Tylden and Adit welcome you into a sunny new restaurant along the Calangute-Candolim road, just where resort Tio is. The blue and yellow cottage is converted into an adorable little restaurant – lined with bird cages at the entrance, along with arty décor and crafted wooden furniture that adds such a rustic vibe to it. There is a separate Game of Thrones corner for all the GOT fans out there.
The furnishing is so well done – large unevenly cut wooden panels converted into tables of different sizes, cushioned caned chairs and handcrafted chandeliers. The paintings and brick wall adds to the arty vibe to Tio Tilly’s. Though it’s less than ten meters away from the main road, it has its own quaint setting, since it’s located inside Resort Tio which again features lush greenery, a swimming pool and spacious rooms.
The owners who are former investment bankers have put in a thought into crafting the menu which includes some refreshingly light bites, scrumptious pizzas, non-messy toasted burgers and simplistic seafood preparations – all served with dips and sauces made in-house. They have a bunch of beer options and refreshing cocktails to sip on as you wait for your food.
The momos are a must try here. They have them in a few varieties – open dimsums called the shumai, regular chicken, prawn and vegetarian momos, fried variants of it and also a steamed version smeared with garlic sauce. Or just opt for the momo platter – which is a wholesome appetiser if you’re with a group of friends.
If not, go in for the simplistic butter basic prawns. They are nothing but prawns tossed in butter and cooked for the least time as possible, thus preserving the original taste of the fresh prawns. Though you can opt for other options like lemon mustard chilly fish, batter fried calamari or crispy chicken. But if you’re looking to try something different, opt for the vermicelli crusted prawn. It’s a crunchy addition to the menu – prawns crusted with vermicelli and served with a chilli mayo dip. It’s a slight variation of the golden fried prawns by giving dragon prawns a vermicelli coat that adds to the look and crunch.
The pizzas are basic – with everything right from the base in house. The thin crusted pizzas come in several variants like tandoori chicken/paneer, BBQ chicken twist and classic veggies. You can even opt for a classic margarita if you don’t mind the delightful cheesy thin crust goodness.
The burgers can be considered as well. They aren’t too chunky and not messy at all. You can opt for the crispy mustard mayo chicken if you’re a fan of Bengali food or just go in for the ‘thousand island crispy fish burger’. All the burgers are served with a salad and in-house dips.
They have a bunch of salads, sandwiches and pizzas as well. They also have the pink pizza, which not many places in Goa serve. The pink pizza is a variant that’s made using a combo of both – the red sauce and the white sauce which gives it the distinct colour.
They also have a bunch of tandoor items and Indian classics which include both – vegetarian and non-vegetarian items like murgh kadai, fish tikka masala and dal fry. For the mains, try their aromatic chicken or seafood pot rice. The warmly spiced basmati rice cooked with perfection is delightful and makes for a hearty meal.
For the desserts, you can opt for gulab jamun with ice cream or plain ice cream. But if you’re looking for some delicious Goan treat, go ahead and choose from between the delicious bebinca with ice cream or toffee seradurra. Who doesn’t love seradurra right?
Verdict: The restaurant is new and doing a great job with their food. The service needs to improve a bit, but it seems like they are working on it. The ambiance is perfect for a lunch with friends or family. You can also head there for a drink during the evening/night and chill over a Bira and some good food!