Cafe Del Mar — Restaurant in Goa

Cafe Del Mar is a piece of history in Goa. The owner, Kennedy has his heart in the right place. He runs this place out of love.. and not just for money. And considering the kind of tourists that show up who often don't want to pay..seek constant discounts and sneak in alcohol instead of buying from the bar...or want to order daal khichadi ( which is served but dude..you are in Goa 🤦‍♀️).i am glad that he is considered rude for refusing entry to some people.. he charges cover only from people who he doesn't know personally...thats called having a filter..... We have been coming here for years... and most guests here are his friends who love the hospitality that Kennedy and his staff offers. If you manage to stay here...rest assured that you will keep coming back...if you don't like the vibe here...then something is wrong with you. It's the only shack on the beach that refuses to play Bollywood music no matter how much money is offered to him.....thats a rare stand.. and he should be applauded for it...the food is amazing here...the cocktails are outstanding... and unlike other shacks...he doesn't sell diluted booze...he is a purist... and only interested in those who can value this. This is also the only shack that is open till much later in the night.. and it's absolutely safe for women.. perfect for foreigners..is pet friendly too....a true rock and roll place... So Kennedy..keep the flag high... online reviews don't matter...you have earned friends all over the world...thats precious. And we are delighted that our Goa trips are always memorable because of you and your staff like Joseph and Ramesh...Cheers...

Borderline horrible stay. 2nd Jan, 2025 - 5th Jan, 2025. 7.5k INR a night.

Pros:

Location Room and cleanliness

Cons:

I was staying in their sea facing room which is adjacent to their restaurant area. The restaurant is supposed to close at 11 PM. They kept on playing loud music for a group of drunkards who were obnoxiously loud till 3 AM. Upon complaining, I was told “we will play music till the party continues”.

We were consuming beverages in our room. When we asked for ice, we were denied stating they don’t provide any service for f&b bought from outside and the staff said Mr. Kennedy (the owner) is a stickler for rules like this. We even offered to pay for the ice but got denied. I have never faced this kind of lapse in service at any stay across India in my life.

Food is lesser than mediocre. I had a fruit crepe which was quite bad especially for the price paid. Request of honey as topping for the crepe was denied, which I think was a reasonable condiment request for a fruit crepe.

No parking for the staying customers. Pay parking at Rs. 200 a day.

Preferential treatment to international tourists.

Mr. Kennedy, get off your high horse. This is no way to run a place. And if you’re such a stickler for rules as your staff claim you to be, ensure you follow all of them and not the ones that benefit you.

I would recommend fellow travellers to not touch this place with a...

I recently went to this place for a weekend getaway, but unfortunately, we had extremely disappointing experience. The owner really put a damper on the trip with his toxic behavior. It's clear that he is not suited for the hospitality business and lacks basic etiquette. Additionally, we felt cheated because we were not provided with the amenities we were promised, including dirty linens and a complete lack of basic necessities or even water in our room. The food was also subpar, and the place was always empty compared to the neighboring establishments. It's safe to say that I won't be returning to this place, as the owner was often drunk,toxic and the service and rooms were far from satisfactory. Despite claiming to have sea-facing rooms, there was only one available, and the owner was misleading about the booking process. Overall, I would not recommend this place to anyone looking to stay in Palolem beach.Also the recent reviews are really misguiding and doesn't feel real after being there in person.I would have rated this place in negative if that...