Jaali Boutique & Cafe has been one of Patnem’s most gorgeous garden restaurants. Their food here, made from the freshest ingredients, is a mix of Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern and European. The in-house shop curates treasures from all over India and is a true delight to browse. In true mezze style, the Jaali peeps encourage sharing plates and their serving size ensures that there’s enough room for you to try more than one thing on the menu. We love that there are also enough options for everyone from vegans to carnivores. The bar dishes out some mean coffee and even meaner cocktails. Cakes, teas, salads or meats… They keep things innovative with specials every now and then. Our favourites include martini, cauliflowers in tahini, seafood dishes and messy eggs.
Once we’re done eating, we always hop over to the boutique. The store, with its rustic white walls and a nostalgic vibe, stocks up finds from all over India along with stuff that’s sourced from designers based out of Goa. You can find dohars, vintage furniture, jewellery, souvenirs, art, lamps, men’s and women’s apparel, bikinis and more. Kate, the chief creative force behind Jaali, is an interior designer and her eye for beauty plays a huge part in bringing all these curated things to the yard.
They host regular pop-ups, invite musicians, host special feasts, organise movie screenings, call people over to dance in the garden, do art workshops and many other things. Like most places in Goa, they live life in the moment and do a whole lot of fun, cool stuff, which is easy to be a part of if you follow them on social media. Sometimes, they even offer to take care of the kiddos with movies and workshops so the adults can sneak some me-time. In all, they’re nice folks.