Sea Front Beach Huts Patnem — Restaurant in Goa

Rating: Seafront Patnem

Location & atmosphere: The Seafront Patnem impresses with its fantastic location right on the beach. It is not a hotel, but rather huts. The huts are simple, but clean and well-kept, and the small green courtyard creates a pleasant atmosphere. The loungers in front of the complex invite you to relax, while the open-plan restaurant with a view of the sea provides a wonderful backdrop for meals.

Accommodation & facilities: The rooms are simply but functionally furnished: a large double bed with a mosquito net, air conditioning depending on the category, a good mattress and a wardrobe - but with non-locking doors that creak like in a haunted castle. A bottle of water is provided every morning, a small but thoughtful detail. The bathroom is simple, but equipped with a shower and hot water, which is absolutely appropriate for this price range. Unfortunately, there are some weak points in terms of security: the safety deposit box has no key and there was no response when asked.

Cleanliness & service: Cleanliness is taken seriously overall, however there is some uncertainty regarding the towels laid out daily for the sunbeds on the beach, but these belong to the restaurant - whether they are fresh remains questionable. The staff are extremely friendly, helpful and endeavour to offer guests a pleasant stay, despite the high workload.

Catering: The restaurant is an independent operation from the accommodation, but appears integrated. It has its own operator. The food is good and tasty, the menu is varied and the prices are fair. However, breakfast is not included. One major drawback, however, is the inability to pay by credit card. The statement that the bank is to blame for this does not seem very credible, especially as this explanation remains the same for several years. This forces guests to carry cash or eat in other restaurants that accept credit cards. In addition, there is no ATM in Patnem itself, so the nearest cash machine is 2 kilometres away.

Points of criticism: A major problem is the inconsistent handling of smoking bans. Although smoking is officially prohibited and punishable by law in Goa, it is tolerated here - probably for fear of losing revenue. In other accommodations in Goa, this is handled differently and consistently and is also not tolerated in the restaurant area. For the benefit and protection of non-smokers. However, studies show that non-smoker-friendly catering establishments benefit economically in the long term.

In addition, night-time disturbances caused by guests talking loudly on the phone or discussing in front of their huts are a further negative factor.

Conclusion: Seafront Patnem is a solid accommodation for travellers who are looking for clean but simple accommodation right on the beach and are not bothered by minor shortcomings. The friendliness of the staff, the location and the food are clear plus points. However, the lack of consistency regarding smoking bans, the lack of credit card payment and the night-time disturbances spoil the overall picture. Those who can live with this will have a...

In the last 5 years, I have been to this place 4 times. Have stayed thrice and on one occasion (due to last minute booking) could not get a room. The place I went to instead turned out to be bad. So, my obvious choice was landing here for all meals and lounging all day.

The standout aspects are:

1. SERVICE - Best in its class. Vinay, the service manager and Alam, the server are gems of hosts. They make this place a special one. Polite and truthful, they will say openly what's doable and what's not, no false promises. With this attitude they create a bond with visitors like myself. They have gone to the extent of going to the market and getting one specific drink for me and refrigerating coconut water before serving on request. Despite not being a staying guest on my last visit, they never made me feel as such. The room services are also fast and on spot. Special mentions - Once, they packed us basic food at 7.30 in the morning although kitchen opens at 8.30. They had also arranged bonfire on request (although it was during Covid with hardly any guests).

2. FOOD - kudos to the kitchen staff, all cuisines are really tasty and any request for adjustment in, say, spice or oil or adding / removing an ingredient is always met. Service time is an average of 20 minutes. It's true that the price is a tad higher than other places, but the quality is unmatched from all other cheaper options and worth the extra ask. I have had food in more than 10 places in Patnem but this one is simply the best. The quantity per serving is also good. Tandoor items are a must try. Pancakes can be avoided (although I guess that's a Goa thing).

3. ROOM - Big room, Big bed (with aesthetically put mosquito net), big washroom, proper cupboard with drawer and keys, chairs and table inside room and a very nice porch to relax - everything for a comfortable stay. I suppose they have laundry too ( but i haven't used one). Food can be served in the room on request.

4. LOCATION - bang on the beach, a perfect place to relax and lounge and play games for a relaxing holiday. The approach to this place (100mts from the approach road) is either walking on beach sand or through a narrow lane behind the property. But that actually makes it less prone to casual tourists just flocking around and gives a sense of seclusion from the crowd.

5. Other mentions - The garden area is always kept clean. Cabs can be arranged on request. Music can be requested and played by the patrons. The only drawback I have felt is non availability of card machines on a couple...

The beach itself is absolutely perfect! Quite isolated so a great place if you want to stay in peace away from the maddening crowd. The waters are clear, waves are mostly muted and beach is quite shallow upto 10-15m so even for people who don't know swimming, it's quite a safe place to frolick in the seas. Now coming to our accomodation, we took the beach facing cottages and the views everytime we walked out was a pleasant affair. The beach view cottages are more expensive than the ones in the back but worth it. Basic amenities are there; AC, 24 hour hot water, a comfy bed. You'll struggle to find charging ports though, just two in the entire cottage! The sitting area outside the cottages are the best part where we spent quite a bit of time sipping cocktails and playing Uno. They also have a restaurant attached which served above average food. My friends especially enjoyed the seafood there. Their seafood platter was costly but absolutely awesome and sufficient for a group of 4. But please be cautious while ordering food from the menu and stick to Indian/Chinese/seafood affair if you don't want to be demoralised. We learnt it the hard way when we ordered continental breakfast. Stick to the tried and tested menu and you won't be disappointed. Cocktails were decent, nothing out of the ordinary but decently priced. However, I was surprised by the steep upmark on the beer prices. But it's Goa, so I guess that's fine. Overall had a great time there for the duration of 4 days that we stayed. Would definitely recommend just for the beach, great views, sparse junta, good seafood and a very likeable staff. Uncle and Veeru were great hosts. P.S. Unfortunately there is no parking available with the resort. So you'll have to park your cars in the paid parking area, some 200 m away from the resort. Also there is another even more isolated beach called Rajbagh just a walking distance from this place. Great for evening strolls. Finally the option of kayaking is available in the beach. Calm and clear waters make it a must do activity here in the evenings/early mornings. Also it's super cheap and a great exercise to burn that bear belly away. Haha! Hope...