TAVERNS OF GOA

MAFIA COCKTAIL – A TAVERN WITH CHARACTER

Jade Dsa Images by Jade Dsa

In the Goa of yore, the local ‘bar ’ was an ubiquitous part of every village. Found on street corners, by the fields, in the marketplace, or virtually anywhere, it was where most menfolk would convene every evening for a swig of cheap liquor. Dimly lit, smelling of smoke and strong alcohol, it used to be a place you wouldn ’t want to be caught dead in. Yet, with time and with growing popularity of swanky pubs blasting the latest reel-music, serving finely crafted cocktails and pub food, the humble Goan bar is slowly coming to be seen as ‘ charming. ’

Like tie-dye tshirts and patched-up jeans,

Goa ’ s local bars are back in vogue, and spending an evening at these village watering holes now features on tourists ’ to-do lists. In North Goa, Mafia Cocktail in Pilerne is one of the most popular ones. A dark and dingy exterior that makes you question whether this family-run bar is closed or not, is only the start of your experience. Tony, who owns the place, Rosy (the cook) and a couple of servers cater to the bar that houses around 8 tables. Quirky posters and interesting table décor are quite fun to read as you wait for your meal. There are no menus here, you ’ll need to ask your server what’ s available and they ’ll rattle out the menu to you. Featuring on the menu are items like Choris Sausages, Beef Tongue, Aad Maas, fried prawns/fish/shellfish, fried meats, pork ribs, sorpotel, sannas, roast beef, prawn pulao, Chicken Xacuti and the like. Vegetarians may not enjoy Mafia Cocktail for the menu is skewed largely towards carnivores. I should also mention that when you dine at Mafia Cocktail and in general, all other restaurants of the same caliber, you will need to leave your expectations at the front door. Expect to wait for a while to get your order taken, wait again for your meal to arrive and wait again, for the bill. All your food may not come to the table at once and you will inevitably have the staff forget your order. You will hear the servers squabble with each other and have a cat jump into your lap, but that comes with the experience of visiting small, local joints like these. However, one taste of the food and (hopefully) you will forget all your inhibitions and irritations.

The food really is fantastic for the most part but may not always be consistent. The Tongue Roast and fried seafood still stand out in my memory, whereas the choris was too hard to eat and still had raw masala on it, the second time I ordered it here. For this, Mafia Cocktail has its fair share of lovers and haters. Being someone with an affinity towards desserts, I’d advise you to skip dessert. To be fair, local

bars aren ’t places known for great desserts! What they are known for, after all, is good drinks? At this local bar, the spirits are freeflowing until the wee hours of the morning, and you ’ll find your choice of beer, whiskies and other bevvies. Naturally, Urrak and Feni are popular picks among patrons. No cocktails at Mafia Cocktail, though! All in all, Mafia Cocktail is one of Goa ’ s best taverns and for locals, it is their ‘ comfort zone, ’ – a no-frills place that you can ’t help but visit again.