In the quiet and serene beach village of Cavelossim lies a very popular restaurant called Robin’s Ark. This restaurant-cum-bar, which is located within the Luisa by the Sea villa complex, is a very popular place that receives thousands of tourists as well as locals every year. The beautiful Cavelossim beach is just a 5-minute walk away from the restaurant.
In a brief chat with Its Goa, Mr. Kanric D’mello, Managing Partner of Robin’s Ark, gave us an insight into the history of the restaurant, the dishes it is famous for, their future plans and lots more…
Excerpts
Tell us a little about the origin of your restaurant. What was it like in the beginning, the idea, the concept, the thought process?
Well, it is a family run business managed by me and my three brothers. All four of us, being huge foodies and having tried cuisines throughout the world, wanted to bring the global cuisine to South Goa. Having absolutely no experience in the hospitality sector, but having an understanding of what really good food tastes like, gave us the motivation to start our own restaurant.
When was that exact moment when you decided to start this venture?
Coming from a business family and having a strong love for food, we felt there was a gap to be filled. We wanted to do more and contribute to the food industry thus portraying the quality and type of food we love.
What is your restaurant famous for?
The steaks that we serve here are cooked using the sous vide technique and we get rave reviews about it. We are also famous for our signature dishes like the hanging chicken cafreal, veg spanakopita, Mongolian beef, prawns madrasi and the recently added new handcrafted gin cocktail menu which complements our food perfectly.
What makes you stand out from your competition? What are your USPs and strengths?
The food definitely ! The global contemporary food that we serve in our restaurant is unique and you won’t find it anywhere else. It is the result of days, sometimes months of trials, innovation and conceptualisation by our head chef. The classic Indian as well as Goan cuisines on our menu are of the highest quality and can be compared to what one would get in a five-starred restaurant.
What kind of clientele do you cater to?
Our clientele mainly comprises a healthy mix of locals and Indian tourists. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, we used to cater to a lot of Russian and English clientele as well.
What makes your restaurant unique to customers?
Most of the dishes that we serve here are very unique and you won’t find them anywhere else. The menu is curated in such a way that it can excite the taste buds of any customer who sits to dine with us. Continuous sea breeze and the live entertainment are just an added bonus.
What was the biggest challenge when starting this venture? And how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge when starting this venture was definitely deciding on what kind of cuisine we would want to serve at our restaurant, since we cater to a vast type of clientele from all over the world. Finding the right balance in terms of the type of food we put out on the menu and understanding how the client would react to it, considering different taste buds, was one of the biggest challenges.
What are your plans for the next few years?
Our plans for the next few years would be to emerge as one of the best restaurants in Goa, to maintain our consistency in terms of the quality of food and drinks that we serve and to have continued growth for the years to come. Probably another Robin’s Ark outlet in Goa wouldn’t hurt so much also!
What is the legacy you want this restaurant to leave behind?
Well, Robin’s Ark is named after our father Mr. Robinson D’mello. His years of hard work and dedication gave us brothers the opportunity and motivation to start our own venture, despite having no experience in the hospitality sector at all. Robin’s Ark doing well in the years to come would be an inspiration to all entrepreneurs starting out, that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible.
What thought would you like to leave our readers with?
We got food for your every mood and also, it’s better down south!
Robins Ark Bar & Restaurant
Location: Opp. Novotel Dona Sylvia, Luisa by the Sea Complex, Mobor , Cavelossim
For reservations, call 088477 78388
You can follow Robin’s Ark Bar and Restaurant on:
Facebook at www.facebook.com/robinsarkgoa
Instagram at www.instagram.com/robins.ark
