Souza Lobo, Calangute, Goa

Souza Lobo is a Goan institution. It is possibly the most famous and revered restaurant in North Goa if not in all of Goa. Established in the early 1900's Souza Lobo has been serving up Goan delights for years and has recently opened a branch in Delhi - according to a poster in the Goan outlet.

We went to Souza Lobo for dinner on a Saturday and were lucky enough to not have to wait for seats. The approach is not the greatest and you do not feel that you are entering a top notch restaurant but once you get in, its a different story. Souza Lobo is on the beach and one side of the restaurant is completely open to the sea. There was a live band playing when we went, decently good and belting out a variety of numbers like Black Velvet and Goan local tunes. There was also a dance floor set up in the middle of the restaurant and we could see some of the more adventurous customers entertaining themselves before resuming dinner. The set up however succeeds in its objective - setting up a typically Goan, merry ambience while serving some delicious food.

We ordered quite a spread -Fried Squids, fried batter prawns, Goan pork sausage - chilli fry, Pork Vindaloo and Veg Xacutti. The fried squids were standard and not very spectacular to taste. The fried batter prawns were very good, not as deeply fried as the ones you get at Brittos but even better to taste. The Pork sausages were not as good as the serving at Brittos as they made the error of serving the potatoes as fries and not cooked along with the Goan Pork preparation. My vegetarian friends swore on the Xacutti but what made me agree with the institution status that Souza Lobo enjoys was the Pork Vindaloo which was the best preparation of the dish that I have had so far. The gravy was just right, not too spicy and not too sweet. The remarkable aspect of the meat however was its quality and the absolutely right combination of fat and meat on the pieces. The pieces absolutely melted in the mouth.

A meal for two at Souza Lobo would cost you approximately Rs 1500/-. Slightly expensive but the Vindaloo makes it completely worth the cost.

How to get there: Souza Lobo is slightly off the main Baga - Calangute Road. It is towards the beach from the Calanugute Chowk very near the Calangute residency. You wont have a problem to get there however as it is easily one of the most famous Goan landmarks.