O Coqueiro, Porvorim, Goa

O Coqueiro achieved national recognition when Charles Sobhraj just could not resist the Chicken Cafreal served up by its award winning chef and laid himself open to being arrested. What the papers forgot to mention was that the rest of the food was as good and it was just Mr. Sobhraj's partiality towards the Chicken Cafres. O Coquiero is definitely one of the most famous restaurants in Goa and also one of the very best.

O Coqueiro is a must do in Goa. Not only for the food but also for the decor and the ambience. O Coqueiro is a restaurant housed in a large stately Portuguese bungalow, tall ceilings, tastefully done up interiors give quite a grand, yet homely setting while the delicious dishes just keep piling up on the table.

We ordered Cheese Mushrooms and Beef Chilli Fry for starters when we were there. The Beef Chilli Fry was very tasty but what really caught my attention was the Cheese Mushrooms. The Cheese Mushrooms I think was as close as the vegetarians will ever get to Chicken-a-la-Kiev. The mix of cheese and butter burst once the fork is pierced through the fried crust around the mushroom, the aroma and the taste were all outstanding.

For mains we ordered a serving of Goan Prawn Curry rice and Pork Vindaloo. The Pork Vindaloo was slightly disappointing but the Goan Prawn Curry rice was very nice and easily one of the best that I have ever tasted. It was light and not very tasty, incredibly good to the palate.
A meal for two of O Coqueiro without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 900/-

How to get there: O Coqueiro is also in North Goa on the way to Panjim or the Airport from Mapusa. It is in a place called Porvorim just off the main highway.

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.

Caravela, Taj Holiday Village, Candolim, Goa

Caravela is the 24 hour dining option at the Taj Holiday village situated at Candolim, Goa. We went there to get the 5 - star dining experience in Goa and were not disappointed. The best thing about the restaurant is the location within the property. The restaurant is situated right on the edge of the beach almost giving you the feeling of being on the sea. The decor is chic and comfortable, nice comfortable chairs and well spaced out table giving customers a sense of privacy. The Caravela is a great place to have a nice, long leisurely meal which is exactly what we had.

We started off with the Maharani Kebab Platter, interestingly the Kebab platters are named Maharaja and Maharani for non Vegetarian and Vegetarian. As we were with Vegetarian friends we decided to be nice and ordered the Maharani platter. The food was excellent and I loved the Corn, Aloo and Paneer Tandoor kebabs. For main course we each ordered a dish. I ordered the steamed fish with ginger and cilantro. There were three options for the fish - Snapper, Salmon or Pomfret and I went for the snapper. The fish was served on a bed of mashed potatoes and was nice but I realised that you had to let the taste of steamed fish grow on you. The later bites tasted far better once the palate had grown accustomed to the taste and the fine flavour of the ginger and cilantro working their magic on the fish. Overall a fantastic preparation. The dish was my first experience with steamed fish and will certainly not be my last.

I also had the opportunity to sample some of the Spaghetti Carbonara which was served with bacon. It was slightly on the drier side but quite clearly there was no compromise on quality with the burnt bacon and the cheese combining to create a rich and extremely delicious flavour.

My vegetarian friends were also raving about the Vegetable Biriyani which I steered clear from.

A meal for two at Caravela at the Taj Holiday Village in Candolim Goa without drink will cost you approximately Rs 1700/-

How to get there: The Taj Holiday Village is in Candolim and is in between the Fort Aguada and the Kingfisher Villa. The Caravela restaurant is quite a walk after you enter the hotel and is almost on the Arabian Sea.

Chalston, Calangute, Goa

The last time I was in Goa, we had an opportunity of sampling the food at the shack of Chalston Hotel. The decor is very basic but what really works is the view of the sea which is totally uninterrupted.

The food itself was decent without being spectacular. The menu contained a fair variety of Continental and Goan preparations. I tried out the Goan Pork Sausages which were ok but not a patch on what you get at Brittos. I also tasted a bit of Basil Prawns on a bed of butter rice which was quite nice. We had also gone with some Vegetarian friends who vouched for the quality of the Vegetable Stroganoff. Overall I would not recommend the food given the choice that Infantaria, Brittos and Souza Lobo offers - all 3 are in close proximity. If however you feel that you have enough of the spice and vinegar that Goan food offers, you can definitely go ahead and sample its more than decent and very reasonable Continental cuisine.
A meal for two at Chalston without drinks would cost you approximately Rs 500/-

How to get there: Slightly difficult to get there. The hotel is very near Cafe Infantaria at Calaungute. The locals would know the place as it has been there for a decently long time.

Britto's, Baga, Goa

If you want a slice of heaven on Earth, go to Goa, go to Baga, go to Brittos!

The recipe for heaven:-

1. Great company, family and friends.

2. The Arabian Sea making its presence felt on the sands of Baga.

3. One large pitcher of beer. Half Empty. The other half in your semi inebriated body.

4. One Plate of Goan Pork Sausages - Chilli Fry.

5. One Plate of Fried Prawns.

6. Delicious desserts (mostly chocolate based) numbering greater or equal to the number of people on your table reminding you of what follows the meal.

The Vegetarians can replace the Goan Pork Sausages and Fried Prawns; the beer haters can choose other drinks. But you get the drift - the six dimensional picture painted in my mind is my slice of heaven in Goa. Britto's, Baga, the beach, the beer, the prawn, the pork sausages and of course the good company - in this moment I fell in love with Goa!

Britto's on Baga beach is one of Goa's institutions and one of its undoubted hot spots. Its a must do to complete your Goan experience. Just enter the shack. Order whatever you want in the menu. Stare out into the sea. Chill out. The decor is nicely done up and gives a very Goan feel, innovative lighting made of bamboo baskets, pieces of rock and other similar unusual bits. The place is completely casual. The waiters take their own time in serving you. You take your own time in eating. The waiters take their own time to serve you. You take your own time to pay and leave. Strictly Goan protocol and beautiful!

The food is very good but one dish that deserves special mention are the Goan Pork sausages. The pork sausages at Brittos are the best that you get in Goa and are the best that I have ever had. The potatoes are diced and are served in the meat and is cooked with it. Just perfect and unbelievably tasty! The other part of Britto's which people swear by are the desserts. There are people who come to Britto's just for the desserts and nothing else. Each to his own I guess, the desserts are really good but I could never come to Britto's and have just the dessert. That would be sacrilege!

The last time I was there at Britto's we also ordered a Chicken Cafreal - a slightly dry Chicken dish with a strong coriander base and a greenish taste. I did not like it but that was probably due to the fact that I had just finished with the sauasages and prawns. The sausages and prawns as usual were a slice of heaven!

A meal for two at Britto's without drinks would cost you approximately Rs 800/-. Baga does not have any alcohol offer like Infantaria's so you end up shelling out a bit more on drink but Britto's has the beach!

How to get there: Brittos is also on the Baga/ Calangute road. Unmissable and every cab driver in Goa knows where it is located.

Cafe Infantaria, Calangute, Goa

If there is any place in Goa that really encapsulates all that makes Goa the place that you yearn to return year on year, it is Cafe Infantaria. I make that really controversial statement for the following three reasons:

1. Cafe Infantaria is renowned for its breakfast. Breakfast in usually the first meal that one has in Goa if one is travelling by rail, bus or air. Land in Goa, hit Cafe Infantaria and let Goa hit you with all of what it has to offer.

2. Cafe Infantaria is located in North Goa. There are takers of the 5 - stars of the South, there are lovers of the romance of Panjim, there are those who swear by the quaint Goan houses by the river in the interiors. I am sure all are very nice, but to me, because of the crowd, the drink and the food, North Goa is THE place to be and drink and eat.

3. 6 Pints of Beer for Rs 100 (the condition is that the food bill must be Rs 300/-). Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to Goa! Welcome to Cafe Infantaria!

Cafe Infantaria serves as an all day dining option and specialises in Breakfast. The breakfast options are a-la-carte and set meals. Among the set meal options they serve a Cafe Infantaria special and a Mini Breakfast. The menu described the Cafe Infantaria special to be a magnified version of the Mini Breakfast which options on what kind of egg preparations and some other options on meat. As I wanted to sample some of the a-la-carte options also I decided to go for the Mini Breakfast, the 'Mini' Breakfast serves buttered toast, two fried eggs sunny side up, some baked beans, around two decent sized bacon strips, one quite large fried sausage, tea/ coffee as per taste and orange juice. I managed to get through the 'Mini' breakfast and also found the energy to taste some Mushroom on Toast. It might have been the ambience and the fact that I was already a couple of beers down but I really though that the Mushroom on toast was the best that I have tasted in my life. Cooked with Garlic and a decent helping of oil, the Mushroom on toast was the highlight of the meal and given the competition it had to beat in the Mini Breakfast, that is quite an achievement. Welcome to Goa! Welcome to Cafe Infantaria!!

Of course our meal was washed down by the offer of 6 Pints or 3 Draft Cans for Rs 100/-. Apparently the offer is standard which makes Cafe Infantaria rise even higher in my eyes.

A meal for two at Cafe Infantaria without drinks should cost you approximately Rs 500/-

How to get there: Cafe Infantaria is on the main Calangute - Baga Beach Road. It is an institution in Goa and is impossible to miss.