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If you’ve been searching for the best cafes in Goa and keep ending up in overpriced, influencer-filled beach joints serving smoothie bowls and Wi-Fi passwords…then don’t worry – this is not that kind of list!
There’s nothing I love more than to kick back in an unpretentious cafe with a hot chai and a Goan snack that’s been made the same way for generations. And despite Goa’s touristy vibes, traditional Goa-style cafes aren’t all that hard to find, if you know where to look, of course.
Forget glitzy interiors and dainty imported pastries. The cafes on this list are the places where the chai is poured straight from a battered aluminum kettle and into mismatched glass tumblers. No frills, no fuss, just the slow-paced Goan life.
With that, here are 5 of my absolute favorite cafes in Goa!
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1. Prana Mandrem Cafe: Best Cafes in Goa for Healthy Eats
Prana Mandrem is one of those cafes in Goa most tourists miss unless a local tells them about it. It’s cleverly concealed from the main road: you need to stroll past bamboo groves, down a sandy footpath, and through a rustic garden to find the place.
The café is shaded with palm fronds and has no walls. It’s got a distinctively tropical vibe with a sandy floor and rattan furniture. Virtually everything here is locally sourced.
If you’re visiting for breakfast, I totally vouch for their poha, which is something of a staple in the region. This dish refers to flattened rice that’s been boiled and stir-fried. Or try their millet upma which is light but filling. It goes brilliantly with their hand-pounded peanut chutney flavored with fresh tamarind and coconut.
You’ll find here classic Indian brunch items like eggs kejriwal (fried eggs topped with chilis and cheese).
Drinks include everything from smoothies to cocktails, kokum-cumin coolers, and homemade kombuchas. If you’re hungover (it is Goa after all!), ask for a brahmi-tulsi infusion. It’s not on the menu, but the staff will prepare it if the kitchen isn’t slammed. Served hot in a terracotta cup, this concoction is also great for sunstroke.
Local Tip: The best tables for enjoying that balmy tropical breeze are found on the left side of the cafe. I suggest you skip smoothie bowls during peak summer (April-May). The fruit oxidizes super fast in the open-air setup, and ants will start crawling around your bowl.
2. Cafe Aram: Best Cafes in Goa for Local Snacks
Cafe Aram dates all the way back to the 1940s, but regulars will tell you it hasn’t changed much. This is where you go if you want to have the same breakfast which locals in Panaji have been eating for decades. There’s no playlist, no Wi-Fi, and zero fancy cappuccino foam. What you do get are unassuming wooden tables, a blackboard displaying the day’s menu, and a whole lot of old-school nostalgia!
Start with the cutlet pao which is a beef or veg patty, crisp-fried, spiced, and served in a soft bun with green chutney and onion. Locals dunk it straight into their sweetened kadak chai (super strong tea) served in small glass tumblers. Or get the patal bhaji (white peas curry). I always pair my patal bhaji with poee (Goan bread with a pita-like texture).
If you’re into spicy snacks, be sure to try their mirchi bhaji which refers to battered and fried chili peppers.
Local Tip: Bring cash since they definitely don’t do cards or QR codes. Get there before 10 am if you want the mirchi bhaji since it runs out fast and they only make it once a day.
3.Babka Goa: Best Cafes in Goa for Sweet Treats and Fresh Sourdough
Babka is the kind of cafe in Goa where locals line up at 8 in the morning with reusable bags. Located just off the Anjuna–Mapusa road, this micro-bakery café is run by a Goan-European couple who bake every item in-house daily. Most of their items sell out by noon, so you really want to head down early.
Their namesake chocolate babka is a dense, glossy swirl of dark chocolate folded into rich yeasted dough. I’m not usually a fan of sweet stuff, but this one was just lightly sweetened without being too cloying. Their homemade sourdough bread is tangy, chewy, and available in variants such as jalapeño cheddar (Fridays only) and rosemary salt (daily).
They also sell polenta cakes, semolina fennel loaves, and galettes filled with spinach and feta. For coffee, they serve arabica beans sourced from Chikmagalur and Karnatka. You can ask for it to be sweetened with jaggery syrup. When they’ve got extra sourdough, they even share it for free with regulars, so ask if they’re doing a giveaway that day.
Local Tip: On weekends, regulars sometimes ask for a bag of assorted leftover slices and crusts. This isn’t always listed, but if you’re lucky, you’ll walk out with a mix of day-old bread for a fraction of the price.
4. Cafe Bodega: Best Cafes in Goa for Artsy Vibes
Cafe Bodega is where Goa’s writers, curators, and architecture students come to relax. Well, no surprise here since it’s found in the Sunaparanta Centre for the Arts!
Sitting in a leafy Indo-Portuguese courtyard surrounded by gallery rooms, the cafe feels like a little world of its own. This is the kind of place where you can easily kick back for a couple of hours without anyone side-eyeing you.
The food leans clean and continental: grilled zucchini frittata, cold soba noodle salad, and a hummus plate with pickled beetroot that regulars swear by. The chef is known for whipping up any kind of egg you want (I can’t get enough of their eggs Benedict with ham). The cafe also makes its own artisan bread, served fresh every morning.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll be glad to know that their lemon drizzle cake is the stuff dreams are made of: light sponge, sharp citrus glaze, soft edges, and exceptionally moreish! Pair it with cold-brewed hibiscus tea for an explosion of flavors.
Wi-Fi is available, but most people come here to disconnect. The staff is super friendly, and they often refill your chutney without asking.
Local Tip: If you’re on a budget, ask for the ‘art student lunch‘ – an affordable, off-menu combo with hearty soup, ciabatta bread, and chutney.
5. Bloom & Brew: Best Cafes in Goa for Garden Vibes
This one is hands-down one of my favorite cafes in Goa when I want a relaxed afternoon away from the party noises!
Surrounded by holy basil, turmeric, and banana trees Bloom & Brew is part café, part plant nursery, and part creative space. It’s one of the rare cafes in Goa that still provides floor cushions if you want to sit, local-style, on the ground.
Now, the ingredients may be classically Goan, but the cafe is known for its international twists. For me, the Chai Frenchie is an absolute standout. It’s made from slow-fermented brioche French toast generously doused in Goan coconut milk and topped with chai-spiced apples, caramelized cashews, and mint. It’s usually served with an optional scoop of coconut whipped cream. Hint: always say yes to coconut cream.
Also on the menu: millet pancakes with jaggery caramel, banana blossom salad, and lavender white tea. Locals swear by their vanilla coconut milk iced latte during the hotter months.
From April to June, they also serve seasonal cashew fruit chutney. You can even buy turmeric plant cuttings, homemade soaps, and cashew oil balm at the nursery counter.
Local Tip: They sometimes serve wild turmeric shots during the monsoon season. It’s not on the board, though, so you’ll need to ask at the counter.
…and a bonus cafe in Goa that only locals know about: Cafe Mira
If you’re heading toward Mapusa from Bastora early in the morning, chances are you’ll spot a cluster of bikes parked near a quiet corner cafe. That’s Mira, one of the best cafes in Goa for a typically local vibe. Goans have been coming here for years for a no-nonsense breakfast that’s fast and filling.
Along with a regular menu, the cafe often whips up specials like alsande bhaji (black-eyed peas in a thick coconut gravy). It’s usually served hot in katoras (steel bowls) with just the right amount of gravy for scooping up with poee bread. Depending on the season, the curry sometimes features vegetables or chickpeas.
I’m a huge fan of their Indian filter coffee. It’s strong, earthy, and served with just a dash of milk. Sugar (or jaggery) is optional, but I suggest adding a dash of jaggery syrup if you prefer. Pair it with a side of idli upma (crumbled rice cakes stir-fried with curry leaves, nuts, and vegetables) and you’ve got yourself the perfect Goan breakfast right there!
Now that you’re properly fueled up, how about checking out the best sights in Goa? If you’re not sure where to start, our 3-day Goa itinerary has you covered!
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