Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau
Knowing how to make codfish cakes is just as important as having read The Lusiads.
António Lobo Antunes (n. 1942)
“More than a delicacy, a commitment.”
The Codfish Cake with Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese was born from the desire to honour the work of the shepherds of Serra da Estrela. It is thanks to them that the sheep produce an extraordinary milk that gives rise to a unique cheese in the world.
At Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau we celebrate the protagonists of this story by creating the conditions for them to have a dignified life, fairly remunerating their work. That is why we pay more than the market value per litre of milk, promoting respect for people, preserving an ancestral profession and ensuring the continuity of a cheese that has been part of Portuguese identity for over a thousand years.
Our story begins in the hands of those who make it.
We were born in Serra da Estrela, the highest in mainland Portugal. The Codfish Cake with Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese was inspired by History and created from our origins.
We know the shepherds’ journey well – driven by a passion passed down through generations. We grew up among them, the sheep, the milk, the thistle, the vastness of the mountain. We can still smell the wild shrubs, feel the soft wool of the sheep, the freshness of the milk, the sound of bells blending with the bleating of the flock, the cold water of the streams running past our feet. We used to bring codfish cakes for lunch and share the cheese, sitting on the bare earth, with the mountain stretching endlessly before us. A privilege.
But we also witnessed the hardships of shepherds – a profession with no breaks, no holidays, no weekends, no certainty. The milk from their sheep is precious, but it hasn’t always been easy to sell. And without sales, there was no future. That milk, the result of daily labour and unwavering dedication, deserved more than market value. It deserved respect and dignity. It deserved a future.
The Codfish Cake with Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese was born from our return to our roots and from the will to turn hardship into opportunity, creating value for an extraordinary milk with the potential to go much further and bring hope to those who never gave up.
Since the creation of the Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau, the price paid for milk has increased by 100%, ensuring fair conditions for those who produce it. Today, with 10 shops in Portugal, this delicacy that brings together two icons of Portuguese gastronomy transports those who visit us to the heart of Serra da Estrela – hand in hand with us. And with the shepherds.
Stores
The place where gastronomic and cultural heritage meet to celebrate Portugal.
In the heart of downtown Lisbon, Fado and azulejos open the doors of tradition.
Here, the Codfish Cake with Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese meets Port Wine and the art of Júlio Pomar, Paula Rego and Vieira da Silva.
Lisbon is served with pride and poetry.
At the top of the city, Lisbon’s past lives between walls and viewpoints.
Here, the sea meets the land, and Portugal rediscovers itself.
Ancient stones and flavours tell the same story.
Between wrought iron and the elegance of Chiado, this iconic lift connects two worlds: the bustling downtown and the silent viewpoints.
Up above, Lisbon reveals itself through flavour, through history, and with a breathtaking view.
Where iron touches the sky and Lisbon shows itself in full.
Entering through the station or by boat gives access to a neighbourhood that never sleeps.
Between the Tagus and encounters, one feels an energy made of celebration, history and reinvention.
Portugal lives here, with its heart beating to the rhythm of the city.
In a former industrial complex, one of Lisbon’s most vibrant places was born.
Among urban art, vintage typefaces and new ideas, the Codfish Cake with Serra Cheese finds its most irreverent stage.
Where tradition breathes creativity.
In the land of the historic Port Wine cellars, we raise a toast to the shepherds of Serra da Estrela and the producers of Port Wine.
Every day, live concerts on a 19th-century pipe organ echo through the air.
Two worlds, one single territory of flavour and memory.
In the heart of Porto, next to the Clérigos Tower, we raise words instead of stone.
Here, a rare first edition of Fernando Pessoa’s Mensagem shares space with the Codfish Cake with Serra Cheese - a tribute to who we are and what unites us.
In Porto, Portugal is savoured in poetry.
On one of Porto’s most iconic streets, Rua das Flores slows down time to make way for fantasy. Among historic façades, sardines are brought to life in colour and voice, and the Portuguese canning tradition turns into a spectacle, guided by a compass rose that invites visitors to dive into a vibrant universe.
In Porto, a living heritage is preserved.
In the city of Art Nouveau, the stories of the cod fishing fleets of Costa Nova still echo.
Here, the sea and hard work find rest in a codfish cake with a taste of saudade.
Aveiro honours its identity and its heroes.
A cosmopolitan town where 007 once carried out a secret mission in the service of Her Majesty.
In Cascais, the Codfish Cake with Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese is savoured like one welcomes the world: with charm and sophistication.
Portugal, in Cascais style.
Between walls and books, Óbidos is a town that breathes romance and memory.
Part of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Literature network, it enchants visitors with the sound of a live violin at the Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau, with daily concerts.
Here, Portugal is heard before it is tasted.
Contacts
+351 211 648 919
(Call to the national fixed phone network)