Goa's Most Talked-About Bars Right Now

Coming in at No. 30 on Asia’s Best Bars 2025 is Boilermaker, which personifies the “susegad” ethos of being laid-back, casual and friendly. Think exposed walls, dark ceilings, and concrete flooring that make it feel like an abandoned warehouse. Walk in, and it doesn’t feel like a bar at all; it feels like you’ve stumbled into the right kind of house party. Strangers lean in like they’ve known each other for years against the background of clinking cocktails that punch well above their weight.Vibe Check: Industrial, Grungy, UnpretentiousWhat to Order: Stuffed Pickled Cucumbers, Prawn Toast, Ring A Bell Yet?, Mango Number 5

Located in the middle of paddy fields and nestled in the shade of a mango tree, Elephant & Co. is unique and relaxing in a way that no amount of interior design could replicate. The ambience is breezy and calm over lunch, and loud and social as the evening sets in. Whether you arrive solo or in a group, there’s always a spot that works, with a community bar at its core. With multiple accolades under its belt, the drinks are consistent and delicious.Vibe Check: Open-Air, Paddy Field Views, Community-DrivenWhat to Order: Kasundi Prawns, Chilli Lime Watermelon, The Settler, Where’s Next

Loosely translated as “small plates,” Petisco is a gastropub that beautifully highlights Goa’s colonial past and modern-day culture. Raw wood, exposed laterite, Portuguese tiles, an earthy colour palette accented with greens, coral and indigo blue. The layout is spacious and consists of different sections suited to every vibe. They claim the food is creative, the cocktails cheeky, and the ambience electric, and it delivers on all three counts.Vibe Check: Stylish, Gastro-Forward, LivelyWhat to Order: Alsande Bean Taco, Pan Fried Mackerel, Smoked GNT, Uzou, Love & Thunder

Slow Tide is built on the site of the famous San Francisco Shack, the birthplace of Anujana’s bohemian culture. Using local materials and a lattice structure, the spot is laid back and intentional. It is split into four distinct vibes, including an outdoor deck, a terrace, high chairs by the bat, and a secret indoor section. An intimate art section with literature pieces available gives it a dimension that most beach bars don’t usually bother with.Vibe Check: Bohemian-Soul, Beachfront, Slow LivingWhat to Order: Colombo Fish Fritter, Sasam Salad, Freak Street, Yakuza

For The Record is India’s first vinyl bar, with Conde Nast Traveller ranking it at No. 38 in India. Here, the music is as central to the experience as what the bartender whips up, creating a warm, deliberate ambience. The decor is an eclectic mix of vintage and contemporary, which lends a lived-in feel to the space. It truly is a Fontainhas gem that earns every compliment paid to it.Vibe Check: Dimly-Lit, Vinyl-Lined, NostalgicWhat to Order: Eggplant Parm Sourdough Pizza, Fermented Grape Salad, Tea Totaller, Bimli Bomb

Set in the backyard of a 100-year-old home, Grumps pays homage to the old taverns of Goa. The main bar room has laterite stone walls, cane chairs, and dim lighting, with photographs of old Goa throughout the space. A long table under the chikoo tree is the social heart of the garden. The bar has often been described as the best garden party at someone’s impossibly well-curated home, and that’s all that really needs to be said.Vibe Check: Laid Back, Cheeky, RetroWhat to Order: Avo Wonton Tostada, Grinch Salmon Tartare, Stand By Me, Funky Town, Salty Dog

Bar Outrigger is best described as coastal bohemianism, with teal walls, pops of greenery, and expansive windows that offer stunning views of the Arabian Sea. An L-shaped bar paired with cane stools grounds the space and is the best spot to sit with a cocktail in hand. The communal table here; a nod to seafaring camaraderie, beautifully encourages interaction and solo travellers.Vibe Check: Cosy, Rum-Forward, SundownerWhat to Order: Chorizo Jam on Toast, Chowder, The Outrigger, Granny Sour, Pica-Boo

Hideaway is an inclusive café and bar in Vagator offering an eclectic line-up of modern jazz bands alongside an accomplished cocktail list. There's no sign outside, and finding it feels like stumbling onto something the rest of Goa hasn't quite caught up with. The ambience combines greenery with open space, creating a relaxed, cosy retreat that shifts from quiet and bookish by day to buzzing and music-filled by night. The owners are on the floor every night, smiling, available to chat, and genuinely bringing the place alive.Vibe Check: Breezy, Music-Driven, IrreverentWhat to Order: Seaweed Appalam, Smokey Clams, Obscura, Avalanche, Babylon

Bar Cold Drinks is a Goan taverna in the truest sense. It has a pitched wooden roof, bare benches, tube lights, and banana plants growing so close they practically lean into the room. A hand-painted "Drinks" sign and a wooden barrel hang outside the entrance, the only branding the place needs or wants. At night, the benches fill up with a crowd that found this place entirely through word of mouth.Vibe Check: Jungle-Tavern, Minimal, UnpretentiousWhat to Order: Banana Cutlet, Pastrami Sandwich, Passionfruit Picante, Kokum Batanga