In Goa’s Panjim, a new feni and agave bar from one of India’s most reputed mixologists

For as long as I can remember, feni has been dismissed as Goa’s firewater—sharp on the nose, fiery on the palate, and rarely taken seriously beyond local circles. Tequila and its now uppity cousin, mezcal, too, once carried a similar reputation: a cheap shot chased with lime and salt. And yet, Mexico managed to transform its agave spirits into symbols of craft and cultural pride. It’s in this space of parallels that celebrated mixologist Pankaj Balachandran makes his move. The man behind some of the strongest bar programmes in India, and one who put Bar Tesouro (fourth on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022) and most recently Boilermaker Goa (30th on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025) on the global map, has now turned his focus to feni with Quinta Cantina, a 35-seater bar tucked above Goan-Portuguese bar and eatery Ourem in Goa’s Fontainhas area.

Like the cuisine it holds, Quinta Cantina’s name has Portuguese and Mexican roots. ‘Quinta’ is Portuguese for ‘estate house’ while ‘Cantina’ means ‘conviviality’. And even without the massive square-footage of a country house, this cosy and warm space feels more like a lively salon than a swanky new bar. Before you’ve taken your seat by the long bar or the community table at the centre, you know you’ve signed up for a night of conversations.

Restoration architect Rochelle Santimano of Studio Praia is behind its charming, pared-back character. No Mexican calaveras or lucha libre masks here; instead, Santimano relies on terracotta-tinged walls for an earthy and restrained look. The design makes you feel right at home, where walls are lined with pickle jars on one side and glass garrafãos (used to store and age feni) on the other.

“Both feni and agave are spirits with deep cultural roots, shaped by land, community, and tradition. When I began studying them side by side, I was struck by the many parallels they share,” Balachandran tells me, “From the tools used in harvest and the way they’re grown and ripened, to double distillation in copper stills and, in some cases, clay condensers, to the rituals of salts and citrus in agave, and salts or brined pickles in feni. Both mezcal and feni remain rooted in craft, made by distillers who still rely on traditional methods, often without even a spirit gauge or refractometer,” says the founder of Countertop India, who through his bar-focussed consultancy has been reshaping India’s drinking culture. 

“My aim is to make people see feni as not a local hooch but a serious spirit,” says Balachandran, knowing he’s not the first to say so. He knows there are others who have tried to push feni forward in the past. With deep respect for Jay Khan of COA, Hansel Vaz, Goa’s unofficial custodian of feni, and Bulund Shukla of For The Record, whose menu pushed feni into a new creative space, Balachandran just hopes Quinta Cantina will make even the finicky give feni a chance.

With this guiding star, he’s designed a drinks programme that is nothing short of ambitious. Fortnightly rotating tasting menus spotlight both feni and agave, supported by a cocktail list that balances play and precision. His single-page bar menu features GI-certified fenis, single-estate expressions, mezcals like Tobalá and Pechuga, and abocado (infused) cocktails that form the backbone. Feni is sourced directly from small-batch Goan producers, whereas for agave, the curation spans established houses as well as rare artisanal bottles that are seldom seen in India.

I start with the Mango with feni, a fruit-forward and fresh cocktail that quickly becomes my favourite of the night, the kind I’d happily go back for seconds. From there, I move to the smoky-supple Muchacha with agave. Espresso martini patrons will love the No Rage, Just Coffee cocktail that uses coffee-flavoured Dukshiri feni, or the Canta Con Café, which layers feni with coffee and spice. There’s also the Ourem Old Fashioned that swaps whisky for mezcal. Quinta Cantina has created its own Goa-inspired salts using dried fish and shrimp. And each drink arrives with its own ritual pairing: shrimp salt with mezcal, Goan pickles with feni, fruit dusted with sal de gusano (Oaxacan salt mixed with ground agave worms and chillies).

Brief yet bold, the cocktail menu also reinterprets the classics with drinks such as Fenicillin and Tommy’s Margarita. The basic idea is to shift perception, to place feni and agave in a broader conversation about heritage and craft rather than leave them on the sidelines.  “The space is designed for guests to connect with what’s in their glass, whether that’s learning about the producers or uncovering the cultural layers behind the spirit. We’re not here to lecture; the focus is always a good time. But for those who want to dive deeper, we create that space,” adds Balachandran.

He’s also been in the business long enough to know he can’t please everyone with such a niche enterprise, so, for the less adventurous, classics like Negronis, G&Ts, and whisky sours are executed with equal finesse. The servers will veer you to tequila and feni variants, but if you swear by gin as your favoured tipple, they will oblige.

The concept took shape when restaurateur Puru Agarrwal, who launched Ourem in Panjim last year, introduced Balachandran to a charming little space available on the first floor of his restaurant. Joining him as as a partner, Agarrwal has also ensured Quinta Cantina shares the kitchen with Ourem. The menu also sees Balachandran reunite with his IHM batchmate, chef Kartikeya Ratan (formerly of Eleven Madison Park and Azurmendi), alongside Ourem’s chef Ines. Ratan, who spent time in Mexico studying sub-regional cuisines, lends global finesse, while Ines ensures Goan authenticity remains central. In this Goan-Mexican playful riff, the pork amsol tacos are a standout, while the ros omelette reimagined with huevos rancheros feels both familiar and inventive. Totopos with Goan chorizo round off the offerings. 

“I remember eating pork amsol at a small local eatery in Goa and thinking it could make an incredible taco. Kartikeya and I travelled across Goa tasting classics and reimagining them. Her creativity allowed these flavours to transform without losing their roots—the ros omelette and huevos rancheros mashup, for instance, came from recognising both as hearty, comforting street foods and hangover cures tied deeply to culture,” adds Balachandran. 

The newest in the lineup of XS eateries, the space itself is compact, which makes the whole experience feel curated and deliberate. Quinta Cantina runs on an intimate format—just two sittings a night, one at 6pm and another at 9pm. And reservations are the only way in. “Flavour instincts and cultural imagination matter, but at the end of the day, bars are about people and connection. My role is just to create the framework—the real magic happens because of the team behind me. Without great teams, cocktails are just recipes, and bars are just rooms,” adds Balachandran, whose intention is to foster a community where tables bleed into each other and conversations move as easily as the drinks.

Address: No. 82, PT, Sheet No 45, H No 62-C1 of Chalta, behind Head Post Office, next to O’Pierre Hotel, Panaji, Goa

Meal for two: ₹2,200

Timings: 6 pm to midnight, open all days

Reservations: +91 8446811656