Gunpowder
Tucked away in South Goa’s lush hinterland, Gunpowder is part of a new wave of restaurants across India that prove regional cuisine can be both fiercely local and internationally appealing. Housed in a 150-year-old Portuguese villa, the eatery turns out slow-cooked Keralan beef fry, flaky Malabar parottas and smoky Andhra chilli pork, all served on banana leaves amid a courtyard scented with frangipani. It is a reminder that India’s culinary map extends far beyond butter chicken, and that the most memorable meals often hide down a dusty village road.
Saunto Waddo, 6, Anjuna Mapusa Rd, Assagao, Goa 403510, India
+91 79725 91678
4.5/5 (Read the Reviews)
Tucked into a quiet Assagao lane, Gunpowder distills the subcontinent’s spice trail into a concise, confident menu—think Andhra chilli pork, Keralan beef fry and fluffy appams—served in a shaded courtyard that feels miles from the Anjuna traffic; service is relaxed yet informed, prices honest, and the 4.5-rating is no fluke.
| Sunday | 12:30–4 PM, 7–11 PM |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 12:30–4 PM, 7–11 PM |
| Wednesday | 12:30–4 PM, 7–11 PM |
| Thursday | 12:30–4 PM, 7–11 PM |
| Friday | 12:30–4 PM, 7–11 PM |
| Saturday | 12:30–4 PM, 7–11 PM |
More information
Where exactly is Gunpowder restaurant in Goa?
Gunpowder sits in the quiet Assagao village at Saunto Waddo, just off the busy Anjuna–Mapusa Road; punch 403510 into your GPS and look for the old Portuguese house with a tiny verandah—there’s no big signboard, only the smell of curry leaves and the clatter of plates that gives it away.
Do I need to reserve a table before showing up?
Yes, call +91 79725 91678 around lunchtime; the 22-seat dining room fills fast with both tourists and Bangalore designers who drive down for the pork vindaloo and appam, and the staff will happily hold a table for 30 minutes if you’re running late on the narrow Goa roads.
What kind of food does Gunpowder serve?
The kitchen tours South India without a passport: expect Andhra chilli beef, Kerala beef fry, Chettinad chicken, and Goan sausage plated on rustic steel thalis; everything is cooked to order in mustard oil and curry leaves, so the heat level is authentic—ask for “Goan mild” if you need respite.
Is the 4.5-star rating on Google justified?
The 4.5 rating sticks because the food is consistent, the ingredients are fresh, and the servers know when to hover or vanish; reviewers keep coming back for the warm serradura and the cold toddy, forgiving the slow service that creeps in when every table orders the same pepper mutton.