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Goa's way of life may be synonymous with susegaad or a laid-back attitude, but come sundown, it stirs awake. Bars, pubs, restaurants come alive, and hawkers, food trucks as well as 24/7 eating places make brisk business Goan sausages stuffed in poee and desi Chinese that hits the spot. In fact, Goa’s post-midnight food places draw large crowds and remain open till wee hours of the morning.
Goa's way of life may be synonymous with susegaad or a laid-back attitude, but come sundown, it stirs awake. Bars, pubs, restaurants come alive, and hawkers, food trucks as well as 24/7 eating places make brisk business Goan sausages stuffed in poee and desi Chinese that hits the spot. In fact, Goa’s post-midnight food places draw large crowds and remain open till wee hours of the morning.
“Late night eating was a thing even twenty years ago. People would go to Titos and Mambos and crowd around the food stalls in the neighbouring area. But, the scene has exploded in the last 5-6 years," says entrepreneur Nikhil Mirkar who runs the travel company Goa Unlimited. These places attract the ravenous afterparty crowd and also cater to those who work late. Goa-based food and lifestyle influencer Aditi Malhotra, who runs the page @ikreatepassions on Instagram, believes the sharp rise in these spots happened post Covid. These were driven by people who worked late or moved to Goa for remote work.
“Late night eating was a thing even twenty years ago. People would go to Titos and Mambos and crowd around the food stalls in the neighbouring area. But, the scene has exploded in the last 5-6 years," says entrepreneur Nikhil Mirkar who runs the travel company Goa Unlimited. These places attract the ravenous afterparty crowd and also cater to those who work late. Goa-based food and lifestyle influencer Aditi Malhotra, who runs the page @ikreatepassions on Instagram, believes the sharp rise in these spots happened post Covid. These were driven by people who worked late or moved to Goa for remote work.
After the pandemic-induced lockdowns were lifted, the coastal state evolved to become a dining hotspot with progressive restaurants and bars serving regional as well as global delicacies. The post-midnight eating-out scene has transformed in tandem. While food stalls or gaddo continue to be popular, there are all-night restaurants with coffee, wraps and sandwiches. Also, nothing compares to a plate of biryani or hakka noodles after a long night of partying.
The good old ross omelette stalls
Ross omelette is the popular street food in Goa with an omelette dunked in a spicy coconut gravy, accompanied by pav. They are sold in gaddos outside colleges, near church centres and party spots. Some enterprising stall owners remain open late into the night. Mirkar is partial to the stall named Ros Omelette near Alankar Theatre at Mapusa.
One of the oldest ross omelette places in Panjim is Sandeep’s Ros Omelette at Naverkar Aracade. Malhotra is a fan of Sandeep’s gaddo. The omelette is cooked with a generous helping of butter and is served with some chicken pieces in a curry laced with xacuti masala and topped with fresh chopped onion and coriander. It is comforting and satisfying in every way.
Also read: This Goa café sources coffee from the North-East
Quick bites at food trucks
A popular late-night haunt for ravenous party goers is the food truck, Noronha’s Corner at MDR 10, Anjuna, that has been operational since 2009. Run by Lazarus Noronha and his brothers, Charles and Joseph, it remains open till 4 am, especially during the party season. The hot-sellers on the menu are sorpotel and poee, sausage and bun, beef chilli with poee, and fish cutlet with bread. The Noronha brothers were one of the firsts to open an all-night food truck, especially in North Goa, accessible to party goers.
There are similar food trucks in Anjuna, like Heera's and Juicy Burgers. Maruti Bhovi, who runs Heera’s at Dmello Vaddo, says they stand out because they offer healthier options like air-fried chicken wraps. The wraps are baked at home, before they are stuffed with the air-fried chicken and vegetables. The menu has chicken baguette sandwiches with vegetables slathered with home-made sauces. The salami wrap at Heera’s is delicious.
Juicy Burgers has three food trucks offering tasty vegetarian and non-vegetarian burgers at two locations–one near Artjuna café at Anjuna and two more parked opposite Oxford Supermarket. Chef Amit Marshall, founder of Juicy Burger, believes the late-night food scene has the potential to grow: “Goa could have more trucks and small joints, selling a variety of foods, at affordable rates, like those in Bangkok."
Desi favourites
Mirkar has been active in the partying scene since 20 odd years and he recommends the Indian restaurant Urban Nawab, with branches in Vagator and Porvorim, that serves Mughlai food. Another one of his favourites is Urban Turban, a quintessential North-Indian restaurant in Porvorim. He visits them for comfort food like butter chicken, naan or biryani, after a long night of partying. For desi Chinese, he votes for Temptations, a multicuisine restaurant at Dhempe College Road in Miramar, Panjim. The greasy food is great to counter the alcohol one has consumed, he adds. Their menus have great tandoor options, a source of protein which is believed to help prevent a hangover.
Malhotra enjoys going to Sukkha, an Indian restaurant at Assagao which remains open till 5 am. It is known for succulent mutton ghee roast and kathi rolls. Another Goa-based lifestyle influencer Jade D’Sa, who runs the Instagran handle @thatgoangirl, speaks of the multi-cuisine restobar Mikey’s Place at Souza Vaddo in Candolim that remains open till 4 am. They have everything from live music to kebabs and cheesy pasta that can be washed down with chilled beer.
All day, all night
There are places that remain open 24/7. A local favourite is the coffee shop Aunty Maria’s at Hotel Fidalgo located on 18th June Road in Panjim. Apart from cappuccino and cold coffee, they serve pastries, puffs and croissants. Their menu has a biryani section available only from 11 pm to 5 am. Clearly, biryani is a sought-after post-midnight dish.
While D’Sa frequents Aunty Maria’s, one of her recent favourites is Kefi Café and Bistro at Anjuna Mapusa Road in Assagao. “It started post the pandemic and is open 24x7. Things have definitely changed. Earlier, places stuck to serving Goan food like choriz-poee and custard-bread, but now there’s a variety with Arabian, Lebanese and Asian options," she says. She believes Kefi is a perfect spot for late night catch-ups with friends over coffee and desserts.
If you are in Goa this party season, there is no dearth of places to explore till the wee hours of the morning—whether you want a satisfying post-midnight meal, or quick coffee to feel reinvigorated and welcome the new year.
Sumitra Nair is a journalist based in Kerala.
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