Casco Viejo Restaurants

During our week-long visit to Panama City, we stayed in Casco Viejo area. This is a small sampling of the neighborhood’s many restaurants and cafes.

Casco Viejo is tiny and compact (you can walk from one end to the other in about 15 min), yet its restaurant scene is vibrant and competitive. Like other touristy areas, many establishments deploy attractive young men and women with menus in hand to invite you in as you walk by. A local expat told me that places often come and go. On several days we went by a highly-rated restaurant, but it was never open (though its sign was still out front).

That said, we didn’t have a bad meal or a bad experience. With a little research and careful picking, Casco Viejo has a right restaurant or cafe for every budget and occasion.

We are will be publishing more posts on our Panamá City travel experience. Check our website soon!

Quick recommendations:

Special occasion dinner –  Laboratorio Madrigal

Good meal with drinks – Tantalo

Breakfast or lunch spot – Super Gourmet

Quick snack or gelato – Benissimo Gelato & Cafe

Google Maps

 

Benissimo Gelato & Cafe – Gelato/Coffee/Snacks $ (website)

• We bought empanadas for to-go. We tried queso/cheese and pollo/chicken, and they came with a spicy sauce on the side. They were less than $3 each and made great snacks between meals.
• They also serve coffee, pastries, and sandwiches (online reviews are generally positive), and the service is very friendly.
• Later we found out that they make their gelatos in house, with coconut being their specialty. We will definitely have to try it next time we are here.

Capital Bistró Panamá – Latin/Seafood $$$ (facebook page)

• A place with panoramic view of Panamá City skyline (sit on the roof deck, which is on its upper level entrance on Ave. Eloy Alfaro)
• We had grilled sea bass (served with radish salad on top of squash base) and red snapper (with shiitake mushrooms and grilled potato). Sea bass was cooked to perfection with great savory flavor. Red snapper was a little blend and sweet, but paired well with the shiitake mushrooms.
• Dinner price range is $20 to $30 without drinks or appetizer. While not the cheapest eats in town, the food is solid, service is efficient and friendly, and the view just can’t be beat! If budget is a concern, have food elsewhere and come here to soak up the view with a aperitif or digestif.

Cafe Coca Cola – Panamanian Diner $ (facebook page)

• This is a local greasy spoon. Decor is quaint, menu is laminated and frayed, service is friendly but with little English, and food is cheap (we spent less than $11 before tip on breakfast with coffee)
• My wife had fried eggs on pancake, while I had two eggs with bacon. Food tasted just OK, though not bad.
• With low prices, this place draws locals from surrounding neighborhoods not yet gentrified (I would not recommend venturing too far away from this corner, especially after dark).
• When we ate, patrons chatted and joked with each other, old folks read newspapers while drinking coffee, and vendors hawking lottery tickets milled in and out, all while paying no attention to tourists like us. This is a place where you can still get a dying glimpse of Panamá City and Casco Viejo from yesteryear.

Diablicos – Panamanian Cuisine $$-$$$ (website)

• Named after indigenous masks adorning its interior walls, this restaurant with 2 floors of dining area plus outside tables serves up solid local cuisines. You can probably find cheaper Panamanian foods elsewhere in the city (their traditional dinner plates are $15 to $20 excluding drinks), but you are paying for its fun atmosphere and its Casco Viejo location.
• We had Arroz con Pollo (chicken fried rice) and Lechona Santeña (suckling pig with tamales). The chicken dish was abundant, and suckling pig was tender and flavorful, while the tamales (not the typical Mexican kind) reminded me a good chicken enchilada all meshed up in a bowl.
• I also had a mixed drink called Diablico, a local drink. The taste was a bit on the herby side but wasn’t totally horrible; I am glad I tried it but not sure if I will order it again.
• On Thursday to Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon, they put on an indigenous dance performance. If you can’t make it, watch TV screens in the dining room and you will get a flavor of it.

Grapes Restaurant & Bar – Italian $$$ (website)

• A well appointed restaurant in northwestern corner of Casco Viejo, we walked by this place a number of times before deciding to give it a try.
• The service is friendly but a bit spotty. There was only one waiter and one bus boy on the Thursday night we visited, and at one point the hostess had to take order for a large table. I ordered a glass of wine and had to ask for it after appetizer was served.
• They gave us a seafood soup as amuse-bouche, which was quite good. We shared a tuna tartare for appetizer. For entrees, we had risotto with beef and prawn (and it came with one prawn, literally) and fettuccine with salmon. While the fettuccine was good, we found the tuna tartare and risotto on the salty side, masking delicate flavors of other ingredients.
• This is not a cheap restaurant (entrees are in the $20 to $30 range). Perhaps we visited on an off night for them. With salty food and uneven service, I would recommend going to Capital Bistró Panamá around the corner; you will pay about the same prices, but will enjoy a better view if not better food and service.

Laboratorio Madrigal – Mediterranean/Fusion $$$$ (website)

• This restaurant is definitely a special occasion place. If you come here on a weekend evening, reservation is highly recommended.
• You enter the restaurant from a side entrance, and walk under a small arch to enter the bar and dining area. Though it is not huge, they were able to fit a number of tables in a well appointed space without feeling cramped.
• The wait staff is professional, friendly, and efficient. They all seemed well trained and able to speak some English.
• We were given a pumpkin soup and a small Asian dumpling as amuse-bouche. Both were very delicious (pork inside the dumpling reminded me of Mexican machaca). We had tuna tostadas and guacamole with chips for appetizers, and both were delectable. The flower-decorated tostadas were the cutest thing, and the guacamole had just the right balance of lime and salt.
• Their white wine by the glass that night was a Albariño from Ribeira Sacra region of Spain. It was bright, crisp, and paired well with seafood.
• I had covinva (a type of fish similar to sea bass) served with fennel and other vegetables, while my wife had pargo (red snapper) with zucchini. Both dish were excellent, with the freshness of the fish taking center stage.
• We had arroz con leche for dessert; it was supposed to have lychee flavor but we couldn’t really taste it, though accompanying coconut sorbet was pretty good.
• This dinner came to about $160 for two persons (2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 1 dessert, 2 glasses of wine, 1 lemonade, 1 coffee, and 1 digestif). Though pricey, it was not outrageous, as a similar meal at a restaurant by a one Michelin Star chef would set you back at least twice that amount in the U.S. or Europe.

Nazca 21 – Peruvian $$ (facebook page)

• Located behind the cathedral, this Peruvian restaurant may not have the strongest curb appeal, but makes up with outstanding food and good value. Price is very reasonable (most plates are in mid-teens).
• We shared two dishes. Chupe de Camarones Arequipeño (Arequipa-style prawns soup) was made of a yummy seafood consommé full of prawns and rice, topped with a dollop of cream. Corvina Rellona con Camarones (a fish fillet stuffed with prawns) was also very tasty and satisfying, served with rice and topped with a creamy sauce.
• For dessert, we had flan with quinoa. It was firm in texture and just right amount of sweetness.
• Next time we are in town, we will definitely head back to this place and try its fried ceviche.

Restaurants at Mercado de Marisco – Panamanian Seafood $-$$

• About a 10 minute walk from central Casco Viejo, a row of restaurants under a large pavilion of outside seating  flanks Mercado de Marisco (Seafood Market). After walking through a gauntlet of servers hawking menus, we decided on Mirador del Pacifico (though we don’t think you can go wrong with most of them). 
• We had fish and mixed seafood ceviche served in fried plantain cups, served with salad (it was about $12). You can also get a small styrofoam cup of ceviche for about $3 to $4 each. The table next to us had a fried red snapper (the whole fish) served on top of rice, looking really delicious and a total gut bomb!
• We were there on a Sunday morning and there were many large family and friends gatherings, along with couples and tourists. Definitely a great place for people watching while munching on local seafood dishes.

Super Gourmet – Sandwich/Deli $ (website)

• Expats and tourists love this breakfast and lunch spot for good reasons. Prices are reasonable (sandwiches are $4 to $8 depending size and content), food is delicious, and service is great. Marco (Mark) and the attentive staff take great care of of regulars and newcomers alike.
• I had a Chorizo english muffin sandwich. My wife had a chicken soup, and we shared a caesar salad. The chicken soup comforted my wife as she had a cold. The waitress who brought out the soup learned about my wife’s cold and recommended a medication to buy at the local pharmacy (as she had just battled the same ailment.) My wife speaks fluent Spanish so your mileage may vary, and we are definitely not promoting getting your medical or pharmacy advice from a non-medical person.
• On a second visit, we only grabbed drinks (as we had a little time to kill before our departure). We ran into a local expat who was very kind in spending his time telling us about this area and his experience living here, and even brought us to his flat next door to show us around.

Tacos La Neta – Mexican $$ (website)

• We went there for a quick lunch. Outside seatings are in the center courtyard of building with so-so ambience, with two indoor dining rooms on each side (in case you want to be in air-conditioned area).
• The menu was straight forward as tacos are their main offering: 3 tacos of various filling choices. I had one with shrimp, one with carnitas, one with lengua. They were small but fairly delectable.
• Each plate of 3 small tacos costed $10. Consequently, I feel there are other places you can get better value for your money, but if you are craving for tacos in Casco Viejo, this is not a bad place to get your fix.

Tantalo – Latin Fusion $$-$$$ (website)

• This establishment includes a hotel, a restaurant, and a roof bar all in one building.
• The service of the dining room staff is excellent. When the bartender found out my wife had a sore throat, he made a house-specialty of ginger, lemon, and mint tea on the house (we tipped him well, of course). Prices are very reasonable for the location, service, atmosphere, and quality of food. Most appetizers/small plates are around $10, with entrees between $15 to $25.
• We shared grilled meat platter and antipasto appetizer dish. The meat platter had tenderloin steaks, chicken breast, and chorizo sausage, served with grilled tomato and caramelized onions plus chimichurri sauce. The meat were tender and well flavored (chicken breast was juicy). Onions aren’t usually on top of my list, but I could not stop eating them here. Chimichurri sauce had just the right amount of heat. The simple, rustic, yet well-executed antipasto were stacks of grilled zucchini, eggplant, and red pepper.
• Though the bar and dining room is whimsically decorated and cozy and can keep you hanging out for hours with your friends, don’t forget the roof bar! An elevator behind the dining room will whisk you up to a large roof deck with a view of Panama City skyline on one side and overlooking Casco Viejo’s rooflines on the other. This fun and energetic spot draws locals and tourists for a night cap, and therefore no doubt crowded on the weekends.

The Pink Panther – Panamanian Bar Fare $$ (website)

• Located on Plaza de la Catedral, this is a good place for people watching (locals come and go through the plaza, or just mill about on a warm evening).
• The service is friendly but somewhat slow. This establishment (and the one next door) employees young ladies with black tank top and short skirt as their main dress code, so don’t expect them to be professionally trained waitresses.
• We had ceviche (tasty) and tacos de conchinita (a bit on the sweet side); they were appetizer dishes and each plate was about $8 to $10. This is probably a place you may just want to come and have a drink or light bites.

Mentionable places outside of Casco Viejo:

La Vaspa in Obarrio – Italian $$$-$$$$ (website)

• Great Italian foods in Obarrio neighborhood. Dining room inside looks very formal as it is a place where local business folks comes for lunch and dinner. We sat outside with another tourist couple from US so we didn’t feel much out of place in our casual travel outfits.
• We had pizza and pasta and they were simply sublime. If you are in Obarrio area, this place is definitely worth checking out.

Mi Ranchito in Isla Noas Amador Causeway – Panamanian Cuisine $$ (website)

• We stopped at this local institution on Isla Noas while doing a quick bike tour.
• We just wanted some light snacks so we ordered empanada and fried calamari. The food was good but not especially fabulous. However, lots of locals streamed in and out of the place while we ate, so they must be doing something right.