THE BIG BINGE - GOOD OLD GOAN SPIRIT

Tavernas were once a pillar of Goan social life. Today, a new generation of Goans stand against the tide of their dwindling numbers, giving them hip makeovers while highlighting the sense of character that made them special in the first place

- Joanna Lobo

A small board at the entrance of Cifa Bar invites people to have a ‘megical day and night’. Inside, the narrow room is done up in green, with an altar, and signs announce the availability of masala caju (feni) and fresh urrak. Served in recycled Honeybee bottles, these traditional tipples come with a helping of dried prawns or boiled chana. The only anomaly is Camila Cabello playing on the speakers, and even that is oddly fitting.

OLD PHOTOS AND PORCELAIN PLATES LINE THE WALLS OF JOSEPH BAR, AND A SHELF OF OLD CLOCKS CONFIRM THAT, HERE, TIME HAS STOOD RELATIVELY STILL

This is a classic example of the Goan tavern, a quintessential, local watering hole where drinks are served with a side of conversation. Once an important pillar of Goan social life, tavernas traditionally distinguished themselves from each other in myriad ways: from the clientele they served (some stayed open all night, catering to night shift workers) and the types of feni or snacks on offer, to the variety of ways to pass the time in the bar, be they games of carrom, cards, or the now-illegal matka. Even their distinct locations played a role in their appeal, for they were an assortment of riverside haunts, hole-in-the-walls tucked in the lanes of the capital, and village institutions. Yet they were all places regulars could stop by for a cop (a shot) and catch up on news or village gossip, before heading home or to work.