Must Eat At Restaurants In Goa

You’re wondering where to eat in Goa and what else you need to know about Goa before visiting. And you’ve probably landed here from my post about swimming with the stars at Palolem or the unusual places to visit in Goa. Seriously though, there’s a super long list in my head of the places I liked eating at on a visit to Goa. But here are just some of them that me, my siblings and friends took the time to take pics at. The rest, well, the next time we go back, we’ll try to remember to take pics.

1. St. Anthony’s Bar & Restaurant, Baga Beach

There’s a lot to try at St. Anthony’s Bar and Restaurant located at the end of Baga Beach. The butter garlic squid, the tiranga platter, the fried fish, all amazing! Get a table facing the beach with a view of the sea and enjoy your food with a chilled glass of beer or other drinks.

During season, the place is packed to the brim and you sometimes have to wait for a table. But if you go off season during the rains, there’s a totally different feel. The smell of sea air mixed with the rain has a mellow sort of calm even with the skies thundering and the waves crashing against the shores. Is it just me, or is Goa the perfect place to be in all seasons?

The nearby shack Britto’s is pretty good too, but I haven’t taken any pics yet.

Find St. Anthony’s at Baga Beach, Calangute-Baga Road, Goa 403516.
Phone: +91-9423622288

2. Holy Turtle, Galgibag

Went here with mom when we were searching for the turtles I mentioned earlier. Although we didn’t get to see the turtles hatching because we were a bit early, we did get the chance to enjoy the clean beach and beautifully clear water.

Just facing the beach are a handful of shacks and we picked the Holy Turtle to set ourselves down. With a vantage point of the sea and just a couple of other people there, we enjoyed our beers with a paneer wrap and an amazing Cesar salad.

I’ve had a lot of Caesar salads in my time because they’re one of my favorites, but the blend of tastes and textures in this caesar salad and the abundance of olives were to die for.

Update: Nov 2019

This was the second time we visited the Holy Turtle on Galgibaga Beach. Mom and I loved the beach and the Ceasar Salad here last year. It was full of toasty chicken and loaves, rich Olive oil, olives, salad leaves, and some yummy dressing.

So this November we took dad for his birthday, and sis as well. The Ceasar Salad wasn’t the same. It had a honey mustard dressing instead and my favorite olives were missing, but it was still nice. The cook had probably changed.

But the other dishes were tasty too. We enjoyed the squid rings, king prawns in a butter garlic sauce, and fish fillet, and washed it all down with the peachy local Eddie Eight Fingers beer that our friendly waiter Suraj recommended.

We also enjoyed chatting with our host Galy as we hadn’t met him the year before. There are other restaurants on the beach, but the Holy Turtle has a better location with great sea views, friendly staff, and tasty food.

Find Holy Turtle at Galgibaba Beach, Canacona, Goa 403728.
Phone: +91-7066808960

3. Joets Bar and Restaurant

This place was so amazing that we totally forgot to take pictures, so I asked the people at Joets for some and got this one. It’s the seafood platter. Mouthwatering, isn’t it?

Joets located at the North end of Bogmalo Beach just a 5 minute drive from the airport and 15 minutes form Vasco Da Gama. Even perfect for a last beer before the dash to the airport!

The ambiance, staff and music are great. The bartender was pretty yummy too.

If you get here, you must try the beef xacuti, fish fingers, butter garlic squid, and cheese garlic naan. And wash it down with a pint or two of beer.

Find Joets Bar and restaurant at Bogmalo Beach, Baillichall ward,
Vasco da Gama, Goa 403806.
Phone: +91-8322538036

4. The Pink Flamingo in Candolim

This family restaurant was on the Fort Aguada Road a short distance from where we stayed. It’s smack-opposite the Fisherman’s Cove that we went to the last time; which reminds me I need to take pics of the food there the next time.

Anyways, the waiters here are friendly, and some even say hello when you’re just passing by on other days. The two times we went here we were served by Ranjan and Sanatan. Sanatan is quite conversational and even told us about his roots in Bengal.

The menu is quite extensive and the fare is a mix of traditional and continental. We tried a couple of different starters, crispy chicken, butter garlic squid, beef chilly and more, and a few pastas, and fish curries on different days; some tasting good, some were just okay.

But their cocktails are awesome! Whoever their bartender is, really knows how to add some punch to his mixes. It was difficult to decide between beer and cocktails, so we some of each on different days.

The show stopper, however, is Nelly. This amazing Goan singer entertains guests with oldies to local Goan classics to popular current songs, Nelly has a voice that will get you on your feet and dancing in no time.

Her clear voice singing John Denver’s famous ode to his wife ‘Annie’s Song’ and my parents naturally dancing. 😉

And a while later while Nelly was singing Stumblin’ In and my poor dad who was the only guy on the floor, he got taken away from my mum by a Russian lady, and then from the lady who took him away. It was funny to watch, but I can’t find the video. Haha!

Anyways, if you want to catch Nelly singing this season, she’s at The Pink Flamingo in Goa from 8 PM to 10:30 PM on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Find The Pink Flamingo at Villa Sol Areia, Fort Aguada Rd, near Newtons SuperMarket, Candolim, Goa 403515
Phone: +91-90110 58876

5. Zanzibar Beach Shack in Baga

My cousin and his friends spent their time in Goa doing a test of all the beef chilly and sausage fry at different restaurants in North Goa. And they say the best ones were at Zanzibar in Titos Lane. What do you think?

Find Zanzibar at Titos Lane, Baga Beach, Baga, Goa 403516.
+91-9823274707

6. Valencio’s in Bardez

The cousin DFon and his friends also loved the beef chilly at Valencio’s nearby.

Their masala squid rings were pretty amazing too!

Feni with raspberry. Now that’s an innovative and delightful combination. You won’t be able to stop at one. Warm your tired bones with this drink!

Find Valencio’s in Titos Lane, Saunta Vaddo, Calangute, Mardez, Goa 403516.
+91-9860756170

7. The Mermaid in Candolim

The Mermaid restaurant in Candolim is a must-visit haunt for locals and visitors alike. Run by a Swedish-Goan couple since 1998, Katarina and her husband definitely know how to take care of their visitors. From lasagna made with homemade pasta sheets, to smoked salmon bagels and poached fish, there’s a lot to whet the appetite.

My cousin DFon who visits ever so often (and contributed these pics) recommends the chicken pasta and the Mermaid Burger.

Find The Mermaid at 441 a Vaddy Candolim, Candolim, India, Goa
+91- 9822155205
banaulikar@yahoo.com

8. TeamA

Located just a mile from Candolim Beach, Teama has an upper and lower level that caters to different types of visitors. There’s live music and you can also warm up your singing skills if you want to join in with the karaoke. The perfect spot for dance and drink, you won’t leave till they shut down for the night.

Trust me. You’ll love Teama, and you’ll especially love the squid rings!

Find TeamA at Candolim Beach Rd, near Car Park, Murrod Vaddo, Candolim, Goa 403515
Phone: +91-832-2489774

9. The Ocean Grill

For some really scrumptious and filling seafood, head over to The Ocean Grill to enjoy the Fish Thali Platter. DFon guarantees you’ll fall in love with it.

Of course, they have many more dishes to wow you with, from tandoori kingfish to squid chilly and more.

Find The Ocean Grill at Falcon resort, Naika wado, Calangute, Goa 403516
Phone: +91-99640 94885

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There are a lot more restaurants and amazing cafes that we’ve eaten at over the last three decades that need to go on this list, but we haven’t taken pics of all of them. We’ll try to add more as soon as I can.

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