12 Goan Cuisine Restaurants in Goa for All Budgets

Sharell Cook lives in Mumbai full-time and has been writing about India travel for TripSavvy since 2008.

Updated on 02/29/20
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Michelai Graham is a technology and business reporter who has written for The Urban Institute and Scoop News. She reports for AfroTech, Lifewire, and The Plug.

Goa isn’t just a sought-after beach destination. The food is also fabulous! While there are so many great restaurants to choose from in Goa, the best ones selected in this article have an emphasis on authentic non-vegetarian Goan and Portuguese cuisine. The food has been influenced by the state’s Hindu origin, Muslim rule, and Portuguese colonization. It’s dominated by seafood (of course, Goa being a coastal state) and pork. Xacutti (coconut-based curry), cafreal (marinated and fried/grilled), sorpotel (stew), recheado (stuffed), ambot tik (sour and spicy), and vindaloo (fiery curry marinated with garlic and vinegar or wine) are common types of dishes. And of course, Goan chourico (sausages) and Goan pao (bread). Many of the restaurants serve decently brewed feni, the local drink, to wash the meal down with as well.

The Beach House

View Map Address Taj Holliday Village Resort & Spa, Dando, Candolim, Candolim , Goa 403515 , India
Phone +91 832 664 5858

Internationally acclaimed Master Chef Rego takes a contemporary approach Goan-Portuguese fusion food at The Beach House fine-dining restaurant, overlooking the ocean at the Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa in Candolim. This partly open-air restaurant, with thatched roof and contrasting chandeliers, is credited with reintroducing Goan food to Goa. Chef Rego has worked with the Taj hotel chain for more than 40 years. When it opened in Goa, he decided to showcase the state’s cuisine by sourcing traditional recipes from Portuguese and Hindu Goan families.

• Opening Hours: Daily for dinner only. 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• Cuisine: Specialties are galinha cafreal, kingfish, grande camarao com cilantro, and pork sorpotel with sannas. The Goan thali is also highly recommended.
• Price: 2,500 rupees for two.

Martin’s Corner

View Map Address 69, Binwaddo , Betalbatim , Goa 403713 , India
Phone +91 832 288 0413

Established in 1989, Martins Corner has remarkably grown out of a corner shop with just a few tables, into a substantial restaurant that’s capable of serving 300 people. It’s famous enough that numerous Indian celebrities have visited it. Seafood is the specialty, and the chefs serve up an eclectic and sumptuous spread using family-made masalas (spices). The interior is rustic albeit upmarket. And, situated close to the beach, it feels like a cross between a shack and an old house. There’s live music Sundays and most nights, and it can get quite noisy and boisterous.

• Opening Hours: 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m., daily.
• Cuisine: Traditional Goan and Continental.
• Price: 1,600 rupees for two.

Chef Fernando’s Nostalgia

Chef Fernando’s Nostalgia, at the late chef’s heritage mansion in Raia village just north of Margao, is renowned for its classic Portugese-Goan dishes that are rarely served in restaurants. It’s among the few places that serve freshly made sannas (steamed rice cakes) with sorpotel, and bake Bolo Sans Rival (a rich Goan cashew cake). The restaurant is a hidden gem that really comes to life Thursday through Sunday, when bands play at night. There’s karaoke on Wednesdays.

• Address: House 608, near Our Lady Of Snow Church, Margao Ponda Road, Raia, South Goa.
• Phone: 0832 2777098.
• Opening Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
• Cuisine: Traditional Goan such as Mutton Xacuti, Pork Sorpotel, and Prawn Curry.
• Price: 1,200 rupees for two.

Viva Panjim

View Map Address H, 178, Rua 31 de Janeiro , behind Mary Immaculate High School, near St Sebastian chapel, Fontainhas (quarter), Altinho , Panaji , Goa 403001 , India

Phone +91 832 242 2405

Situated in the Fontainhas Latin Quarter, Viva Panjim is inexpensive and atmospheric. It’s also a consistent winner of the Times Food Award for the Best Goan Portuguese Casual Dining. This renowned restaurant is on the ground floor of the owner’s family heritage home, and it also has a small outdoor area with tables.

• Opening Hours: Daily 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., 7-11 p.m. except Sundays, 7-11 p.m..
• Cuisine: Portuguese Goan. The prawn curry rice, with secret ingredients, is outstanding.
• Price: 800 rupees for two.

Continue to 5 of 12 below.

Hotel Venite

View Map Address Rua 31 de Janeiro , Near Head Post Office, Altinho , Panaji , Goa 403001 , India
Phone +91 98504 67008

An old favorite on the outskirts of the Latin Quarter, Hotel Venite’s restaurant has a ton of character and history. It’s been open since 1955 and occupies the upstairs floor of a heritage building that’s estimated to be more than 200 years old. The vibe is old Portuguese, and the decor is quirky and fascinating. The restaurant is popular with travelers and bohemian types, as well as locals who entertain guests there.

• Opening Hours: 9 a.m. until 10:30 p.m., daily except Sundays (closed).
• Cuisine: Portuguese Goan, grills, and seafood specialties.
• Price: 1,000 rupees for two.

Mum’s Kitchen

View Map Address 854, FRQ6+756 Martins Building, Dayanand Bandodkar Marg , near Goa Marriott Resort & Spa, Road, Miramar , Panaji , Goa 403001 , India

The owners at Mum’s Kitchen have started an «ethnic cuisine movement» with the aim of saving traditional Goan cuisine from extinction. Mothers from different communities in various parts of Goa contributed to the compilation of the menu, so you can expect a wide variety of authentic family recipes and award-winning seafood in an upmarket settting.

• Address: 854 Martin’s Building, D B Street, Miramar, Panjim (near the Times of India office). Maravilha Resort, House 189, near Central Bank, Mazal Waddo, Assagao, North Goa.
• Opening Hours: Daily from noon until 10 p.m.
• Cuisine: Hindu and Christian Goan.
• Price: 1,700 rupees for two.

Kokni Kanteen

The very popular Kokni Kanteen dishes up delicious, inexpensive food in a homely vintage setting with terracotta walls. The authentic fish thali (platter) is a must-try, along with Goa’s best Serradura (pudding) for dessert. Get there as soon as the restaurant opens or be prepared to wait for a table.

• Address: Dr Dada Vaidya Road, near Mahalaxmi Temple, Altinho, Panjim.
• Phone: 0832 2421972.
• Opening Hours: Noon to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 11.30 a.m, daily.
• Cuisine: Coastal Konkani, Hindu Goan.
• Price: 700 rupees for two.

Bhatti Village Bar and Restaurant

It’s worth the hunt to find this tucked-away restaurant that’s run by a local family in their village ancestral residence. Husband and wife team Merciana and Patrick D’Souza cook and serve their guests tasty traditional home-style Goan food. Try the roast beef tongue if you’re feeling adventurous!

• Address: Bhatti Waddo, Nerul, inland from Candolim, North Goa.
• Phone: +91 9822184103.
• Opening Hours: 6.30 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
• Cuisine: Goan seafood, beef, chicken and pork.
• Price: 500 rupees for two.

Continue to 9 of 12 below.

O’Coqueiro

O’Coqueiro (meaning «the coconut tree» in Portuguese) claims to be «Goa’s most legendary restaurant» providing «true Goan flavors since 1968». In particular, the restaurant was first to serve Chicken Cafreal in Goa. The restaurant’s Chef Viegas is widely acclaimed for upping the ante and taking Goan cuisine to a whole new level. There are live bands in the evenings.

• Address: Panjim Mapusa Road, near Coqueiro Circle, Alto Porvorim, North Goa.
• Phone: +91 9822184103.
• Opening Hours: Noon to midnight, daily.
• Cuisine: Goan Portuguese and Pan Asian.
• Price: 1,000 rupees for two.

Fat Fish

Award-winning Fat Fish restaurant and bar opened in 2012, bringing together both Goan Portuguese and Hindu Saraswat cuisines so that you get the best of both. There’s a focus on seafood, plus terrific Goan thalis (they’re rated among the best in the state). The restaurant grinds all its spices in-house for added flavor and freshness.

• Address: Arpora Road, Calangute, North Goa.
• Phone: +91 88060 77550.
• Opening Hours: Noon to midnight, daily.
• Cuisine: Goan Portuguese, Hindu Saraswat, Continental.
• Price: 1,200 rupees for two.

House of Lloyds

View Map Address House of Lloyds near candolim, church, Pilerne Industrial Estates , Goa 403114 , India

Phone +91 98230 32273

House of Lloyds offers gourmet meals in a delightful 150-year-old Portuguese house in Saipem village, near Candolim, that’s been converted into a restaurant with a refreshing garden setting. The Goan food is cooked by Lloyd’s mother and you can expect some unique recipes. Also on the menu is contemporary fusion continental BBQ. Head there for the unlimited Sunday brunch, complete with live music, buffet and cocktails. The type of cuisine served at the brunch varies each time and may be Goan, Oriental, or Lebanese.

• Opening Hours: 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 12.30 a.m, daily except Mondays (closed).
• Cuisine: Goan, grills, seafood, steak.
• Price: 2,000 rupees for two.

Souza Lobo

View Map Address Beach , Calangute , Goa 403516 , India
Phone +91 95293 18812

More than a restaurant, Souza Lobo is a dining institution that’s been in business on Calangute beach since 1932! Unfortunately, Calangute is the most crowded beach in Goa these days. However, Souza Lobo has lost none of its charm over the years. The restaurant’s motto is «traditional recipes live here» and they’ve been handed down from generations. Hundreds of people, from locals to foreigners, queue up for the food daily. There’s live music nightly, too.

• Opening Hours: Noon to 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to midnight every day.
• Cuisine: Seafood and traditionally prepared Goan cuisine. Prawn curry rice, masala fish fry, and crab xacuti are popular dishes.
• Price: 1,300 rupees for two.

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