For true local vibes, this is one of Goa's best neighbourhood bars

Goa is where the big names in the restaurant business have made their mark, but ask the locals, and they’ll tell you nothing compares to the neighbourhood bar, where you bump into familiar faces, where laughter fills the air and languid conversations never run dry.

One such little gem is Antonio@31, tucked along the narrow lanes of Sao Tome, in the capital Panjim.

Driven by the dream of opening a cosy neighbourhood bar serving small plates with local flavours, Chef Pablo Miranda, and his partner Shehan started Antonio@31 in January 2021.

“At the time, there weren’t many spots like that in the city. Post-Covid, as things started to reopen, it felt like the right time to do it,” reminisces Pablo, who initially started the place small, with a tight team and a basic dinner menu, focused on Goan bar .

Since then, Pablo feels it’s been quite a ride — navigating two lockdowns, slow months without tourists, and now managing consistently packed nights.

“I’ve always loved cooking, but running a bar means you have to handle everything — from fixing broken taps to balancing the books. It's been full-on, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” he says.

BAR BOSS: Chef Pablo Miranda making his dream come true.

Antonio@31 is warm and unfussy. The colour palette is inspired by the Fontainhas neighbourhood — lots of teal and terracotta.

“We created a cosy little corner in an old home, with seating by the and a welcoming entrance down a narrow alleyway. We’ve got about 35 seats and a team that keeps it casual and friendly,” Pablo says. “It’s not a 'concept' space — it just fits the vibe of the area.”

The name of the bar, Antonio@31, is, in fact, a nod to two things. Antonio Joao de Sequeira, the man who founded Fontainhas, and — who Goa's Catholics pray to when they’ve lost something.

“We liked the idea of being the place where people ‘find’ themselves when they’re feeling a bit lost and the ‘31’ that comes from Rua 31 de Janeiro, the heritage street we're located on,” he points out.

CLASSIC BAR BITES: At Antonio@31, indulge in small plates packed with bold, local flavours.

The menu at the bar is a playful mix of Spanish-style bar plates and bold , all offered at very reasonable prices. Some dishes like the Truffle Rissois and Bone Marrow have been on the menu since day one and are still among the bestsellers. The Bimbli Gin Sour is another crowd favourite which is made using home-grown bimbli.

And, while the food feels familiar, it’s presented in a way that surprises people. “It’s all the kind of things we grew up eating, but we put our own spin on them. For example, we use my mum’s balchão masala to marinate fish, wrap it in banana leaves, and grill it over coals,” Pablo shares.

PERFECT POUR: Antonio@31 is the kind of place where good talks and great company just happen.

Being a neighbourhood bar, Antonio@31 is the kind of place where conversations come easy and chance encounters often turn into lasting connections.

Depending on the season, tourists fill the space in the peak months, and locals make it their own in the off-season. Although the bar doesn’t host events, they regularly update the menu and add specials to keep things interesting.

Recollecting one of the most memorable moments, Pablo shares, “Our first — when we had a brass band playing on the street outside the bar — was special. Friends, family and neighbours were dancing till late in the night. It felt like the whole street had come alive.”

This is the kind of magic that only a true neighbourhood bar can create, and Pablo hopes that, in the future it stays the way it is — a small, well-loved neighbourhood bar.

“There are lots of new places opening with flashier menus and bigger teams, but I think there’ll always be a place for , like ours, that stay true to themselves.”

DETAILS

WHAT: Antonio@31 tapas bar and restaurant

LOCATION: Rua 31 de Janeiro in Sao Tome, Panjim

TIMINGS: Open daily (from 12 noon to 11 pm)

PRICING: Cocktails are in the range of Rs 300 – Rs 450, while food is priced between Rs 250 and Rs 500

FOR RESERVATIONS: +91 83800 57888