🍽 Food & Drink

A long-running French bakery and all-day cafe tucked into greenery off the back Baga-Anjuna road, best known for buttery viennoiserie, wood-fired pizza and lazy breakfasts.

A sprawling, permanently-built shack on the sand at the north end of Baga, Britto's has been feeding tourists and locals platters of Goan seafood and cold beer for well over half a century.

A historic South Anjuna beach shack and psytrance institution whose future is in serious legal doubt after an upheld demolition order; status is uncertain and it should be approached with caution.

A popular, long-running seafood restaurant known for Goan fish thalis and a huge range of seafood. Note: despite a Sinquerim tag in some lists, its verified address is on the Calangute-Arpora road, not Sinquerim.

An all-day bakery-cafe on the Calangute-Baga road, famous for its pastries, breakfasts and easygoing multi-cuisine menu.

A legendary South Anjuna beach shack that turns into a psytrance dance floor on the sand at night, best known for its long-running Tuesday parties that run to sunrise.

A long-running beach shack right beside Britto's at the north end of Baga, St. Anthony's pairs fresh seafood and all-day dining with lively evenings of karaoke, shisha and DJs.

A long-established garden cafe near the flea market, known for home-style Israeli and Mediterranean plates, a lifestyle shop, and a relaxed all-day community feel.

A stylish, colourful fine-casual restaurant set in a restored Portuguese house by the Baga creek, known for its riverside garden setting and a globe-trotting, Brazilian-influenced menu.

An unpretentious Goan kitchen in Assagao serving home-style, grandmother's-recipe coastal food — thalis, seafood and Luso-Goan classics.

A chef-led destination restaurant where heirloom recipes from across India are cooked on open flame in a gas-free kitchen, around a water feature.

A long-running Assagao institution serving regional South Indian food, slow and unfussy, under the trees of a heritage Goan villa.

A buzzy newer destination in a heritage Portuguese house — bold modern-Indian plates by chef Ajay Chopra, craft cocktails, gardens and a waterfall.

A design-led cafe and lifestyle store inside a 130-year-old Assagao mansion — all-day dining, good coffee, a pool and a retail space under a landmark Bismarckia palm.

A blue-walled heritage villa on the Badem edge of Assagao, loved for its breakfast, bakes and Sunday brunch — but seasonal, so check it's open.

An established Goan cafe and restaurant in Siolim village, the sort of steady, local fixture that pre-dates the area's fashionable wave and still does honest food.

A well-regarded beach shack on Ozran (Little Vagator) beach, Fishtail is known for fresh seafood, friendly service and a mellow, waves-in-view spot to spend the day.

A relaxed, budget-friendly cafe popular for hearty breakfasts, bakes and continental all-day dining.

A design-led modern South Indian restaurant set in a high-ceilinged restored Portuguese villa opposite St. Anthony's Church, reinventing regional classics with technique and flair.

An Alpine-lodge-meets-bistro in Siolim championing 'global comfort food', with a genuine focus on Tibetan and Nepali cooking, momos, ramen, baos and butter tea in Himalayan-cosy surroundings.

Widely rated as North Goa's best Japanese restaurant — authentic sushi, ramen and gyoza in a calm garden setting near the Vagator–Chapora edge.

A modest, well-liked pure-vegetarian restaurant near the Vagator petrol pump, Sita serves budget-friendly South Indian, North Indian and Chinese food to travellers and locals alike.

A family-run Calangute landmark on the sand, serving Goan seafood classics for nearly a century.

A laid-back Morjim cafe with a beach-shack feel, serving affordable Italian, Chinese and seafood on the famous Olive Ridley turtle nesting beach.

An upscale, atmospheric restaurant on Gaura Vaddo's Holiday Street, known for modern European cooking and a theatrical setting.

A Portuguese-styled, terracotta-roofed restaurant serving reliable Goan, seafood and continental food, part of a trusted Goa chain.

A laid-back beachfront garden restaurant and bar in Gaura Vaddo, loved for Goan food, sunbeds and a peaceful sunset.

A relaxed beachfront restaurant on Morjim beach named after the Olive Ridley turtles that nest here — fresh seafood, Goan and Italian plates, and one of the quieter sunset spots in the north.

A long-running French beachfront restaurant on the quiet Ashwem-Morjim stretch — deck chairs on the sand, a thoughtful Franco-Mediterranean menu, and a reservations-only buzz in high season.

A tranquil, upscale Southeast Asian restaurant at Lemon Tree Amarante Beach Resort, serving street-food-inspired dishes from across Asia.

The terrace cafe and bar of the Vaayu watersports village on the Ashwem-Mandrem beachfront, blending healthy plates and smoothies with a surf-school, artist-residency vibe.

One of the prettiest tables on the Ashwem-Mandrem road: a labour-of-love restaurant, pizzeria, bakery and gin joint built around an organic kitchen garden and soundtracked by soft jazz.

A tranquil garden cafe in a Candolim villa, known for artisanal chocolate, desserts, breakfasts and a book-friendly calm.

A friendly, well-priced multi-cuisine restaurant a short walk from Mandrem beach, doing Indian, continental, pizza, pasta and fresh seafood without fuss.

A Mandrem fixture for over a decade, Cafe Nu pairs a charming setting just off the beach with fresh, carefully cooked global food and full bar service.

A quaint, all-wood beach shack and terrace restaurant on Mandrem sand, part of the Dunes Holiday Village, with casual food, sundowners and a slow, off-the-radar mood.

A lively on-the-sand shack at Dando, Candolim, known for butter-garlic calamari, grilled seafood and live music.

The signature all-day, sea-facing restaurant at Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa — bright, breezy, with a live kitchen, world cuisines and Goan seafood overlooking Sinquerim beach.

A small, casual Sinquerim eatery for grills, pasta and beer in a relaxed terrace setting. Lightly reviewed with an uncertain current status, so verify before you go.

A cosy, plant-filled specialty-coffee and dessert bar associated with Siolim, known for cortados, cappuccinos and a much-loved chocolate cheesecake, though listings place it inconsistently across the Siolim-Assagao area.

COYA at the Four Seasons is a well-known Peruvian spot with innovative, flavourful food, a cozy, classy atmosphere and, for many, standout attentive service. It is not unanimous: some diners found it fell short of the premium-hotel billing, and service experiences vary. A strong choice for the food and the room, if you go in knowing service can be inconsistent.

Zuma in DIFC is, for many, one of Dubai's best restaurants: outstanding contemporary Japanese food in a stylish, quiet-luxury room. A few regulars of the global brand found the Dubai branch a notch below its siblings, and service can run slow, but the consensus is a refined, high-quality experience.

Gaia in DIFC is a beautiful, elegant Greek-Mediterranean restaurant with refined food, fresh seafood and a charming, quiet-luxury atmosphere. A la carte meals and business lunches draw warm reviews; the note of caution is that some set or Restaurant Week menus fell short of the a la carte experience. A strong choice for the room and the cooking.

Pierchic sits at the end of a long pier off Jumeirah Al Qasr, suspended over the Gulf, and the overwater setting is unforgettable: reviewers describe walking the boardwalk as stepping into a dream, with sweeping sea and skyline views. The food and service mostly live up to it, though one or two found the welcome flat. A special-occasion spot you go to for the setting first.

Nobu by the Beach at Atlantis pairs the famous Japanese-Peruvian name with a beautiful beach-and-pool setting and a luxury atmosphere reviewers love. The food and service, though, genuinely divide: some call it precise and outstanding, others found the food mixed and the service lacking for the price. Go for the setting and the brand, and manage expectations on consistency.

At.mosphere sits high in the Burj Khalifa, and the view is the headline: breathtaking from the moment you arrive. Reviewers rate the food highly, one calls the afternoon tea the best they have had, and single out warm, named service. A few found the experience slightly inconsistent for such a prestigious setting, but most leave delighted.

Izumi in Assagao is one of North Goa's most-talked-about Japanese restaurants, with a beautiful, premium-feeling room and a cocktail program reviewers rate highly. Opinions on the food and service, though, split sharply: some call it authentic and exceptional (small plates, ramen, miso beef), while others found it overhyped, inconsistent or let down by service. Go for the room and the drinks, and order carefully.

Grind Bar is a North Goa coffee destination, and the coffee is the star: reviewers rave about the block brew, cold brew, flat white and matcha, in a cozy, laid-back, green space full of vinyls and magazines, with warm, knowledgeable staff. Breakfast is good too. Two practical notes: it closes around 6pm, and the menu can run limited at times, especially in monsoon.

Kokni Kanteen in Panaji is a long-running institution (since 1972) for authentic Konkani and Goan seafood, set in an old laterite-walled Goan bungalow with rustic, nostalgic charm. Its fish thali and rawa fries (kingfish, pomfret, chonak) are the draw and it is often packed. Honest caveats: expect long waits (an hour is common) with loosely-managed queues, and reviews split on consistency, some found the thali overhyped or the food cold, and one flagged a hygiene issue.

Cafe Orange Boom in Anjuna is, by near-unanimous review, one of Goa's best breakfast and brunch spots: fresh, generous, no-frills morning food served until mid-afternoon in a calm, green, spotless space. Reviewers rave about the English breakfast, eggs benedict, pancakes, shakshuka and fresh juices, and about the owner-run hospitality (Windsor and family are named repeatedly). A relaxed, family-friendly start to the day.

Martin's Corner is one of South Goa's most celebrated restaurants, packed with locals and tourists alike. The seafood is genuinely excellent and the atmosphere warm, if occasionally loud.

Flavourful, well-plated fusion food in beautiful interiors, with a strong drinks list and excellent desserts. Diners single out the garlic bread, fish burger and spaghetti 'beetballs'. It's on the pricey side, but the quality earns it.

A Goan restaurant with great food, a good drinks range and a mesmerising riverfront setting, lifted by pleasant live music and friendly, attentive service. Portions can feel small for the price.

Zeebop sits right on Utorda beach with direct beach access and a relaxing, well-lit sea-facing setting that fans love, a popular spot for sunsets, functions and a dip-then-lunch. Food reviews are genuinely split: many praise the fresh seafood, while a notable share find it overpriced or average, so go for the setting first and reserve ahead.