TC @ Adchini

Directions:  Straight from the IIT flyover, passing IIT on your left, keep coming down that road, till you hit a traffic light and TC is on your left. Parking is a bit of a bitch.

Back in the day, TC was IT. And then it was short for Turquoise Cottage and I even named my cat after the bar (although I tell people it's TC for The Cat) and they had a basement section and you could go in and meet everyone you knew. NOW, TC (original) has reopened and done away with the basement, but little else has changed. You can still smoke inside (hello, burny eyes!), there are still people head banging to Rage Against The Machine, it's still very loud, and the crowd is still very young. Hurray! Or not! But, cheap-ish drinks and a chance to go down memory lane--if you like a retro song, in all likelihood they'll play it for you. Be prepared, if you're a short person to get jostled a fair amount.

Cavala @ Baga Beach

How to get there: Get to Baga beach, ask for the Britto's road. A little while after the crossroads, look for a sign with a fish on it on your right.

Previously at Cavala:
eM has THIRTEEN tequila shots.
eM has no memory of the ensuing evening.

So, I was kinda embarrassed about going back, but seriously, off-season time in Goa isn't exactly party central and Baga beach is the only one with a little life. Besides, Cavala, sober, is lovely. It's quite cheap too--1350 per room for the non-AC superior kind--and they have the nicest pool, which we had pretty much to ourselves. (More details on The Compulsive Confessor).

Cavala has three retro-ish evenings on the weekends--a live band all three days, but I liked the Friday night band the most. The drinks are a little more expensive than the shacks, but they do lovely food and hey, expensive for Goa is 250 for a drink as opposed to 150.

We asked the band to play Breakfast at Tiffany's or Wild Thing, which they didn't know, but they did oblige with a very nice version of Ain't No Sunshine. All in all, Cavala + off season = lovely mix of liveliness and having the place to yourself.

Want a place reviewed? Want to review something yourself? Send me an email with the subject line DD review to thecompulsiveconfessorATgmailDOTcom