The best dinner places in Goa, with a table by the water
Where I'd book for the light: the sand at Ashwem, three river tables in Siolim, cliffs and beaches to the south, mangroves at Nerul and two long-day tables further south.
On this page
In short
- My 10, north to south: La Plage at Ashwem; Thalassa, Fireback and Hosa in Siolim; Antares in Vagator; Slow Tide in Anjuna; Souza Lobo in Calangute; The Lazy Goose in Nerul; Zeebop by the Sea at Utorda; and The Fisherman's Wharf at Cavelossim.
- For a river sunset, book one of Siolim's three tables on the Chapora. For the sea, I'd choose Antares on the Vagator cliffs, or Souza Lobo, on Calangute beach since 1932.
- The sun sets at about 6:00 PM in November, 6:05 PM in December and 6:20 PM in January, so a 5:30 PM table catches the light in the busiest months.
- Book ahead from mid-December to early January, when everywhere fills. La Plage is closed on Wednesdays, and check that Antares has reopened for the season.
- Go by taxi: Uber and Ola don't operate in Goa, so use GoaMiles, and never ride a scooter home after drinks.
For the best dinner places in Goa, I'd book a table by the water. These are my 10, north to south: La Plage between Ashwem and Morjim; Thalassa, Fireback and Hosa on the river in Siolim; Antares on the Vagator cliffs; Slow Tide on the beach at Anjuna; Souza Lobo on Calangute beach; The Lazy Goose under the Nerul bridge; and, for a long day south, Zeebop by the Sea at Utorda and The Fisherman's Wharf on the Sal at Cavelossim.
Five are on rivers and five on the sea, and they feel different: the river tables look over backwaters and mangroves, and the sea tables have the long horizon. Either way the trick is the same. Book for the sunset, and arrive before it. Three of them are in Siolim, where I host guests, and the dinner page in the guide I give them starts on that riverbank.
The best dinner places in Goa at a glance
Numbered north to south, from Ashwem to Cavelossim, in the order you'd meet them driving down the coast.
| Place | Where | On the | Go for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. La Plage | Ashwem | Sea | French cooking on the beach, and the chocolate thali |
| 2. Thalassa | Siolim | River | Greek food, river sunsets, dancing and fire shows |
| 3. Fireback | Siolim | River | Thai cooking by David Thompson, on a riverside deck |
| 4. Hosa | Siolim | River | South Indian cooking in a century-old villa |
| 5. Antares | Vagator | Sea | Clifftop tables over the sea |
| 6. Slow Tide | Anjuna | Sea | Coastal food over several levels on the beach |
| 7. Souza Lobo | Calangute | Sea | Goan seafood on the beach since 1932 |
| 8. The Lazy Goose | Nerul | River | Mud crab and lobster facing the mangroves |
| 9. Zeebop by the Sea | Utorda | Sea | A big beachfront seafood table |
| 10. The Fisherman's Wharf | Cavelossim | River | Goan seafood on the Sal, with live music |
Ashwem, and Siolim's own riverbank
Start at the top. La Plage is on the beach between Ashwem and Morjim, over the Siolim bridge on the quieter north coast. It's a long-running French restaurant, closed on Wednesdays. Try the chocolate thali.
The next three are in Siolim itself, on the Chapora, and they're why a riverside dinner is the easiest plan in the village. Thalassa is Greek, with dancing and fire shows as the evening goes on. Fireback is Thai, under chef David Thompson, in a glasshouse with decks on the river. Hosa is South Indian, in a century-old Portuguese villa.
In winter, a 5:30 PM table at any of the three gives you the river at sunset. Stay on for dinner after the light has gone.
La Plage
A long-running French restaurant on the beach between Ashwem and Morjim. Try the chocolate thali.
Closed on Wednesdays.
Thalassa
A Greek taverna on the Chapora backwaters, with river sunsets, Greek dancing and fire shows as the evening goes on.
Book, and arrive before 6 PM for the light.
Fireback
Thai cooking under chef David Thompson, in a glasshouse with decks on the river.
Book ahead and ask for the deck.
Hosa
South Indian cooking in a century-old Portuguese villa by the river.
In winter, a 5:30 PM table gives you the river at sunset.
Cliffs and sand: Vagator, Anjuna and Calangute
South of the Chapora the coast changes: red laterite cliffs at Vagator, rocks and cafés at Anjuna, then the busy sands of Calangute. These three face the sea, and each is at its best as the light goes.
Antares is the view, with clifftop tables over the sea, though check it has reopened before you plan an evening around it. Slow Tide spreads over several levels on the beach at Anjuna, with live music at weekends. Souza Lobo is the old hand, right on Calangute beach since 1932.
Antares
Clifftop tables over the sea, from MasterChef Australia's Sarah Todd.
Check it has reopened for the season before you plan around it.
Slow Tide
Coastal Goan and Sri Lankan-leaning food, served over several levels on the beach.
Live music at weekends.
Souza Lobo
On Calangute beach since 1932, when Joao Fortunato Lobo started it; his grandson, John Jude Lobo, owns it today. Goan seafood is the point: prawn curry rice, crab xacuti, recheado pomfret, lobster thermidor.
Live music in the evenings, with a dance floor.
souzalobo.comFor Goan food on this stretch, Souza Lobo is where I'd send you first. Xacuti is a rich curry of roasted coconut and spice, and recheado is pomfret or mackerel with red masala; the rest of the menu is explained in what to eat in Goa.
Mangroves at Nerul, and a long day south
The last three need more of a plan. The Lazy Goose is in Nerul, near Candolim, on the river under the Nerul bridge, facing the mangroves. It's hard to find, so use a map pin.
The two in the south, at Utorda and Cavelossim, are a long way from the north. Fold them into a day trip to South Goa, or into a night away. Make Zeebop the last stop of a day out. The Fisherman's Wharf, on the Sal, is best with a night in the south.
The Lazy Goose
Mud crab and lobster by the river under the Nerul bridge, facing the mangroves.
It's hard to find, so use a map pin.
Zeebop by the Sea
A big beachfront seafood table in the south: catch of the day, stuffed crab, tandoori snapper.
Make it the last stop of a day out south, and arrange your ride home before you sit down.
The Fisherman's Wharf
Goan seafood on the Sal river, with live music most evenings.
Best with a night in the south, rather than a same-day drive back north.
When the sun sets, month by month
The sun goes down early in the busiest months, around 6 PM in November and December, and later through spring. Aim to be seated half an hour before: a 5:30 PM table in December, nearer 6:15 PM by March.
| Month | Sunset | Month | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 6:15 PM | February | 6:40 PM |
| November | 6:00 PM | March | 6:45 PM |
| December | 6:05 PM | April | 6:50 PM |
| January | 6:20 PM | May | 6:55 PM |
Treat these as the time to be in your seat with a drink, not the time to park.
Booking, and getting home
A little planning makes these evenings: a booking, a check that the place is open and a ride home arranged before the first drink. I tell guests to book dinner ahead from mid-December to early January, and to check timings, because many places open only in season.
For candlelight rather than a view
If the evening is more about the two of you than the horizon, book an old Goan house instead. My romantic places in Goa has more ideas for two, and Goa nightlife picks up where dinner ends.
- Jamun, Assagao: candlelight in an old Goan house. Book ahead.
- Gunpowder, Assagao: South Indian and coastal cooking in an old Goan house.
- Viva Panjim, Fontainhas: Goan food in Panjim's old Latin quarter.
Siolim is Rivara's village, so from there the river tables are in the village itself and the rest of this list is a taxi ride away.
Book the table, arrive early and let the light do the rest. Dinner can wait until it's dark.
Questions people ask
In the north, the river tables at Thalassa, Fireback and Hosa in Siolim; Antares on the Vagator cliffs; Slow Tide in Anjuna and Souza Lobo in Calangute, both on the beach; and La Plage between Ashwem and Morjim. In winter, book for about 5:30 PM, as the sun sets around 6 PM.
In Siolim, around the middle of each month, the sun sets at about 6:15 PM in October, 6:00 PM in November, 6:05 PM in December and 6:20 PM in January, getting later to about 6:55 PM by May. Be seated half an hour before.
Yes, from mid-December to early January, when everywhere fills. Outside those weeks it's still worth booking any table you want for sunset, and asking for the deck or the water's edge.
For a view, a river table in Siolim at sunset, or Antares on the Vagator cliffs. For candlelight in an old Goan house, Jamun or Gunpowder in Assagao. Book ahead, and go by taxi so neither of you has to drive.
Many aren't. Most beach venues close or slow down from June to September, and many restaurants open only in season, so check with the restaurant before you go.
By taxi. Uber and Ola don't operate in Goa, so use GoaMiles, Goa's own taxi app, and never ride a scooter home after drinks.
Sources and checks
Opening days, prices and seasonal rules change. I check them before every update; please confirm anything time-sensitive before you go.
