The coastal surroundings of Goa have a new and unique restaurant with a mix of Portuguese cultural vibes and pan-India delights, including the puchka and other famous chaats. The restaurant called ‘Vaarta’
is owned by Neha Mehta, who spoke about the idea and her entire setting with CN Traveller during an interaction.
The restaurant, which opened on February 22 in Sangolda, is a spacious property that overlooks the beautiful green fields of the village. The food setting is based within a 160-year-old Portuguese house, which carries signs of that era’s architectural brilliance
amid shades of bright white and green borders. Adding to the place’s coastal beats are tall trees and dense greenery.
The entrance to the restaurant unveils the sight of an old well, which is believed to be typical of Goan households of the Portuguese times. Once past that well, visitors enter a courtyard with a triangular roof structure, which inspired by the adjacent oyster-shell
windows. It features two black-and-white tiled counters. These counters contain clay matkas with spiced water, chutneys and potato mixtures for puchka. This area acts symbolic of Mehta’s Kolkata upbringing.
The restoration work has been so good that the home’s original structure is pretty much intact. On the opening day, Mehta invited her neighbours as the first guests at the restaurant. During the interview, the owner revealed she learnt about the place’s origin
and history through this family. The interiors of the restaurant are arranged across interconnected rooms, featuring cascading light, different-shaped lamps, and a large community table.
What’s on The Menu?
The menu reflects the owner’s tastes and experiences as a person shifting to Goa after growing up in Kolkata. Mehta brings pan-India delights to the menu. Unlike other Goa eateries and cafes, Vaarta offers regional Indian street food and a varied set of delicacies
for visitors to enjoy.
Mehta believes in providing her customers with a more relatable and flavourful experience, with regional ingredients and techniques used in preparing the recipes. Whether it is the jhal muri, torkri chaat, vada pav, ragda patties, papdi chaat and palak patta
chaat. You will get it all here. The menu, however, isn’t limited to street food from Mumbai, Lucknow and North India. You will also find the best dishes from Bengali, Kashmiri, Tamil and Gujarati cuisines.
