunday. Find out more at pastellisboa.com.
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