35 places to eat and drink in Goa this monsoon

North Goa’s food and drink scene moves fast—bars pop up overnight, move locations and go from hidden gems to household names in weeks. So, what you’re reading here is a snapshot: a handpicked, highly subjective (and for some of you, highly debatable) guide to the spots that are hitting right right now.

This list has been shaped by countless conversations, personal favourites, trusted tips from locals and regulars, and a lot of time spent on the ground (and at the bar).

We’re not pretending to have covered it all—far from it.

This is a shorter list that hits the sweet spot: not total hole-in-the-wall joints that the pre-pandemic settlers swear by (Mafia Cocktails and Joseph’s Bar), not after-after-party places you only visit to stretch the night longer (Down The Road) and not the kind of tourist magnets most locals avoid (hello, Thalassa). These are the places that work for everyone. The ones we take our friends to when they visit. The ones we don’t mind being dragged to when they do the planning. And most importantly, the ones that stay open in the off-season—which explains the limited beachside picks.

So, bring out those umbrellas and gumboots, and scroll below.

Drink

MTW, Panjim

Office by day, bar by night. Its shapeshifting abilities apart, MTW is the kind of place you don’t just enter. You ring a bell and wait to be let in. Regulars will confirm it doesn’t take long for this red room to start feeling like home. With very limited food (though their toasties are filling), its superpower is mixing bold, inventive cocktails that wouldn’t feel out of place in the fanciest cocktail bars.

Recommend: The Chai Break, which is served with a side of childhood—a pack of Phantom Sweet Cigarettes

Miguel’s, Panjim

Miguel’s plays two parts exceptionally well—a beautifully designed, intimate cocktail bar serving elevated plates of food, and, when the mood shifts, an out-and-out party. The energy peaks on Thursday nights when Aviv Pereira brings the house down with rock ‘n’ roll classics.

Recommend: The Jackson Pollock steak—a splatter-painted showstopper that looks as wild as it tastes

Bar Cold Drinks, Ucassaim and Pablo’s, Assagaon

One great thing about Bar Cold Drinks, which is fast becoming a favourite among folks settled in Goa, is that it’s equally convenient to get to whether you’re in Siolim, Aldona or Sangolda. Launched by the team that runs Pablo’s in Assagao (another icon you cannot miss), Bar Cold Drinks feels like a new bar with an old soul.

Recommend: The always-interesting collection of beers on tap

Great State Dive, Olaulim

Still flying under the radar, the dive-plus-backyard-cafe combination nails the holy trifecta: a solid lineup of craft beers courtesy Great State Aleworks, standout food from chef Nikita’s kitchen, and a serene backwater view that melts the stress right off your shoulders.

Recommend: Chef Nikita’s special prawn curry

For The Record, Panjim

The vinyl bar setup by guitarist and audiophile Buland Shukla is the perfect place to introduce your palate to the world of feni, with a range of cocktails built around artisanal, barrel-aged versions of Goa’s favourite tipple (special shout-out to the Red Riding Hood).

Recommend: Finding a seat in the room with the hand-crafted music system and speakers, especially if you’re a music buff

Boilermaker, Siolim

Boilermaker walks the line between a laid-back beach shack and a five-star cocktail bar—with craft beers on tap, house ferments, and non-typical Goan bar bites. Start with their Breakshift IPA and balchao pickled cucumbers and stay on for its carefully curated, rough-around-the-edges charm.

Recommend: Their Boilermaker, which you can chug to a boisterous soundtrack put together by their bartenders

Bar Outrigger, Dona Paula

This nautical-themed bar boasts of a staggeringly wide rum collection, a serious talent for Tiki cocktails, and a smoking zone so cool that non-smokers step out to just hang. Stick around long enough and you’ll end the night belting out ‘My Heart Will Go On’ with the crew.

Recommend: Booking a reservation, only to receive a Treasure Island-style map. Aye, aye, captain!

Live music

Hideaway, Vagator

Hideaway could make it to this list as a restaurant, a bar or a music venue. The reason we’re putting them here is because they really do the best job of curating bands—whether they’re from Goa, the rest of India or any of the international acts.

Recommend: The Primavera and Botanique cocktails

Cavala, Baga and Cohiba, Aguada

Cavala on Fridays and Cohiba on Saturdays bookend the Baga-Aguada chaos with the kind of cover bands that matter—the ones playing songs you know every word to and aren’t ashamed to belt out in public.

Recommend: Wearing your dancing shoes

Misfit, Saligao

Regulars in North Goa may remember the madness of Monday nights at Cantare—and especially the ever-present jazz band. Now reopened under new management, Cantare has got a new name— Misfit (and a limited menu)—but it still has the same old soul (including Monday-night jazz).

Recommend: Go on Monday night

Elephant & Co, Anjuna

Tucked in a quieter stretch in Anjuna, Elephant & Co brings to Goa the trademark Puneri knack for effortlessly straddling two worlds: big-city polish and small-town charm. From old-school rock ‘n’ roll to disco and EDM, between live bands and a rotating line-up of DJs, the music here is always interesting.

Recommend: Their take on the Ros Omelette, proof of what happens when Burmese khao suey meets a Goan gaddo

Eat

Bomras, Anjuna

At a time when new restaurants open and shut faster than you can say tea leaf salad, Bomras really has stood the test of time. Chef Bawmra Jap’s Burmese restaurant has now been around for over two decades, and while the vibe is now more sophisticated, the food remains fresh as ever.

Recommend: Tea leaf salad and the crackling pork and pomelo salad

Lazy Goose, Nerul

Tucked under a bridge by the Nerul backwaters, Lazy Goose is unforgettable for its setting alone—though the buttery crab dishes give the view some serious competition.

Recommend: The mud crabs and the lobster

Slow Tide Anjuna

Not the easiest spot in Anjuna to get to, but Slow Tide is worth the effort. Their modern take on coastal cuisine hits the spot, as does their cocktail menu, which has drinks named after Anjuna’s most famous hippies. The fact that you’re getting all this right by the sea is a great bonus.

Recommend: Acid Eric, a tequila cocktail that comes with its own psychedelic-looking stamp

The Second House, Saligao

The Second House thrives on contrasts—here AI art lines the walls of a 110-year-old home, and afternoons that start with a menu of small plates best enjoyed in their glass room stretch into nights that end indoors with meticulously crafted cocktails and a few rounds of shots. No surprise then that their take on comfort food is just as considered: familiar flavours dialled up with modern flair.

Recommend: The PT&G, salmon toast, and their Palmona Meets Picante

Petisco, Panjim

A cosy neighbourhood bar known for its elevated small plates and stellar drinks, Petisco is Portuguese by name but global in flavour. Quietly cool and refreshingly unpretentious, it’s the perfect pre-Fontainhas pitstop to add to a tourist itinerary.

Recommend: Chimichurri chicken

Tanjore Tiffin Room, Anjuna

South Indian comfort food gets the five-star treatment here. Their gravy-sampling menu (where you get to taste around 30 different gravies before making your choice) is a truly unique experience.

Recommend: The Mysore pak at the end of the meal

Mum’s Kitchen, Panjim

A Panjim institution dedicated to preserving traditional Goan recipes, Mum’s Kitchen is where you take people to taste the real deal. It’s earnest, nostalgic, and deeply satisfying.

Recommend: The dish christened “traditional prawn curry by our founder’s mother”

Bhatti Village, Nerul

Once a hidden gem and now a cult favourite, Bhatti Village is best experienced with a big group—the kind that can eat its way through the entire menu because you really shouldn’t miss anything.

Recommend: The stir-fried tender coconut that proves that vegetarians aren’t a complete afterthought in this meat-eater's paradise

Grumps, Sangolda

When you think “neighbourhood bar” in Goa, you picture Uncle pouring generous fenis and Aunty frying up the catch of the day in a suitably ​​dilapidated space. Grumps isn’t quite that—it’s a thoughtfully designed space with on-point cocktails and a fun take on Asian comfort food, which is how it’s earned its place on Goa’s modern bar circuit.

Recommend: Mo Money Mo, a cocktail with absinthe, scotch and sherry, served with a slice of cheese on the side

Como Agua, Vagator

In the touristy stretch of Vagator lies this beautiful spot made entirely from lantana weed. The Italian spot that specialises in high-quality wood-fired pizzas and a warm, rustic vibe to match. The pastas hit the spot, the cocktails are no afterthought, and your dog too is welcome here.

Recommend: Their Neapolitan-style pizzas

7 Short 1 Long, Moira

Set in an ancestral family home, its nautical name is an ode to restaurant owner Belinda Briganza’s time on a cruise ship. The menu features Briganza’s family recipes, and she even has a drink named after her (ask for the Bel-gin-da), proving that everything about this restaurant in Moira is about family and connection.

Recommend: Karaoke nights on Saturday

Luna’s Ristorante, Anjuna

You can never have too many pizza places and that’s a fact. Located on a touristy lane in Anjuna, Luna’s brings a slice of Italy to Goa with high-quality Neapolitan style wood-fired pizzas and a warm, rustic vibe to match. The pastas hit the spot, the cocktails are no afterthought, and even your dog’s welcome here.

Recommend: The Neapolitan style pizza

Anar, Anjuna

A new entrant filling the kebab-shaped hole that Middle Eastern eatery Mezmiz left behind, this field-facing restaurant is where you need to go if you’re craving an exceptional mezze platter. Elevated in style from Panjim’s Schandis, at Anar you can tuck into tender beef, succulent mutton kebabs and creamy hummus in a regal space decorated with human-sized felines.

Recommend: Kebab torsh

Hosa, Siolim

Located inside a well-maintained Portuguese home, Hosa, which means ‘new’ in Kannada, skips the idli-vada staples that your neighbourhood udupi can offer for a menu that is varied and wonderful. Here, South Indian cuisine is served in a fine-dining space; it is, after all, by the folks behind Indian Accent.

Recommend: Mutton ghee roast and the Yalpanam pork belly

Ping’s Bia Hoi, Sangolda

A few years ago, Ping’s confidently filled a major gap in Goa’s dining scene with consistently good south-east Asian food. Their open-air Sangolda spot is still the go-to for dim sums and gyozas—much like Jamun, their sister concern in Assagao, is for North Indian favourites.

Recommend: Pork and sugarcane skewers, Angry Beef Salad, and Claypot chicken

Izumi, Assagao

This Mumbai transplant outdoes its original while bringing serious sushi credentials to Goa, with a focus on high-quality ingredients, clean flavours, and Japanese classics done right. Minimalist interiors, breezy service, and a crowd that knows what they came for—food!

Recommend: The chicken katsu sando, Hamachi carpaccio with truffle ponzu and their yakitori menu

Thalis

Workshop, Porvorim

Porvorim’s best-kept secret is this first-floor restaurant with a view of the Mandovi river that is mostly frequented by lawyers from the nearby High Court. The thali is not only beautifully presented in terracotta plates and bowls, it also has portions that will satisfy every fried-rava craving you have.

Recommend: The serra dura–-but order it early; they run out fast!

Kokni Kanteen, Panjim

This Goan restaurant needs no introductions; their soaring popularity in an ever-growing restaurant scene is a testament to that. With authentic regional staples and a no-fuss experience, they prove that good, consistent food always trumps.

Recommend: Pretty much everything but most definitely the kingfish thali or the special Bappa thali

Avo’s Kitchen, Assagao

Avo means grandmother in Portuguese—and Avo’s Kitchen, by the folks behind Panjim’s Peep Kitchen, lives up to its name, offering authentic flavours with a homely touch, even within Assagao’s upscale surrounding. It’s a stellar thali place without the manic pace of a thali joint. Another plus: There’s plenty of options for vegetarians too.

Recommend: The subtle, comforting Goan prawn pulao

Breakfast and coffee

Padaria Prazeres, Panjim

Since 2021, no trip to Goa is complete without visiting this bakery located in a nondescript residential neighbourhood of Panjim. There’s always a crowd outside this cosy little European-looking eatery and a longer queue at their counter indoors. The mouth-watering display of desserts and baked goods will make you over-order, but it will all be worth it.

Recommend: The custardy joy that is Pasteis de Nata and the delightfully fresh pesto eggs

Rare Republic, Siolim

A tastefully done-up bakery, a beautifully curated fashion and design store, and a little-too-noisy co-working space, Rare Republic lures you in with their cheeky parking signs and makes you stay with their fresh bakes served on Fornasetti plates.

Recommend: The best croissant you’ll get in Goa

Mojigao, Assagao

Ever since Marāi announced its closing, those craving breakfast spreads in lush green settings have started making a beeline back to OG spots like Mojigao and Artjuna. At the former, you can even work up your appetite after a morning capoeira class. 

Recommend: Chia seed bowl and Jamun smoothie