Jaali Boutique and Cafe - Palolem

Had such a fun dinner recently while visiting Canacona with family. We went the night they were screening "Grease" outdoors and our group of five adults and seven kids enjoyed the food and the fun atmosphere. We sampled drinks prior to dinner - there's something for everyone - even the kiddos. I honestly can't remember ALL the dishes we ordered (so many), but I can say we ordered/ate/reordered and thoroughly enjoyed the rosemary chips/fries! For dessert everyone loved getting their own order of churros! The service was helpful and relatively quick, provided how busy it was. I loved these decorative details too - the cloth napkins matching with the Jaali Cafe sign and the star lantern lights.

I visited Jaali last week as they had a special evening screening of the cult classic movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show (with one of the film's actresses present as a special surprise). I got there early so managed to get a great table at the front for myself and friends. The beers are cold and well priced, but I wouldn't order any of the spirit based drinks here as they don't seem to offer local spirits and therefore the prices are quite high. The menu itself is handmade and imaginative in its construction, but this place offers only tapas style dishes, so be prepared to be ordering a few dishes which of course will make your evening a little more expensive than other places. Having said that, I enjoyed the tamarind prawns and the salad and bread dishes I ordered, and the other dishes on the menu sounded delicious too. The outdoor setting is delightful and pretty, and the kitchen/bar area has been constructed to add to the visual appeal of this place with great lighting and plenty of friendly staff. Yes, there is a 10% service charge added to your bill at the end of the evening which I also don't like, but reading from previous comments that Kate, the owner has made about the reasons why she chose to put that on her menu I can understand her reasoning for it as she does have good, attentive, pleasant staff. For something a little different, and for special occasions, this place is a visual and culinary treat with a menu that is different and inspired.

Jaali likes to do things with a bit of flair. Their cocktails all have an original twist. I had a chilli Mojito and it was delicious. There was a whole chilli in it which gave it a great zing. The food is Tapas like so order two or three dishes. We went in a big crowd on a Saturday night and waited an hour for the bill. They were very apologetic.

A little different - European food - compared to the offered on the beach. right next door very good massages.

Some of the best food I've ever eaten in India, and that's saying something! I've recommended this place to everyone visiting South Goa.