Best Cafes of North Goa

Goa is the heartbeat of Indian youths, and my favourite (at least once a year) destination in India. Expect many more itineraries on Goa soon. For now, here are my top five picks in North Goa to spend some ‘Dolce far niente’ moments. Focusing on North because of its happy and lively vibes. For calm and peaceful vibes, head to south Goa.

This one is truly Greek! Very close to Siolim and easily accessible from Anjuna, Thalassa simply stole my heart. Its snow-white decor with a dash of blue seamlessly blends with the sea and the sky. Overlooking at the interjection of Anjuna river and Chapora river (looks like an extension of sea though), this one’s a hot favourite of youngsters as much as of oldies.   A serene café in the mornings for sumptuous breakfast, a pleasing restaurant in the afternoons with some mouth-watering Greek delicacies, and a noisy bar and pub by night; if you are a soul who can enjoy each of the three aspects pretty well then try them all. Otherwise go for a brunch or a lunch there without any fear (of noisy youngsters). Cool breeze will welcome you well. Sit back, relax and dive in their long menu to find what suits your palate. If you are fine with lamb, then do try the famous Greek dish Kleftiko. Heavenly! The place also flaunts quite many Instagram friendly backdrops. So, don’t hold back, just go for a few click-click-click.   Not to forget an interesting chit chat that I had with the owner of Thalassa, Mariketty Grana, an absolute Greek beauty. Native to the beautiful Greek island of Corfu, Mariketty decided to make Goa her home & has now been here for the last twenty seven years. Hats off to her grit and determination, she actually made it big in Goa.   An important piece of advice. Book your seat before-hand, it is one of the most popular places in Goa.

And I had a brief meeting with Eva when I literally implored her to help me with change of 500/-. She is another lovely lady who has created one of the most popular hangout places in Goa’s highly crowded and popular Anjuna beach.   It’s a small place, with Greeky vibes again, but a perfect place to watch the sunset.   When it comes to ‘what to eat’, the options here are much lesser than Thalassa, remember it is a café so you will get some great café food and coolers surely. If you are in a hurry then this place isn’t for you. It’s for them who want to sit back, relax, chill with a couple of coolers and would love to laze away time aimlessly gazing at the sun. Also, this café is famous for healthy food options, so if you are a health freak, go for it.   This one too is great in terms of décor, with the place full of tiny little cute stuff. A great place for click-click-click again.

La Plage, Ashwem Beach French all the way! This place is another winner. A hidden gem on the Ashwem beach close to Mandrem, away from the hustle and bustle of the main street and other shacks or restaurants, La Plage boasts of a relaxing seating arrangement, partly on soft sand, and amazing French food. The first reaction of any playful soul will be to keep the shoes aside and let your feet touch the soft layer of the sand, it is so soft that you would continue playing with the sand as long as you are there.   Part of the café has quite a view, it opens up to the sea that is no less than a virgin one and has also provided sun beds just outside the café on the beach. So, an ideal visit to La Plage may look like this - reach La Plage around breakfast, enjoy a sumptuous one, go and play with the sea, relax and dry up on the sun beds with a cooler in hand, come inside and flatter your taste buds with some delicious French delicacies and finally bid goodbye to the lovely French couple who own the place. And if you are a shopping freak then there’s a visual delight waiting for you just outside the restaurant. Enjoy!   One strong suggestion is to try Cheesecake with nuts. This one is not a dessert and trust me, you will bless me after trying this. And you will bless me for one more piece of advice, reserve your seat in advance. Closed during off season.

This one will take your heart away just by the sheer presence of green. It is a garden café surrounded by greenery with relaxing seating arrangement scattered all around the place. As you enter you will feel transported to a different world. This beautiful café serves amazing food including healthy and vegan options. Being in this place is like cutting off from the rest of the world for a few hours and just be oneself. It has a bohemian vibe to it, and if you are ready to just soak in the atmosphere and spend a lazy day then this one is for you. If you are in a hurry then my advice is, avoid it. And if you are lucky enough then you may experience mystical bliss in the form of Lucky Ali or some other musician/singer since live music is a part of this café on a regular basis.

Café Chocolatti This one is on the busy streets of Candolim, a café amidst greenery with real delicious delicacies. After wandering around in this hot summer, this place will shower you with some cool and tranquil vibes. Though not on the beach, it is a peaceful haven inspite of its existence on the busy Candolim street.   Café Chocolatti has an impressive menu with a long list of munchies and beverages. It is very popular, and food is very delicious. They also host a small bakery shop within the premises with some mind-boggling items.