Inside Ourém In Goa: A 150-YO Gem Celebrities Like Manoj Bajpayee & Kiran Rao Keep Returning To

There are restaurants in Goa that chase trends, and then there is Ourém; it is quiet, understated and unexpectedly magnetic. The kind of place that makes people travelling with bodyguards and tight shooting schedules slip in quietly, stay longer than planned, and leave a little softer. Set in Fontainhas, Panjim’s Latin Quarter, the restaurant sits behind an old Portuguese door that feels more like a threshold to a culinary-rich escape. 

Ourém: 150-Year-Old Goan Heritage In Panjim’s Fontainhas

Inside, everything slows down, with terracotta floors, peeling but intentionally textured walls, cane lamps, and the kind of lighting that flatters both architecture and memory. Conversations don’t echo; they settle here well. Vishal Bhardwaj reportedly wandered around the space before finally sitting, adoring it absolutely like it deserves. 

Recently, four very recognisable faces, Kiran Rao, Manoj Bajpayee, Nimrat Kaur and Vishal Bhardwaj, did exactly that. Their visit to the place was like a live salute to the place. It showed dinner, silence and warmth inside a 150-year-old Goan home brought back to life.

The revival isn’t limited to walls. The food honours a culinary language that Goa nearly lost with Luso-Goan recipes rooted in homes, and not hotel kitchens. Chef Inês Soares Lobo cooks with a confident restraint; nothing feels reinvented for novelty or Instagram hoopla.

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Reviving Luso-Goan Classics: Ourém

The dish everyone seems to remember, including that star table, is the Frango à Cafreal. It is a deep green, smoke-induced yet comforting chicken preparation born from Goa’s colonial crossroads with Africa. It isn’t softened for tourists; it lands exactly as a grandmother would make it, as bold and full of story. The Prawn Balchão, full of tang and magic, plays contrast. The Kingfish with parra, pickled flavours folded into fresh local catch, reminds you that Goa was once a maritime trading hub. And the Caldin, whether prawn or vegetarian, brings everything down to a soothing whisper.

Dessert stays personal and warming! Arroz Doce, cinnamon-dusted rice pudding, shows the kind of comfort that feels like a memory even if you’ve never eaten it before.

And then there’s the bar, it almost has a personality of its own. The cocktail that impressed those visiting artists was the now-talked-about Gold Standard: a Cognac, Rye Whiskey, Vermouth blend, Amaro and bitters. Decadent without showing off, they reflect a quiet nod to Goa’s old gold trade.

Where: Fontainhas, Panjim, Goa
When: 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM & 7:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Cost: ₹1,500 for two approx.

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Owner Puru calls Ourém a love letter to Goa! Judging by the people who now seek it not for presence but for peace, the letter is being read, slowly, and with appreciation.

Cover Image Courtesy: Supplied