Tuga Pastries

A taste of Portugal, passed down through generations.

October 2026

Tuga Pastries has been bringing a taste of Portugal to Sydney for more than a decade, one pastel de nata at a time. 

Tuga Pastries started as a hole-in-the-wall bakery specialising in traditional pastel de nata – a Portuguese egg tart – and has grown into a bustling cafe with three locations across Sydney.  

At the heart of Tuga Pastries is a generational family recipe.  

Owner Diogo Ferreira has spent years perfecting a recipe passed down from his father Agostinho Ferreira. Agostinho, a pastry chef from Portugal, brought the secret recipe with him when he migrated to Australia in 1985.  

After Agostinho’s passing, Diogo spent six months experimenting in the kitchen, determined to recreate a pastel de nata that tasted like his father’s hand-crafted tarts. 

Today, more than a decade later, every Portuguese tart at Tuga Pastries continues to be made by hand, just how Agostinho did, with Diogo’s mother, working alongside him. 

The pastel de nata dates to the 18th century, when it is believed to have originated in Catholic monasteries in Lisbon, Portugal.  

At Tuga Pastries, each tart is made with a flakey pastry shell that is filled with a custard-like egg cream and dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar. 

The delicate egg cream requires practice, precision and high-quality ingredients. There is little room for error, so having consistency is essential. Pace Farm Egg Yolks are used to create the custard’s rich, golden colour and smooth, creamy texture. 

The tarts are then baked at a high temperature to achieve their distinctive caramelised tops, while keeping the pastry crisp and flakey. 

Visit one of Tuga Pastries’ three Sydney locations in Clovelly and Alexandria – to taste the tradition for yourself.