Caravela Cafe And Bistro — Restaurant in Goa

4.0 in Breakfast and snack Cafes ( Goa )

‘ And the idea of just wandering off to a cafe with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for awhile is just bliss.’

J. K. Rowling

… and we are certain she would love Caravela Café.

The Caravel is one of the mighty water vessels that brought the Portuguese to Goa, and the influence of the Portuguese can be seen everywhere in Goan culture today. Located a hop, skip and jump away from the Mandovi River, The Caravela Café gets its name from the Caravel that is said to have docked there. The derivation of the name seems quite obvious, especially with the nautical nuances placed around the tiny little café, in fact, there is even a painting of the ship!

The beauty of Caravela Café is in its vintage charm, simplicity and hominess. Though quite small in size, the cafe is very cozy and you just want to snuggle in with a book sipping on a hot cuppa. The café also, quite proudly, displays its love for coffee with a number of quirky one-liner posters hung on their walls.

Food

Breakfast

All Day Caravela Breakfast The all-day breakfast is a steal for Rs. 350 & a delight to just see. In fact, we saw so many walk-ins opt for this, we knew we had to get our hands on it!

The all-day breakfast comprises of : A two-egg preparation that can be fried or scrambled Two juicy frankfurters Ham Crisped Bacon Sweet Baked Beans Crispy Hash Browns Tangy braised Tomato A glass of Juice Tea / Coffee Toast with Butter and Jam Just the breakfast is enough to fill you up!

Snacks

Prawn Rissois Prawn Rissois ( pronounced as Rissoee ) is delicious Portuguese influenced snack. This snack is made by filling rissoles (croquette/pastry rolled in breadcrumbs) with a slightly cheesy / White sauce prawn filling that melts in your mouth. Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside... sighs if only we could get the Caravela Rissois in Mumbai!

Beef Croquettes Mildly spiced minced beef was tucked into bite-sized crispy croquettes.

The snacks were our two absolute must-haves here! The only thing we regret is ordering a tasting portion like fools.

Pizza

Pepperoni & Cheese For us, Pepperoni and Cheese is always the first pick and Caravel didn’t disappoint. The meaty circles were engulfed in cheese and we loved each bite.

Chicken, roasted vegetables & Feta Cheese Soft chunks of chicken mixed with a number of roasted vegetables gave you quite a few textures and colours. What we found quite interesting was the addition of salty Feta along with the mozzarella.

Beverages

They have a large array of coffees and we really could pick out a favourite. Make sure you order for their Coffee menu and try out a few brews. If you like any of them, you can even buy a pack of coffee to relish at home.

Dessert

Serradurra ‘Serradura’ translates to ‘ sawdust’ in Portuguese, so imagine the astonishment on our faces when the owner asks us to try the sawdust pudding. Of course, the pudding isn’t really made of sawdust but the crushed Marie biscuits did give that effect. Now the pudding is in a mix of layers consisting made from cream, biscuit crumble, condensed milk and some secret ingredients shhhhh. The primary texture is soft & friable, and did we mention its absolutely delicious!

During our visit, they were also working on a few additions to their menu, such as sorpotel, and we got to try it out too.

The Caravela also have places to stay! Cozy homes and delicious food?

Looks like we have stumbled upon a winner!

Psst… don’t forget to wish them a happy birthday on the 26th of February!

( The food in most images above are tasting portions served to us for the purpose of...

I'm thrilled to share my exceptional dining experience at Caravela Cafe and Bistro in Panjim! This hidden gem exceeded my expectations in every way, and I'm excited to rave about it.

Breakfast Delights

The English Breakfast was a perfect start to my day, with scrambled eggs, sausages, and toast cooked to perfection. The portion was generous, and the quality of the ingredients was evident in every bite.

Signature Coffees

But what truly stole the show was their Signature Rich Cold Coffee. This refreshing drink is a must-try, with its rich coffee flavor and creamy texture that's sure to perk you up. And if you're a coffee connoisseur, you'll love their expertly brewed coffees - every sip was a delight! ☕️

Sandwiches

The sandwiches were another highlight, with the Bombay Sandwich and Smoked Chicken Sandwich being standouts. The Bombay Sandwich was a flavorful combination of vegetables, cheese, and sauces, while the Smoked Chicken Sandwich was tender, juicy, and full of smoky goodness.

Goan Delights

I also tried their famous Goan snack, Prawns Rissois, which was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a delicious prawn filling. It was absolutely addictive!

Desserts

And then, there were the desserts... Oh my! The Nutella Cheesecake was a signature dessert for a reason - it was rich, creamy, and utterly decadent. The Carrot Cake was moist, flavorful, and perfectly spiced. And as a bonus, I tried their Biscoff Cheesecake, which was a game-changer - the combination of creamy cheesecake and crunchy Biscoff cookies was pure perfection.

Ambiance

The ambiance of the cafe was warm and cozy, with a beautiful blend of old-world Portuguese charm and modern touches. The staff were friendly and attentive, ensuring a pleasant dining experience.

Overall

Overall, I highly recommend Caravela Cafe and Bistro to anyone looking for a memorable dining experience in Varca. Don't miss out on their signature dishes, sandwiches, and desserts - and be sure to try their stunning coffees! 😋

Tips:

Try their Signature Rich Cold Coffee and Nutella Cheesecake - they're a must! The English Breakfast and Bombay Sandwich are great options for a hearty meal. The Prawns Rissois is a must-try Goan snack. The Carrot Cake and Biscoff Cheesecake are delicious desserts. The coffees are super...

I’m posting here having a really disheartening experience at Caravela Cafe. We were here on Saturday morning and got a table for two and ordered our eggs and coffee. The food was good enough and absolutely loved the hashbrowns. However, the trouble starts for us right after this. We were planning to order one of their special for the day- Pancakes with chocolate and Strawberry as we were finishing the earlier order and didn’t want to waste food if we were full. An older man who was at the cafe and running things, who I assume is the owner of cafe, asked his staff to give us the bill while we were in the middle of eating without us initiating or asking for the bill . I interrupted saying we were going to order some more food when he initially rejected that saying we have to order everything together and he was extremely rude to us. We did not expect such behaviour, neither were we wasting any time or eating over there for free. We asked for the bill, told that man that he can’t behave this way. He said there’s waiting and his way of working is to taking the order at once. We did observe prior to this that no one else was obviously following this, including the group of people who were seated next to us. We told him that this was not how he can treat his customers and he replied that I’d made my point. We walked out of the cafe to see that there was no waiting line whatsoever so I guess he just wants to feel some form of importance for having a successful cafe. Well, good luck to them. We are never going back to this...