19 Best Restaurants in Goa, India

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We've compiled the best of the best in Goa - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

A Reverie

$$$$ Fodor's choice

At this popular fine-dining restaurant, dishes are "re-visited, re-interpreted, and re-invented" with infused flavors, and all the food is beautifully plated. As the name suggests, A Reverie has a dreamlike, elegant ambience: the space is painted in warm earthy tones, but there are stylish overtones of bling; it's accented by dimmed lounge areas, crystal chandeliers, and wrought-iron decorative furniture.

Holiday St., Calangute Beach, 403516, India
98231--74927
Known For
  • Elegant seafood dishes
  • Goan pina coladas made with local cashew feni liquor
  • Live jazz performances
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Fernando's Nostalgia

$$$ Fodor's choice

In the tranquil, slow-paced old village of Raia is one of the best restaurants in the state, set in the late chef Fernando's country house. Now run by his wife, the restaurant serves classic Goan and Portugese-Goan dishes, and there's live music Thursday through Sunday.

Mum's Kitchen

$$$ Fodor's choice

Smack-dab in the middle of Panjim, this Goan institution is indisputably the best place in town for home-style Goan food---and as most of the regulars are locals, the kitchen doesn't hold back on the spice. The menu is vast and enticing, so either visit as part of a large group, or when absolutely ravenous (but yet able to wait for a table; the service is brisk so the wait shouldn't be too long).

854 Martins Bldg., D.B. St., Panaji, 403001, India
98221–75559
Known For
  • Semolina-fried Bombay duck
  • Spicy prawn recheado
  • Sausage curry, served with fresh poi (a Goan bread that's similar to a ciabatta)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Recommended Fodor's Video

Thalassa

$$$ Fodor's choice

Rugged Vagator Beach is the seductive backdrop for Mariketty Grana's popular whitewashed Greek restaurant, which is on top of a low cliff overlooking the rocky shores of Little Vagator. Thalassa's vibrant chef re-creates authentic food from her native Corfu, often served against a backdrop of live music and beautiful sunset views. Thalassa also has fairly reasonably priced rooms on offer---book them well in advance.

AZ.U.R

$$$$

The Goa Marriott's café and lounge, pronounced "As You Are," may be worth a visit for the bay views alone—fortunately, the quality of its limited yet choice menu won't disappoint, either. After dark, the coffee shop morphs into a relaxed evening lounge bar.

Miramar Beach Rd., Panaji, 403001, India
832-246–3333
Known For
  • Calamari fritters
  • Tea- and coffee-based beverages
  • Western-style sandwiches (think BLTs and croques monsieur)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Baba Au Rhum

$$

This charming little French pizzeria and bakery, in a sleepy residential lane off the busy Anjuna road, is open all day and well into the evening, but it's best for breakfast. The ambience here is laid-back, the views are noteworthy, and there are regular live music performances. It's closed all monsoon season, but usually reopens its doors in October.

Carnaval

$$$$

Low-hung black lamps light a woven bamboo ceiling, and quintessentially Goan Mario Miranda cartoons enliven the walls at this restaurant inside the Caravela Beach Resort. Here you'll find excellent fusion food and great desserts; unfortunately, it's only open for dinner.

Varca, 403721, India
832-669–5000
Known For
  • Jerk potatoes peri-peri
  • Crepes filled with Indian-style carrot halwa
  • Tandoor-grilled tiger prawns with lemon-mustard sauce
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Ciao Bella

$$$

At the helm of this delightful Italian restaurant---one of Goa's best (so get there early if it's a weekend)---are Mario and Simona, who are hands-on hosts who tend to customers as well as cook. Their personal touch is evident in every plate the kitchen sends out. Reservations are recommended in the high season.

569 Assagao Baden Rd., Assagao, 403507, India
97-6755–7673
Known For
  • Black tagliatelle with salmon
  • Spinach-and-ricotta ravioli
  • Coffee granita
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed Tues.

Fellini

$$

Firmly established as the definitive destination for pizza (and giant calzones) in North Goa, Fellini is tucked away in the busy lanes of Arambol; it takes some finding, but it's worth the hunt. The interior is no-nonsense, with shack-style tables and seating.

Socoillo Vaddo, Arambol Pernem, 403524, India
0091-98814--61224
Known For
  • Salami pizza
  • Spinach and mushroom pizzas
  • Good wine options

La Plage

$$$$

Don't let the casual air of the palm trees and simple white tables of this down-to-earth shack fool you. Conceived in 2003 by three old friends, the restaurant has become a must-visit destination for any food lover passing through Goa, serving excellent French food as well as comforting burgers and grills. Dinner reservations are essential in the months of December and January.

Morjim, 403512, India
98-2212–1712
Known For
  • Fresh fruit cocktails
  • Tiger prawn carpaccio
  • Chocolate thali
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed May–Nov., No credit cards

Martin's Corner

$$$
For more than two decades, this celebrated family-run restaurant has been serving meticulously prepared Goan specialties to residents and visitors in the Majorda area. What started as a humble diner with just a few tables and chairs is now among the most popular places to eat in town, featuring indoor and outdoor seating, regular live music, and great views of surrounding fields.
Majorda, 403713, India
832-288–0061
Known For
  • Pulao with spicy Goan chouriço sausages
  • Masala fried king crab
  • Good selection of drinks
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Morisco

$$$$

Situated within the Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, Morisco offers elegantly presented seafood, Indian, and continental cuisine and great views of Fort Aguada. While the food is upscale, with prices to match, the ambience is casual.

Sinquerim Beach, 403519, India
832-664–5858
Known For
  • Fort Aguada views
  • Tempura fried king prawns
  • Local live music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Republic of Noodles

$$$$

Slightly more expensive than is the norm in Goa, this Pan-Asian chain eatery inside the Lemon Tree Amarante Beach Resort features lovely interiors dominated by dark bamboo and sandstone with Indonesian accents. Diners can choose to sit at teppanyaki counters (with a built-in hot plate where the chef cooks and serves the food straight onto your plate) or at regular tables.

Calangute, 403516, India
832-398–8188
Known For
  • Fresh watermelon margaritas
  • Seafood laksa (spicey noodle soup)
  • Asian barbecue

Ritz Classic

$$$
If you can find it, you'll likely be the only foreigner at this family favorite serving traditional (and spicy) Goan specialties. Hidden away on the second floor of an anonymous block on the commercial 18th June Road, the restaurant is certainly worth looking for, attested to by the lines going out the door, especially at lunch. Service is quick and sometimes rushed amid the din.
18th June Rd., Panaji, 403001, India
832-242–6417
Known For
  • Chicken xacuti (coconut and tamarind curry)
  • Grilled kingfish
  • Spice-infused pomfret recheiado
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Sher-e-Punjab

$$$

Popular with locals and foreigners alike, this casual spot serves butter-laden dishes inspired by the cuisine of North India's Punjab region. It's situated within the Hotel Aroma, and is a great place to take an air-conditioned break from the intense shopping of 18th June Road.

Souza Lobo

$$$

Established in 1932, and now managed by the third generation of the Lobo family, this large, airy, no-frills restaurant on hectic Calangute Beach catches the exuberant sea breeze. The seafood is excellent, with a good selection of Goan and Western dishes, so it's no surprise that this place is almost always busy.

Calangute Beach, 403516, India
832-227–6463
Known For
  • Kingfish steak peri-peri
  • Goan masala fried prawns
  • Nightly live music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

St. Anthony's

$$$

This seasonal seaside restaurant, a bit above Baga's many beach shacks, serves an astonishing variety of dishes in a casual setting that draws big crowds due to its location at the mouth of the river. It hosts very popular karaoke nights; if you're keen to watch or participate, it's worth calling ahead to see when they're on.

Baga Beach, 403516, India
832-645–2396
Known For
  • Tuna steaks and pomfret
  • Excellent riverfront location
  • Karaoke nights
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No credit cards

Verandah Restaurant

$$$ | Fontainhas

Located up a flight of stairs at the historic Panjim Inn, with indoor and outdoor seating, Verandah has an atmospheric location for those seeking a casual spot to sample tasty, fairly priced Goan cuisine or continental food. Check the daily specials, particularly for seasonal seafood items.

Viva Panjim

$$ | Fontainhas

A walk down a narrow alley in the Fontainhas district brings you to one of the city's best-value restaurants, where reliable Goan classics, conviviality, and bargain prices are the rule. Featuring the award-winning cuisine of chef Linda De Souza, this cheery hideaway is crowded with locals and tourists---indoor seating can get cramped, but tables are also available outside.

H. No. 178 31st January Rd., Panaji, 403001, India
832-242–2405
Known For
  • Chicken cafreal (marinated and cooked with fresh cilantro)
  • Prawn curry
  • Kingfish vindaloo
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted

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