I took my scooter from the south of Goa, especially to go and try the restaurants next to the river at Assolna on Monday...thinking that it would be a quieter day than the weekend to do so. I arrived quite early for lunch, like around...12.15 and found that a lot of tables already had 'Reserved' signs on them. However, the staff showed me to another small table where I could sit by myself and were happy when 5 minutes later I changed to another one right next to the water. It looks like they assign a waiter to each person or group as you sit down because I had the same one throughout my visit...a really lovely young man called Pravesh who turned out to be an absolute star during my visit. Immediately I sat down I was given a menu to peruse, and there was plenty of choice for all palates on there, from meat dishes like chicken xacuti to pork pepper fry, ox tongue, vegetable dishes and a huge list of different seafoods available at APS rates. I decided to order the oysters, though Pravesh told me they weren't fresh oysters still in the shell but rather cooked in different ways, which was fine...I had mine in butter garlic sauce, along with a mackerel in the same sauce. I also had a beer and Sprite to make a shandy whilst I was waiting. It didn't take long for the food to arrive. Both plates were loaded with chopped fried garlic which I absolutely adore! The mackerel itself was huge and there was a heap of oysters on my plate which were sooooo delicious! It was a lovely place to sit, with the breeze blowing in from the river. You could view the cruise boat from Cavelossim passing by whilst you had your lunch. It didn't take long for the whole restaurant to become full with locals, which for me is always a good sign. Despite how busy it was, Pravesh came to my table often to ask if I was OK or if I needed anything else. I really appreciated his friendliness. Above all, I'll remember this place because of how attentive the staff were. The facilities are good with a wash basin and soap for after you've dealt with your seafood, and the toilets were clean and tidy. Parking in the car park gets busy but there's plenty of room on the road outside. If there was just one tiny thing I'd change about this place it would be the music as it was a bit dated and 70s disco-ey, whereas some light jazz might suit the ambience better. But all in all, I had a fabulous visit and will be returning often to this hidden gem of a place because they've totally got it right!More