Macau egg tarts — the complete guide to finding the best ones
Macau: Hidden Gems Evening Food Tour with Local Guide
Duration: 3 hours
- Small group
- Free cancellation
- Local guide
Where can I find the best egg tarts in Macau?
Lord Stow's Bakery in Coloane Village is the original and most praised source of the Portuguese-style pastel de nata in Macau. Margaret's Café e Nata (run by Lord Stow's former wife) is the main competitor. Both are good. Budget MOP 12–15 per tart (USD 1.50–1.90). The queues are real — plan to arrive early or at an off-peak time.
No food item in Macau has a larger mythology built around it than the egg tart. Every tourism article names them. Every visitor photographs them. The queue outside Lord Stow’s Bakery in Coloane Village is a fixture of any busy weekend morning.
The reality is excellent but complicated. There are two distinct traditions — the Portuguese pastel de nata and the Cantonese egg tart (daan taat) — and they coexist in Macau in a way that tourists sometimes confuse. There is also a wide gap in quality between the best tarts and the mediocre versions sold at hotel buffets and lesser bakeries.
This guide tells you what to look for, where to go, and how much to pay.
| Original | Lord Stow’s Bakery, Coloane Village |
| Price range | MOP 6–15 per tart |
| Best eaten | Within 20 minutes of coming out of the oven |
| Weekend queue | 20–30 minutes at Lord Stow’s |
| Peninsula alternative | Margaret’s Café e Nata, near Senado Square |
The two traditions
The Portuguese pastel de nata
The original pastel de nata comes from Belém, Lisbon, where Pastéis de Belém has been making them since 1837. The tart uses a rough-puff or laminated pastry shell that comes out of the oven blistered and flaky, cradling a rich egg custard that caramelises on the surface into dark amber spots. It is typically eaten warm, dusted with cinnamon.
Andrew Stow, a British pharmacist who settled in Macau in the late 1980s, encountered this pastry in Lisbon, adapted the recipe with local ingredients, and opened Lord Stow’s Bakery in Coloane Village in 1989. His version caught on quickly. Within a few years, imitations had spread throughout Macau and across the border into the mainland — where a KFC partnership eventually introduced a version of the Macau-style tart to hundreds of millions of people who had never heard of Coloane.
The distinguishing features of a good Portuguese-style tart: a shatteringly crisp, layered pastry shell; a custard that is dense and slightly eggy rather than smooth and neutral; visible caramelisation on the top surface; and a flavour that is rich without being sweet.
The Cantonese egg tart (daan taat)
The Cantonese version developed separately, influenced by British and Hong Kong pastry traditions. The filling is smoother, paler, and sweeter — closer to a crème caramel than a Portuguese custard. The pastry shell is typically either a shortcrust (biscuit-like) or a flaky style, but without the laminated layers of the Portuguese version.
You will find Cantonese egg tarts at virtually every dim sum restaurant in Macau, and at most local bakeries. They are cheaper (MOP 6–10) and more widely available, but less distinctive. They are not inferior food — just a different thing.
Lord Stow’s Bakery
Location: 1 Rua do Tassara, Coloane Village
Hours: Daily 7:00–19:00 (extended on weekends)
Price: MOP 12–13 per tart (USD 1.50–1.65), or MOP 70–80 for a box of six
Lord Stow’s is the original and still the benchmark. The bakery sits at the entrance to Coloane Village, and the smell of baking custard announces it before you see it. Andrew Stow passed away in 2006; the bakery continues under his family.
The tarts here have a flakier, thinner shell than the Lisbon original and a slightly sweeter custard — adjusted over decades for local palates. They are best eaten within 20 minutes of coming out of the oven, standing outside the shop. Later in the day, the pastry softens.
Practical notes: the queue on weekend mornings can be 20–30 minutes. Weekday afternoons are significantly quieter. The shop sells tarts individually or in boxes. They also sell a vacuum-sealed version for longer transport, though the quality drop is noticeable.
Coloane Village itself is worth the visit — it is quieter than any other part of Macau, with a small main square, a Portuguese chapel, and several good seafood restaurants. Combining a trip to Lord Stow’s with a walk around the village and lunch at one of the local restaurants is a perfectly structured half-day.
Margaret’s Café e Nata
Andrew Stow’s former wife, Margaret, opened her own café after their separation and runs a small chain with locations in the Macau Peninsula and Taipa. The recipe is similar but not identical — the custard is slightly silkier and the pastry marginally less flaky than Lord Stow’s. Both are genuinely good.
The main Margaret’s location is at Rua Comandante Mata e Oliveira (near Senado Square), which is more convenient if you are spending your day on the Peninsula rather than travelling to Coloane. Prices are broadly comparable to Lord Stow’s: MOP 11–13 per tart.
The ongoing debate about which is better is largely settled in favour of Lord Stow’s for the pastry and Margaret’s for custard smoothness. The practical answer is that both are excellent and either is vastly better than a hotel buffet tart.
KFC Macau — the unexpected contender
The KFC chain in Macau (and Hong Kong) sells egg tarts alongside their regular menu. They are available year-round, cost around MOP 8–10 each, and are substantially better than you might expect from a fast food chain.
The KFC version uses a smooth, Cantonese-style custard in a flaky pastry shell. It does not have the caramelisation of Lord Stow’s, and the flavour is milder, but the freshness (they are made in batches throughout the day) means you are eating a warm, good-quality tart. For the price, it is an honest product.
The blog post comparing all egg tart options ranks them in more detail if you want the full breakdown.
Other bakeries worth knowing
Koi Kei Bakery (multiple locations, including Senado Square) sells egg tarts alongside its main business of almond cookies and peanut candy. The tarts are reliable mid-range — better than most but not as good as Lord Stow’s. Good for a quick purchase before catching the ferry.
Cantonese dim sum restaurants throughout the city serve egg tarts as part of the standard dim sum selection. At places like Jade Garden or Kam Lai Heen, the egg tart is a fine version of the Cantonese style. Order it alongside other dim sum rather than as a destination choice.
Hotel pastry shops are generally the weakest option. The tarts in casino hotel display cases tend to have been sitting for hours and have a soggy pastry base. They look presentable but eat poorly.
The food tour option
A guided food tour through the older parts of the Macau Peninsula and Taipa Village typically includes stops at egg tart sources alongside other local pastry and street food. For first-time visitors who want context rather than just a map of addresses, this is a useful way to start.
This evening food tour covers the egg tart stops that local guides actually recommend, alongside Macanese snacks and a sit-down meal at a neighbourhood restaurant away from the tourist strip.Taking egg tarts home
Fresh tarts hold up for 4–6 hours at room temperature in the cardboard box the bakery provides. They deteriorate once refrigerated (the custard becomes rubbery and the pastry loses its crunch). Reheating in a toaster oven at 150°C for 5–8 minutes partially restores the texture.
Lord Stow’s sells a vacuum-packed version specifically designed for travel, which extends shelf life to 3–5 days. The texture difference is noticeable but acceptable if you are determined to bring them home.
For a ferry ride back to Hong Kong (typically 1–1.5 hours), fresh tarts in a cardboard box are perfectly fine. Buy them as close to departure as logistically possible.
Prices in context
| Source | Style | Price per tart |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Stow’s | Portuguese | MOP 12–13 (USD 1.50–1.65) |
| Margaret’s | Portuguese | MOP 11–13 (USD 1.38–1.65) |
| KFC Macau | Cantonese | MOP 8–10 (USD 1.00–1.25) |
| Koi Kei | Portuguese/hybrid | MOP 9–12 (USD 1.13–1.50) |
| Cantonese bakeries | Cantonese | MOP 6–10 (USD 0.75–1.25) |
| Hotel buffets | Variable | MOP 25–50 included in buffet price |
The price difference between the best and the mediocre is modest enough that there is no good reason to settle for the hotel version when you are already in Macau.
Practical planning
Coloane Village is 20–30 minutes from the Macau Peninsula by taxi (MOP 80–100, USD 10–13) or reachable via bus routes 15, 21A, and 26A. The getting around Macau guide has full transport details.
If your time in Macau is limited and you cannot make it to Coloane, the Margaret’s location near Senado Square is the most convenient alternative. The self-guided Macau walking tour passes within two minutes of it.
For a structured food-focused day, the Macau food lover’s itinerary builds a route around the main eating stops including egg tart sources, Macanese restaurants, and street food.
Frequently asked questions about Macau egg tarts
What is the difference between a Macau egg tart and a Hong Kong egg tart?
Macau-style tarts (based on the Portuguese pastel de nata) use a flaky, caramelised custard in a rough-puff pastry shell. Hong Kong egg tarts (daan taat) use a smooth, pale, lightly sweet custard in a shortcrust or flaky shell. The Macau version is richer, less sweet, and more rustic.
Is Lord Stow’s the original Macau egg tart?
Yes. Andrew Stow opened Lord Stow’s Bakery in Coloane Village in 1989, adapting the Lisbon pastel de nata recipe. His version became the template that spread throughout Macau and later influenced egg tart culture across Greater China.
How much do egg tarts cost in Macau?
Lord Stow’s charges MOP 12–13 per tart (around USD 1.50–1.65). Margaret’s Café e Nata is similar at MOP 11–13. Local Cantonese bakeries charge MOP 6–10. KFC Macau sells a version for MOP 8–10.
Are the egg tarts at KFC in Macau worth trying?
Yes, with appropriate expectations. KFC Macau’s egg tarts are better than most non-specialist bakery versions — fresh, properly warm, and reasonably priced. The custard is Cantonese-style (smooth, pale) rather than Portuguese-style (caramelised, rich). Not the same as Lord Stow’s, but an honest comparison.
Can I take egg tarts home as a souvenir?
Fresh tarts hold for 4–6 hours at room temperature. Lord Stow’s sells vacuum-packed versions with a 3–5 day shelf life. Refrigeration and reheating work but the quality drops significantly. Best eaten fresh.
What other pastries should I try alongside egg tarts?
Bolo de arroz (rice flour muffins), cocadas (coconut biscuits), pão de Deus (sweet coconut-topped rolls), and almond cookies from Koi Kei. For savoury options, pasteis de bacalhau (salt cod croquettes) are found at most Portuguese-style cafés.
Where can I find egg tarts outside of Coloane?
Margaret’s Café e Nata has a convenient Peninsula location near Senado Square. Koi Kei Bakery has multiple branches including at the ferry terminals. Most Cantonese bakeries and dim sum restaurants across the city serve a version.
Is there a vegan egg tart option?
Not traditionally. The filling is egg custard. A small number of plant-based cafés in Macau have experimented with vegan versions, but this is uncommon and availability changes frequently.
What time of day should I go to avoid the queue at Lord Stow’s?
Weekday afternoons, particularly between 2pm and 5pm, are noticeably quieter than weekend mornings. If you’re combining the trip with a wider Coloane visit, arriving in the early afternoon avoids both the morning weekend crowds and the risk of tarts having sold out from a fresh batch.
Can I combine an egg tart stop with other Coloane sights?
Yes, easily. Coloane and Coloane Village are compact enough to see on foot in an afternoon, and Lord Stow’s sits right at the entrance to the village. Pair it with a walk through the village square, the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier nearby, and a seafood lunch for a relaxed half-day.
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