Villa Nova in Arpora is welcoming pizza and peace seekers with a space that’s got a cafe, pizzeria and a cocktail bar all neatly packed into a whole. We’re heading here for Sunday brunches and date nights because we can’t decide whether we like the white walls and plants more in the day or twinkling lights and a starry sky at night. An old house that’s been given a stellar makeover, Villa Nova goes for the whole sweet and simple (less is more) philosophy. The couple that runs the show here, Aliya and Imran, get their friendly pups over and the place has this Mediterranean vibe to it.
There’s a tiny indoor bar with artworks sourced from an artist in Mapusa, so you’ll see elements from local folklore and culture and be greeted with plants, rooster paintings — all the while being soaked in warm afternoon sunlight. There's also a social bar in another room that’ll be your best friend for tipsy conversations once the rains come on (we can tell you there’s a gorgeous wall art underway).
The menu at Nova is a tribute to all the food Aliya and Irfan love from around the world. This is why, the familiarity of finding Aglio Olio pasta, Green Curry, Calamari Fry, Nasi Goreng and Fish And Chips along with the freshest salads (our favourite is Baby Spinach & Roasted Pumpkin), made us sing with joy. And boy! They get the gyozas so right! We Ended the meal with a scoop of pistachio ice cream which was as light as a cloud and flavourful. We tried the spinach and pepperoni half and half pizza which they said was usually out of character for them. The woodfired, thin crust pizza was a delight with the sauce and toppings in a sort of perfect unison. Both the halves made both the halves on the lunch table very happy.
The food and beverages are on the costlier side and you might shell out INR 3,500 for two people.