Classic European pastries drive success at these Massachusetts bakeries

Chronicle, April 14, 2026

At Europa Pastries and Coffee Shop in Fall River, the pastel de nata isn’t just a dessert — it’s a connection to culture, family, and community.

The iconic Portuguese pastry starts with a crisp, flaky shell and ends with a silky custard center layered with notes of vanilla and lemon. For co-owner Andrew Ferreira, it’s a flavor that feels like home. “It’s almost ingrained in Portuguese culture to have those on the table,” he says.

Ferreira, his sister Erica Couto, and her husband Kevin Couto took over the longtime neighborhood café in 2018 — the same place Andrew and Erica visited as kids. What began as a leap from working at a pawn shop turned into a labor of love, preserving and refining a beloved recipe.

Each batch takes hours, with much of the work done by hand — from shaping the pastry to cooking the custard. The result: caramelized tops, rich flavor, and a loyal following. “There’s a lot of love in opening up each individual one,” Andrew says.

The shop honors the family’s Portuguese roots while embracing its role as a modern community hub — a place where regulars gather and new traditions are made. The beloved pastry is even the subject of a contest, the "South Coast Snackdown."

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