Hold Your Breath, Guys! We Found A Bar On A Mini Island In South Goa

What used to be Jojo’s Sundowner, on the Northern end of Palolem, is now run by an Indian-German couple under the name Sundowner. It’s right next to Monkey Island and offers bonfires by the beach, two bars, huts to stay and breathtaking views of the sunset (and moon rise). In short, it’s a rare find.

When Ritika and Kim took over this beautiful property from Jojo (he passed away but regulars will fondly tell you stories about him), they had a big challenge at hand. They wanted to retain the character of this place, what with its rustic bar and multi-level sit outs already had people falling in love. At the same time, they wanted to give it a more eco-friendly spin and hence, they slowly made the shift to solar power and even started recycling water. An extension of this are the bamboo huts that Kim's currently working on getting ready by the end of November.

Truth be told, nothing about this place is ordinary. Whether it’s the thought of huddling by a bonfire next to the beach or walking down to the rocks where the beach ends or just sipping wine and staring at the stars with bae, it cocoons you from civilisation (and Palolem’s party crazy crowd). But don't worry, we aren't going to send you to a marooned island on exile... Sundowner actually manages to look party ready and secluded and romantic at the same time. Don’t ask us how they do it, but they do. And, the best days to make a trek would be Fridays. 

The menu for now is mainly vegetarian with woodfired pizzas (we had one with spinach, garlic and one with mushrooms and marinara sauce and both were kickass). They intend on adding fish and seafood pretty soon though. Other than that, their bar is well-stocked and we spent a blissful evening in the soft glimmer of the candle, GnTs in hand and the beach for constant company.

Oh and if the night goes too well (one drink too many?) and the tide is high, they might offer you a free boat ride back to land. How cool is that?!

Nothing. It’s wonderful the way it is. And non-vegetarians who are still sulking, please walk back to Palolem beach to eat all the meat ever and leave us to our wine and views. Thank you very much. 

They host full moon parties that are quite popular (FB is a good way to find out about the next one). The spot is also a great location for an intimate get together or a dream wedding by the sea.

They’re open from October to April and shut rest of the year (check their website for exact dates every season). The good news: They’re up and running all days of the week from 11am to midnight.