Where to stay and eat on a budget in the Campal area of Panjim
In August 2022 we went on a self-curated cultural tour of Panjim, Goa. We wanted to stay in the most peaceful and green neighbourhood so we chose this area. Campal Gardens, a huge green area with big trees and gardens, is just across the main road. River Mandovi is easily accessible from there.
Stay
We stayed at the quaint Vivenda Rebello Homestay, a refurbished Portuguese-era house with several clean rooms in its ground and first floor. The Portuguese era wooden furniture and the azulejo (hand painted tin glazed tiles) embedded wooden table cast a charm of the bygone days. Most importantly, the host, Derc, is an extremely helpful and informative person. It is not luxurious, but a very good option for budget stay with a host who cares and guides.
Places to eat
The Heritage Bistro
This is a very good place if you are looking for ambiance. The building is from the Portuguese-era, which is apparent in the architecture and the décor. There is a garden, pool and even a tiny fish pond if I remember correctly. You can perch yourself in the chairs in the verandah and enjoy the meal outdoors, overlooking the pool and garden. We went for a late breakfast in a completely famished state. We ordered sandwiches that took quite some time to come.
Soul Curry
The décor in Soul Curry is just like any other modern upscale restaurant. It sits in a quaint corner of the neighbourhood. Here you can go to have long conversations in the comfort of air conditioning. The food variety is diverse, but we stuck with a Goan thali for lunch. One thali was sufficient for the two of us. Later we returned for dinner and ordered the usual North Indian food with some feni cocktail and tequila shots.
Bombil
This is one of the most famous restaurants in Panjim and it is famous for a reason. This is not a place for conversations but go here to have some actual good Goan food. The humble restaurant is always choc-a-block with customers. There is always a queue during peak lunch and dinner hours. We ate the best food in Panjim here. We took the Prawn Thali and Chonak thali with Goan rice, squid and a type of kokum concoct. The servers here are extremely busy all the time, so please be considerate of it. During our experience we saw some tourists throw ugly tantrums at them. Do not be that rude, cringe-inducing person.
*****
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Tania Banerjee
Tania is a freelance writer based in India who tinkers with words here and there but mostly focused on travel, food, arts and crafts. She writes for several Indian dailies and magazines.
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