Goa’s gastronomic environment has changed dramatically in recent years, thanks to its sundowners and seafood such as Rava-fried prawns and butter-garlic squids. And the people at the helm of this movement have realised that the 10 top restaurants in Goa can’t rely on the breathtaking views of the sea and beaches to stay afloat.
The menu must be intriguing and well-thought-out, and the food must be similarly great.
Of course, the epidemic has destroyed this scene as well, with popular favourites like Ourem 88 in Palolem and Lila’Rava Arpora either permanently closed or temporarily closed.
But in their place have come a slew of new restaurants in Goa, both fine dining and casual, the result of a new wave of food enthusiasts, chefs, and entrepreneurs who are injecting refinement into the state’s eating scene .
Because the souvlaki skewers are so important here, the issue now is: what are some of the greatest restaurants in Goa to visit?
And the answers that may be of assistance are mentioned below.
This list includes a deliberate mix of the quaint and peaceful, old and newly new, as well as the popular and always-bustling — given in no particular order.
You’ll find a spot after your heart no matter what your attitude is.
Best restaurants in Goa that you should check out the following:
Gunpowder
Gunpowder’s Toddy Shop Meen Curry and Soondal, one of the first restaurants to place Assagao on the tourist map, has certainly weathered the test of time.
Its famous Andhra Prawn Curry and Pandhi Curry, which pair well with parottas or their fluffy, cloud-like appams, are adored by artists, authors, and every type of hipster.
We also propose that you have their handmade cocktails during the dinner. People Tree may be gone for good, but a stroll around this old Portuguese villa will give you a sense of Gunpowder’s allure – and show you why it’s still one of Goa’s top restaurants.
Bomras
This cult-like branch (now) in Anjuna serves all sorts of creative Asian fare, with ingredients produced in their backyard and/or locally sourced.
Every night of the week, Chef Bawmra Jap’s innovative menu and a service crew that earned their stripes at The Bombay Canteen keep this eatery packed.
If you’re there for lunch, try their version of slow-cooked goat leg with herb rice. Dinner is a better option if you can get a table.
Start with a Rangoon Sour or Tamarind Dukshiri, as well as something simple like stir-fried garden greens with smoked pork, then work your way up to newer delicacies like the Grilled Kashmiri Morel (pictured above).
Whatever you do, don’t skip the soft coconut panna cotta – and save Cream Choc’s world-famous gelato for another day.
Vinayak Family Restaurant
Vinayak Family Restaurant, another Assagao favourite, is popular with both visitors and locals, who swear by its famed fish thali.
Expecting servers to notice you (and your never-ending orders of beer and Batter Fried Calamari or Bombil Rava Fry) around lunchtime is a game of patience, but everything that makes it to your table is worth the wait.
With a well-stocked bar and a view of the adjacent fields in tow, it’s a terrific opportunity to see an unusually frenetic side of Goa.
Roboto
This very new, very wonderful tiny restaurant in Calangute is situated on a quieter street, where local fruit finds its way into Japanese cuisine – miso soups, gyoza, and more.
That is, everything except sushi is available at this one-of-a-kind izakaya.
Order a gin cocktail – the Seijaku (gin with homemade sencha tea cordial) or the simple but brilliant Bees and Flowers – and a few dishes of the wonderful beef tataki (a must-try) and chashu pig belly, and relax in to enjoy the kawaii art all around you.
Silly Souls Cafe
The Silly Souls Cafe is a no-fuss garden-style eatery in Assagao, on the route to Vinayak, that should be on your schedule for delightful Asian and European dishes.
Order a few bottles of GBC’s new People’s Lager and mentally prepare for the siesta of your dreams.
Suzie’s
Suzie entered Assagio’s burgeoning cuisine scene and dared to do things a little differently. The chef meticulously curates a new menu every six weeks, working with seasonal ingredients in a quirky approach to gourmet dining.
If you’re looking for a romantic supper for two, this spot will do the trick–Imagine a lovely, garden café ambiance that screams “rustic chic.”
Suzie’s has relatively few distractions (except your partner, of course) from the five-course dinner because they only entertain.
See : 10 Best Restaurants In Manali
Mahé
Another of Goa’s greatest restaurants, built in a Portuguese villa with minimalist furnishings and specialising in modern coastal food, is located across the street from Bomras in Anjuna.
Chef Sandeep Sreedharan draws on his upbringing in the former French colony of Mahe to create a richly delicious cuisine where an aubergine recheado meets tapioca bravas and a slow-cooked mackerel in plum sauce rivals Sri Lankan mutton curry.
You’ll be spoiled for choice, especially now that a whole new menu has been introduced. Don’t be surprised if you decide to go twice in one weekend.
Pousada By The Beach
Even if you didn’t know Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas frequented this restaurant, it should be on your list of finest restaurants in Goa for Chai and Biscuit, the restaurant’s lovable resident Labradors.
To make up for the long drive and time it takes to get here, Pousada promises spectacular beach vistas, a laid-back ambiance, and delicious seafood.
The headliner is their Fish in Banana Leaf, but you could also enjoy their Crusty Prawns, Konkan-flavoured rice, and Prawn Balchao.
Martin’s Corner
Martin’s Corner is a crowd favourite and a colossus of the Goan eating scene, both in terms of size and time. It’s been present since the 1980s and is large enough to serve as Betalbatim’s signature landmark.
It’s no longer possible to be a crowd favourite without offering a menu of crowd-pleasers: The best of every mainstream world cuisine is on offer, but forgo the butter chicken in favour of kingfish Bachao – or shark ambotik if you’re feeling brave.
Fisherman’s Wharf
It will be a pity if you compile a list of the top restaurants in Goa and leave this one out. Particularly the one in Cavelossim, South Goa.
This lively restaurant is perched along the riverbank, with a sea wind and live music filling the air. If it’s your first time trying Goan flavours, you’ll appreciate their masala fried calamari, fish curry with rice, and potato recheado, which are all modified for the tourist palette.
If there’s still room in your stomach, try their Rava fried prawns, which are to die for.
See also : 10 Offbeat Places near Mumbai – Must Visit
Conclusion
Goa’s food scene adds to the city’s uniqueness as a former Portuguese colony. Goa has our hearts, from delectable seafood to coconut milk and rice, very low alcohol rates, and the best of all cuisines.
From the Greek taverna – Thalassa to Asian street food, Goa undoubtedly finds its place in our stomachs as well as our minds, as highlighted by the 10 Best Restaurants in Goa that specialise in their respective cuisines. Please share your experience if you have visited any of these restaurants in Goa.