my story: Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro, Panaji, Goa.

Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro is part of and is located in Fontainhas.

Fontainhas is the oldest Latin Quarter in Panjim, the capital of Goa. It has the unique distinction of being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Zone for preserving 350 years of Portuguese architectural style and traditions. The houses in the narrow street are painted bright shades of blue, yellow, green and red, with red-tiled roofs. As per law, the house structure has to be maintained in its original form, and they have to be repainted after every monsoon to preserve their distinct brightness.

The Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro was established and started as a bakery turning out its bakery products on wood-burning ovens in 1930. Almost matching Fontainhas in its ancestry. Being part of the UNESCO World Heritage Zone, 31 De Janeiro benefits from its fame and increased footfall from a very large number of tourists, taking pride that even today the products and the bakery savouries are still being made on a wood-fired oven for their distinct flavours. At the same time, it suffers from the fact that as a modern-day restaurant it has to operate in a building constructed, most probably as a residence and totally unsuitable to serve as proper accommodation for a restaurant. This becomes most obvious when most of the visitors in a group as small as four are unable to find seats where they can sit as a group. A sort of solution has been found by creating additional seats by placing iron chairs and ‘mario-tile’ weatherproof tables in the lane outside the cafeteria. However, a notice warns the patrons, “ This is a public lane. Please do not move the chairs and tables, resulting in obstruction of the public lane…….”

We visited this place twice, at different times, and both times we could not find a table/place where five of us could sit at one place. If one wants to enjoy the visit to Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro, one must find a time when it is less crowded. Positively avoid weekends, holidays and tourist ‘season’.

The exterior is painted white. This came as a bit of a surprise as I thought that in Fontainhas, white colour was meant only for religious structures, such as churches, chapels, and convents.

Plenty of artificial roses against the brilliant white of walls present a colourful and pleasant visual.

We tried almost all the popular dishes. For a bakery that has been operating since 1930, for the last seventy-five years plus, the products are average, and not a single item leaves a lasting taste or impression on your palate. In fact, their cold coffee was not room temperature, but definitely was not 'cold'. Pastes de nata must have been "blistered under high heat because it was quite hot, causing discomfort when I got to eat it!

I feel Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro should be visited as a tourist attraction, which it seems to have become, and not as a visit to a cafe where you go to enjoy Goan sweets & savouries.