Caravela Café & Bistro, Panjim: Restaurant Review

There’s something about Sunday mornings in Goa that compels you to step out of your weekday shell. Perhaps it’s the slow unravel of the state’s inherent charm, or maybe it’s just the simple allure of good coffee and a hearty breakfast waiting somewhere. This past Sunday, inspired by an appetite for adventure (and eggs), we decided to swap the usual beachside shack for a jaunt into Panjim, Fontainhas to be precise.

The original plan was to hit Larder and Folk—a name that rolls off the tongue almost as seductively as the Instagram reels promise you stacks of pancakes and aesthetically served lattes. But Goa, ever the free spirit, had other plans. Larder and Fork was bursting at the seams, and we, refusing to queue for toast, wandered down the cobbled lanes. That’s when we stumbled upon Caravela Café & Bistro, a tiny establishment that feels more like a secret you’ve just unearthed than a café you’d find on Tripadvisor.

From the outside, Caravela is unassuming—with a smattering of tables nestled inside a mustard-yellow façade of Fontainhas’ Portuguese-era houses. It’s the sort of place you’d walk past unless you were expressly looking for it, and honestly, that would be a shame.

The Setting: The Charm of Not Trying Too Hard

Inside, Caravela feels like your eccentric uncle’s living room. There’s no pretension here, just an effortless warmth. Mismatched furniture—wooden chairs that creak slightly when you sit, tabletops that have seen a spill or two—adds to its charm. The walls are sparsely adorned with curios that you suspect have been collected over years rather than bought as “props” to create a vibe.

There’s a chalkboard specials menu, of course, but your best bet is to ask for the more expansive menu.

The Menu: Simple Choices with Surprising Results

Scanning the menu, it’s clear that Caravela isn’t trying to reinvent breakfast. There’s no deconstructed avocado toast with sous-vide eggs nonsense here. Instead, it’s the classics—American breakfast, a healthy option, a few Goan twists, and some baked goods that sit temptingly in a glass display case.

We opted for the American Breakfast and the Healthy Breakfast Option. These choices, I’ll admit, were made after much deliberation because the café’s Goan-style chorizo pao and their homemade quiches were practically pleading to be ordered. But eggs and coffee before spice—always.

The American Breakfast: Nostalgia on a Plate

When the American breakfast arrived, it was less of a plate and more of a platter. Think eggs done exactly as requested (scrambled, fluffy, and cloud-like in my case), buttery toast, crisp bacon, a generous helping of sautéed mushrooms and hash browns. There was also a pancake, perched precariously atop the bacon, accompanied by a pat of butter melting languidly and a jug of syrup on the side.

The star of this breakfast was the bacon—perfectly crispy but not burnt, with just the right amount of chew. The hash browns were golden and crunchy on the outside, soft and comforting within, the kind of thing you’d happily eat by the fistful if no one were watching.

The Healthy Breakfast Option: Virtue Never Tasted This Good

Next came the Healthy Breakfast, which, in many establishments, would be code for bland, joyless food. Not here. A vibrant plate greeted us, featuring a bowl of granola and yogurt and fresh fruit that tasted as though it had just been plucked from a tree, and a slice of sourdough that was wonderfully tangy.

There was an omelet involved, along with some delicious poie bread.

The coffee that accompanied these meals deserves its own applause. Robust, rich, and aromatic, it was brewed with care and served with no unnecessary frills. If you’re a coffee enthusiast, you’ll be pleased to know that Caravella leans into its roots with bean roasted to perfection.

The Ambiance: Slow Down and Stay Awhile

As the morning wore on, the café began to fill with a mix of locals and travelers. A young couple sat in one corner, sharing a croissant and the Sunday newspaper. In another, a group of friends animatedly discussed their plans for the day, plates of half-eaten quiche and cappuccinos scattered in front of them.

Caravela, we realized, wasn’t just a breakfast spot—it was a microcosm of Panjim itself. It’s where people come to linger, to watch the world go by, to escape the clamor of Goa’s more touristy hubs. It’s unhurried and unapologetic about being so.

Final Thoughts: A Place Worth Returning To

Caravela Café may not be the flashiest or most Instagram-worthy breakfast spot in Goa, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a place with soul, a café that has quietly perfected the art of making you feel at home.

So yes, this Sunday, we ventured into Panjim hoping for something different, and Caravela gave us exactly that. It’s the kind of place you want to keep to yourself, but then again, it’s too good not to share. If you’re the type who finds joy in hole-in-the-wall discoveries, Caravela Café & Bistro is where you should be next Sunday morning. Just don’t tell everyone, okay?