Cavatina by Avinash Martins

A Goa native, chef Avinash Martins comes from a long line of seafarers and fishermen who have chartered the Arabian Sea for generations. After refining his skills at some of India’s most prestigious kitchens, cooking for the country’s elite and working alongside international talents, Martins settled back in Goa, where it all started. Cavatina is Martins’ love letter to the flavours of his childhood, and each plate tells the story of communities that seldom see the limelight, whose food is often left out of fine-dining menus. Traditional Goan prawn curry is presented as a bisque sprinkled with furikake spice; crab claws are served over an Aldona chilli pepper sauce that nods to the Portuguese colonial period of the Konkan region; while a breakfast staple is reimagined with miniature aloo paratha (a popular Indian flatbread stuffed spicy mashed potato), pickled prawns, tempered yoghurt and a garnish of caviar. The out-of-the-way location in Benaulim seems almost deliberate: this is a table that deserves space on your itinerary.

Tatler Tip

Don’t skip the cocktails, which are crafted with local ingredients and India’s indigenous spirit, Feni