Restaurants

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Hi there everyone,

I thought it would be fun to start a thread on restaurants and hangouts in Panama. Feel free to post info about places you’ve sampled and liked and anything else you’d like to share! (And remember, we also have a thread going on hotels, feel free to chime in there!)

Here are a few places I have enjoyed:

Dining out in Panama is a whole experience—we like to linger over our meals…talk for hours…order pre-dinner cocktails, wine with dinner, after-dinner drinks…and of course coffee and dessert. Anything less than three hours is just no fun. There are a lot of options, as new restaurants seem to open daily. But there are a few that manage to keep ‘em coming back.

Keep in mind that there are plenty of good restaurants out there, and taste is subjective: don’t be afraid to try places that aren’t on my list, as I may not have gotten to them yet, especially if they’re brand new. And if you find one that I’ve overlooked, I would love to hear about it!

I’m vegetarian, but my friends aren’t. I look for places that carnivores and vegetarians can enjoy. So the below are restaurants with great veggie options, but also plenty for the meat or seafood lover.

In no particular order, my top 10 favorite restaurants (for now):

1. Tantalo, Calle 8a Este & Ave. B, Casco Viejo; tel. +507 262-4030. This hotel’s signature restaurant features flavorful, imaginative tapas (try the beet carpaccio) and main courses. Seating is family-style, with patrons sharing bar-style tables. After dinner, head up to the rooftop bar for a drink overlooking Casco Viejo.

2. Habibi’s, Bella Vista’s Calle Uruguay sector (on 48th St.); tel. +507 264-3647. Good, hearty Lebanese/Mediterranean cuisine. Outdoor patio is airy and pleasant, great evening spot to watch the beautiful people walking by. Convenient location if you’d like to walk to a bar or disco after dinner…after you smoke a hookah or watch a belly dancer do her thing. Ok to dress casual.

3. Sake, Punta Pacifica, across from the Punta Pacifica Hospital, also across from MultiPlaza mall; tel. +507 301-7253. Japanese cuisine with a twist, way more than just sushi. Excellent food, wine, and presentation. Good option for large groups or executive luncheons.

4. Las Tinajas Avenida Justo Arosemena, Bella Vista; tel. +507 263-7890. Panamanian cuisine with costumed folkloric and dance performances. The food is mediocre, but it is popular with tourists because of the dance presentation (mostly in Spanish).

5. Rosa Mexicano, calle 47, just off Calle Uruguay; tel. +507 301-0488.
A beautiful, softly lit restaurant with excellent citrus margaritas. Fun to order the guacamole en molcajete, which is prepared tableside.

6. La Posta, Bella Vista’s Calle Uruguay sector (on 49th Street); tel. +507 269-1076. Refined Italian-inspired cuisine. Renovated mansión takes you back to 1940s Panama. Reservations are recommended as it is very popular. I suggest eating indoors; the back patio just doesn’t have the ambiance.

7. Luna, Plaza La Florida, Marbella (around the corner from Riu Hotel); tel. +507 263-5862. For doting waiters and oozing ambiance, head to Luna. Sit indoors for a more formal setting or the open-air patio, with a slightly more relaxed air. Luna is not a place to skimp—go all out, a pre-dinner cocktail, appetizers and mains for two, and a good Catena Malbec to wash it all down.

8. Ozone Café/ Londoner Pub, Bella Vista’s Calle Uruguay (approach from Balboa Ave, enter at Le Meridien Hotel), look for Londoner façade; tel. +507 214-9616. Varied menu created by an Iranian chef is one of Panama’s best. Features Mediterranean, Lebanese, Thai and Indian food. The café and pub are side-by-side. I suggest eating in the Londoner Pub (they’ll be happy to bring your order from next door), it’s a true pub with a great vintage look, run by fun and gregarious owner Piers.

9. Sabor de la India, 51st Street just off Federico Boyd Ave (the intersection of Federico and 51st is at Os Segredos de la Carne restaurant, a good landmark for taxi drivers).; tel. +507 391-9151. Offers amazingly inexpensive Indian food cooked by Indian chef, Mr. Chotu, who is always in the kitchen ensuring top quality. Waiters are not very knowledgeable and service is casual but food comes out fast and is delicious (my favorites are the masala dosa and the masala loli). Outdoor patio is a treat. Other options on 51st street are La Papa, a big Colombian restaurant, and Rincon Aleman, a great German restaurant/pub.

10. Jimmy’s, Via Cincuentenario in the San Francisco area (right in front of Atlapa Convention Center); tel. +507 226-1870. A Panamanian institution, Greek cuisine at very reasonable prices. Outdoor patio has a rustic charm; service is fast, perfunctory…the norm when it comes to a real city landmark that is always full. Turnover is fast so you can always get a table. The grilled octopus is a local legend. Also try the deconstructed Greek salad (ensalada griega corte gruesa) and saganaki cheese platter.

* Craving something special? Visit http://www.DegustaPanama.com for one of the most comprehensive searchable restaurant databases I’ve seen. Search for anything you like…locations, types of cuisine, ambiance…you name it. Panama’s best Peruvian restaurant? Segundo Muelle. Most popular? Madrigal. Cheapest? You’ll find a whole list of restaurants where you can get a meal and a drink for $12 or less (along with phone numbers, addresses, and more). Happy hunting!

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