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Since my recent move to Goa, I see locals completely avoiding Calangute and Baga, and lamenting how Anjuna and Vagator might be following suit. For a restaurant in Goa to stand out, location is key. During the season, countless new shacks, bars and restaurants crop up right next to each other along these popular coastal stretches, with narrow, winding roads leading up to them. So when I walked into Jolene by the Sea, described to me as a serene haven in Anjuna (which I was initially sceptical about), I was pleasantly surprised. Here, in the midst of Anjuna’s crowded hospitality landscape, lay an unassuming gem delivering exactly what it promised—a tranquil beachside experience grounded in Goa’s breezy charm.
“Jolene by the Sea was a pandemic baby, brought to life through our love for travelling," former actor Amrita Arora Ladak begins. Realised along with her husband Shakeel Ladak, who has charted an extensive real estate footprint across India, F&B industry veterans Gaurav Batra and Ankit Tayal, and Michelin-starred culinary artist Chef Suvir Saran, this multi-helmed project had one goal: to bring the charm of worldwide travels to the heart of Goa. “When you enter, you could be anywhere in the world,” Amrita gushes. Inspired by their many travels to quaint coastal towns in Europe, the Ladaks personify Jolene (named after the ever-memorable Dolly Parton song) as the cultured traveller bursting with memories to share, and the design draws inspiration from this concept too. Amrita had a very clear idea of what Jolene should look like - “It had to resemble someone’s vacation home, filled with artifacts and memories that come from being well–travelled.”
Walled off from the main road with a 100-foot-long porous facade made of interwoven bamboo screens, Jolene’s location is its first selling point. With stunning 180-degree views of the roaring, glittering sea in the backdrop and not a single other restaurant or shack in view, Jolene carves out a beautiful spot for itself. Despite the undertone of glamour, the space feels laid back and approachable, channeling and elevating the easy charm of Goa. “For this concept, context was everything,” says Aayushi Malik, Founder-owner of Aayushi Malik Designs and the architect behind Jolene.
It starts with the material and colour palette—a consciously chosen mix of white and beige monotones complemented with fresh greens. Honed natural limestone, textural plastered walls, and an extensive use of bamboo and raffia bring forward a raw and organic quality that echoes the natural hues of the beach. Coupled with rich accents of oakwood, travertine-clad pillars and brushed brass, Malik orchestrates a balance between the raw and the refined, perfectly encapsulating the relaxed and carefree heart of the space. “It is the quality of light that makes Jolene even more stunning,” Amrita Arora chimes in. While lit up beautifully with natural light throughout the day, it is the sunset setting that truly awes. At night, soft, indirect lighting from chandeliers composed of wooden branches, and pendant lights made from wooden beads cast an ethereal glow.
At Jolene, one enjoys the ocean view from every space. To divide the sprawling (almost) 7,000-square-foot open-plan space seamlessly without hampering any lines of sight, Amrita turned to a movie for inspiration, The Glass House. As the name itself suggests, they erected a glass structure, taking cues from architecture seen commonly in Goan homes to optimise natural light, ventilation and cooling to regulate temperatures. The high ceilings and the sliding-folding glazing walls that open towards the ocean to allow the cool sea breeze to waft in together reduce dependence on artificial lighting and air conditioning for a major part of the day (despite Goa’s unrelenting heat), thus reducing the restaurant’s environmental footprint. Most materials were also sourced locally, from the Indian limestone used for the flooring to the woven bamboo screens of the facade, assembled on-site by local artisans. Textiles and decor also bolster the local context of the site and its heritage.
A variety of seating options diversify the experience at this restaurant in Goa—one could enjoy on plush sofas perched on the seaside, dining tables both in the glass house or outdoors, taller seats by their two bars or intimate cabanas that line the deck, covered with umbrella canopies made fully by hand using macrame made from sustainable natural cotton. The materials chosen for these seating options were all easy to maintain, lightweight, natural and breathable, in keeping with the variations in Goa’s tropical weather conditions, which proved to be one of the biggest challenges. The intense wind pressure on the site, which is perched on a seaside cliff, necessitated the use of material and structural joinery that could brace this force. The railings and facades are thus composed of reinforced double-glass panels, while the outdoors cabanas made with wood and bamboo use complex, double-braced joineries to anchor them to the floor.
In both essence and design, Jolene strives to celebrate the free-spirited Goan community, where every corner is filled with decor pieces that tell a story and evoke curiosity, beyond the initial wonder felt at its near-perfect setting.
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