The FARA family split their lives between Goa… and the world – London, Ibiza, Koh
Phangan – but the heart of the family is here in Goa. The inspiration from our
collection most often arises from the Goa vibes and of course Rachel and Fumie met
here… Over the years, a gathering of creatives, dancers, designers and musicians
have laid down their hats here and we are inspired by our community.
This is our love letter to North Goa and our recommendations of where to stay, dine, beach, surf and enjoy your time under the Goan sunshine.
Where to Stay in North Goa
Vaayu Kula Mandrem @vaayukula
Stunning rooms with peaked thatch roofs and amazing views of the beach. Perched
above a fantastic restaurant, with amazing sundowners, yoga on the beach, surf
rentals. This is the ultimate in beach chic lovingly designed with awareness of its
impact on the local environment. They also have a sister property
with one/ two bed apartments in Mandrem Town with beautiful design features and
tropical views called Vaayu Home.
Frangipani House Siolim @the_rose_nomad
One of four beautiful villa properties dotted around north Goa care of The Rose
Nomad. We love this villa – it’s a restored Goan house set in a
tropical garden with it’s own pool. Their other properties are inland in Moira and
Assagao and on the beach in Ashwem. Each place offers a unique view of Goa.
Mateus Panjim @mateusgoa
In the heart of Panjim’s Latin quarter Fontainhas, Mateus is a
lovingly restored property with simple but chic rooms. It’s a hop, skip and a jump
away from Antonio@31, Josephs Bar and the lovely traditional bakery Confeitaria 31.
Wigwam Mandrem @wigwamgoa
How about a few nights away in a tipi? Only ten minutes inland from the beach, discover a secluded spot surrounded by palms, jungle and birds where you can choose from luxury tipis, wooden cottages or one of their beautiful light rooms. There are lots of hanging chairs scattered through gorgeous gardens and a restaurant with pizza nights and traditional Sunday roasts.
Fort Tiracol Keri @forttiracolheritagehotel
*BEST HIDEAWAY – Book a room at Fort Tiracol for spectacular views of the sunset and at the end of the day unwind in your beautiful room with a four poster bed.
Dining out in North Goa
La Plage Ashwem
Our absolute favourite beach day revolves around lunch at La Plage; we even
named a kaftan after it! Of course they are open for candlelit dinners too. Barefoot beach chic in a beautiful FARA dress – toes in the sand. We all love the sesame
tuna, the Bloody Mary’s and fusion food from all over the globe. And save room for
the epic chocolate thali.
Izumi Assagao @izumiassagao
And our new favourite – it’s hard to pick favourites in Goa – Izumi in Mumbai has
been voted one of the best restaurants in India and has now opened a stunning
space in Goa – try the watercress and mushroom gyoza or the amazing sashimi don.
ANTONIO@31 – Fontainhas Panjim @antonio@31
In a beautiful old Goan house in the heart of Panjim’s old town, Antonio@31 offers
up Goan inspired tapas – little tastes of Goan classics like prawn balchao, tender
coconut bhaji and lotus root sukkah. Sip the Feni Mule, the Guava Chili or the
Fontainhas G&T.
Tamil Table – Assagao @tamil_table
In a beautifully restored Goan house with a courtyard garden, you’ll find banana leaf
filled with delicious tastes from Tamil Nadu – dosas, chili prawns, South Indian
paratha, amazing chutneys and our favourite kuzhipaniyaram (dough balls from
anywhere in the world are amazing!). Try the TT Negroni or the turmeric infused gin
n’ juice.
*Best Vindahlo and Goan Fish Curry in North Goa – We love the food at the family run beach shack, Change Your Mind, in Ashwem.
Bomras – Anjuna @bomrasgoa
We first read about Bomras in Vogue back around 2007 – it has consistently been in
the Top 5 restaurants in India. It is delicious Burmese fusion cuisine with amazing
spicing – we love the unusual pickled tea leaf salad, “beer can” chicken and you
cannot miss Khow Suey Sunday! Or the lemongrass cocktails. All served up in a
beautiful tropical garden.
*Best dosas – Try a Masala Dosa at Café Corner in the middle of Mapusa Market
(opposite Ramakrishna incense stall – kiosk 13/322 Or The Podi Ragi Dosa at
Sappadua in Assagao. Another favourite is the ghee roasted green gram dosa at Affogato in Arambol! They also have a refreshing selection of coffe, chai, home made ice-cream and kulfis!
Garden of Dreams – Arambol @gardenofdreamsgoa
Set in the gardens of Dragonfly Goa, pass through the magical doors to this garden oasis serving up delicious healthy bites, comfort foods, juices and their new amazing breakfast bagels. There are jam sessions and inspirations and Dragonfly also have a swimming pool and a cute little shop to while away the day.
Bean Me Up – Vagator @beanmeup.goa
Bean Me Up is Goa’s original vegan restaurant and their long standing vegan menu offers a huge range of nourishing dishes including tasty tempeh tacos, wraps, buddha bowls and vegan pizzas. You can’t go wrong for a satisfying vegan meal here!
Rare Republic – Assagao @rarepublicgoa
Visit the pretty terrace cafe at Rare Republic on the Siolim-Chapora road for a slow morning brunch with nourishing juices, steaming coffee and fresh pastries from the in-house bakery. Their almond crosissant is simpy the best! They also have a delicious menu of mediterranean inspired dishes to be enjoyed throughout the day and a stylish concept store to browse.
Susie’s – Assagao @suziesgoa
Take a trip to Susie’s for a special occasion and enjoy their five-course ever evolving dinners inspired by the catch of the day and seasonal market foods.
Sakana – Vagator @sakanagoa
Indulge your Japanese food craving at Sakana in Vagator whilst in Goa and take your pick from delicious chicken ramen, white snapper teriyaki or wakame salad. It’s been our go-to for many years.
*Best Cocktail in North Goa – Try the Smoked Negroni Sour at Amber Cocktail Bar on Ashwem Beach
IMMERSION
Our suggestions of what to do in North Goa –
Mandrem Beach… we love the sprawling wide shores at Mandrem for long beach days.
There’s a quiet spot to the south end of Mandrem beach and as you walk further
north to Arambol it gets livelier (head all the way to Arambol one sunset for fire
dancers, beach market and festival vibes).
To catch the morning waves and have a go at surfing head to Salty Soul Surf Shack or for a go at SUP, yoga or to kick back on a lounger with a juice or cocktail, try Vaayu Kula in Mandrem .
For either an early morning adventure or sunset magic, Redi Fort is amazing – banyan trees wind their way through old fort ruins and there’s great views of nearby beaches. Afterwards you can drop down to Paradise Beach for deserted island vibes or visit the heritage hotel at Fort Tiracol for food or a spectacular sundowner with breathtaking views from the cliff. If you are on a motorbike or scooter, you can take the ferry direct to Tiracol from Keri for something different.
There’s endless options in Goa to practice yoga! We recommend the laterite rock shala in Mojigao for a yoga class with the lovely Sharanya or for a more traditional hatha and Iyengar inspired practice head to AUM Yoga, also in Assagao. For yoga close to the beach you can try an open class at Nalanda or Ashiyana, both in Mandrem. For Dance and Silks head to Omaggio in Anjuna.
Olaulim Backyards is a beautiful inland place if you are bringing your family. Stay in pretty cottages and try kayaking, sailing and exploring the local area.
At Make it Happen Goa you can sample craft gins or local feni on the local tavern tour, find out more about Goan architecture, take a kayak trip on the Chapora river or a
mangrove tour just outside Panjim.
To explore contemporary art in North Goa, visit Museum of Goa close to Panjim or head
inland to Moira to find the beautiful Cube Gallery
Vibes
When the sun has gone down and it’s time to dance, we head to Jungle Stories at Prana Anjuna (@prana.goa) for friendly dance floor vibes and amazing music from both homegrown and international DJs sharing Afro House, techno and other musical treasure.
Naturally Goa is renowned for it’s psytrance so if you fancy stepping back in time head to Hilltop in Vagator for a Sunday stomp. House of Chapora is another place to be seen and groove on the dance floor after hours.
Fancy a more shanti experience? Head to Shunya in Arambol for ecstatic dance under fairy lights and the banyan tree.
There’s also live music regularly at Mojigao in Assagao for their Friday tapas and regular full moon events where you’ll find sitar fusion, jazz and DJ vibes.
We also love Friday nights at Verandah in Mandrem for live music, delicious Italian inspired food and their lovely Gin Joint.
For the best Sundowner Spot – Head to Vaayu Kula for their Ocean Swell Cocktail
Find FARA
You can now find us at our new FARA BOUTIQUE store in Mandrem beach – otherwise head to the lovely new KOA store where you’ll discover our silk and hemp hanging with other designers that call Goa home. You’ll find KOA at the new Thalassa Beach resort in Ashvem.
And for more fun and eclectic shopping head to the Goa Collective Bazaar which is
every Friday at Hilltop in Vagator.
