Portugal · PASTEL DE NATA WORKSHOPS
An hour, a lot of butter, and a tray you take away. The 15 below compare the Lisbon and Porto workshops on price, how much of the pastry work is really yours, and whether a port pairing is bolted on the end.
At Homecooking Lisbon HUB, an English-speaking chef guides you through pastry, custard, shaping, and baking. You’ll learn Portuguese food traditions, taste coffee, Porto wine, ginjinha, juice, and water, then eat your warm pastéis de nata. Hosts may include Marta, Bea, Miyuki, Miguel, or Pedro.
“Very knowledgeable and patient, she talked us through the whole process and made it all seem so simple! And the results were fabulous.”
Spend two hours in Joana’s home, about 10 minutes by car from central Porto, learning to make pastel de nata from scratch. You’ll prepare both pastry and custard, hear family stories, and share warm tarts with coffee, tea, or juice. The English-language class is limited to 10 people and costs $33 per person.
“This was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Joana was an amazing host and it was a pleasure to be invited in to her home, along with a very friendly group. This is something you must do if you're in Porto!”
At Boiler Studio, opposite Porto Cathedral, an English-speaking host such as Maria, Sara, or Patricia guides you through rolling pastry and making custard. Sip Port, wine, or a mimosa, bake pastel de nata with a small group, eat one warm, and take at least two home. The dough is prepared ahead, so you learn the key techniques rather than every stage from start to finish.
“Such a fantastic experience! The class was incredibly fun, and it was great meeting people from different places while cooking together. The pastéis de nata were amazing, the drinks were enjoyable, and the host’s sense of humor truly elevated the experience. Highly recommend!”
At Domus Arte near Porto Cathedral and São Bento, an English-speaking guide such as Teresa or Luis leads you through the custard, baking, and story of pastel de nata. You work in a small group, enjoy Port, coffee, juice, and snacks, then take home several warm pastries and recipes for both filling and puff pastry.
“this was so amazing! as a keen amateur baker I wanted to know all the secrets to making pasteis de natas & I was not disappointed! the recipe we got seemed easy to follow & very much fool proof. we made the delicious original flavour but got tips to improvise with our own flavourings as well. we'll see how well I can make them on my own- ha! thank you, what a lovely experience 🧁🫶🏽”
Spend two relaxed hours at Boiler Studio on Rua Chã 77, across from Porto Cathedral. English or Portuguese-speaking instructors, including Daniella, Emmanuel, and Diogo, explain Portuguese azulejos before guiding you through your own design. A cocktail, all art materials, and paper packaging are included, and you take your finished tile home.
“Very fun workshop and the instructors are very hands on to make sure the tiles come out great!”
In a 2.5-hour English-language workshop, you make pastel de nata from scratch, including the dough, with a host such as Clara, Ana, Mariah, or Vanessa. Work in a modern show kitchen, share a glass of regional wine, hear pastry stories, and eat warm tarts fresh from the oven. Groups can reach 12 adults.
“Our guide was kind, funny and inviting! Nobody felt left out and there were constant laughs! The Pastel de Natas turned out incredible and the wine was light and refreshing. We will recommend this class to all our friends!”
Join Anna and Marta at Compadre Cooking School for a hands-on Lisbon pastry class. You’ll shape pastel de nata, prepare a second Portuguese treat, hear the story behind the tart, then sit down with the group to taste what you made. Recipes go home with you.
“I forgot to get the QR code. Activity was fun. Enjoyed meeting other participants as well.”
Spend 2.5 relaxed hours in Agathe’s Lisbon studio learning about azulejos and creating your own design. The beginner-friendly Formettes method guides you from pencil sketch to watercolor, marker, and thermal-pressed ceramic tile. Tea, coffee, cookies, materials, and one finished 10-by-10-centimeter tile are included.
“really enjoyed creating and painting own tile. guide was great, happy to help and guided through process well. very pleased with result. an enjoyable way to spend an evening.”
In central Lagos, Joana and her co-instructors guide you through puff pastry, custard, shaping, and baking in a small English and Portuguese class. You’ll work with other participants, enjoy fresh pastéis de nata and port wine, and receive the recipe by email for baking at home.
“Margareta and Lara are very friendly and it was a good workshop. We enjoyed!”
Make pastéis de nata from scratch in Lisbon with chef and host Miguel. In a small group of up to eight, you’ll shape the pastry, prepare the custard, bake your tarts, and enjoy them with coffee, tea, and one alcoholic drink. Morning and afternoon classes last two hours.
“We loved this class! The kitchen was clean and the guide had everything prepared in advance. We were joined by one other couple so it felt fun and intimate.”
At Nat’elier near Baixa-Chiado, you’ll make Portuguese custard tarts from scratch in a working bakery kitchen. A pastry chef such as João Batalha, Silvia Sousa, or Adriano Cardoso guides you through puff pastry, custard, baking, and tasting. The two-hour class suits adults and children age 8 and up, with no baking experience needed.
“This was a fun and really easy class! Enjoyed the experience and the staff were super helpful and friendly (:”
Spend two hours walking Aveiro with Tony Walker, also known as Antonio or Tony, through churches, tiled façades, Art Nouveau streets, canals, and the Beira Mar quarter. You’ll learn how moliceiros and mercanteis served the lagoon, hear local stories, and finish near São Gonçalinho. The tour runs in rain or shine.
“Do the tour! You’ll learn about the art nouveau buildings, history of the city, the boats, styles and a lot more. Antonio has a great sense of humor in his stories. I loved it. And I will be back for sure to hear the new addings to what you have discovered.”
In central Porto, Virginia guides you through her family recipe for pastel de nata from start to finish. You will use local products, share Portuguese music and drinks during baking, then eat your pastries with Port wine in her garden. The two-hour class is held in French or Portuguese for groups of up to six.
“Une expérience géniale ! L’hôte est d’une grande gentillesse et met tout de suite à l’aise. C’était à la fois gourmand, convivial et très sympas. Nous repartons avec de bons souvenirs (et de bons pasteis 😁).”
At The Kitchen in Lagos, Joana Glória guides you through the custard, puff pastry, assembly, and baking of pastéis de nata. This English-language class lasts about two hours, holds no more than 10 people, and ends with warm tarts, a recipe PDF, and sometimes a small glass of port.
“It was so much fun and informative. We had a great time and learned a lot. I instructor was very entertaining and made us feel welcome.”
At a small workshop near Campanhã station, a local instructor introduces you to Portuguese tile art, then guides you through painting two tiles with traditional motifs. Materials, firing, packaging, tea, and biscuits are included. Your finished tiles are ready for collection about 24 hours later, making this a hands-on Porto souvenir rather than a shop purchase.
“Beautiful mix of history, tutorial, and feedback while working on the tiles.”
Pick a coastline, a cellar or a trail.
