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It's not quite New York or Paris, but Panama City's restaurant scene is impressive. Panamanians like to eat out, and enough of them have incomes that allow for regular dining on the town, which has resulted in a growing cadre of restaurants. Many of the best restaurants are clustered in Casco Viejo, El Cangrejo, Area Bancária, a
It's not quite New York or Paris, but Panama City's restaurant scene is impressive. Panamanians like to eat out, and enough of them have incomes that allow for regular dining on the town, which has resulted in a growing cadre of restaurants. Many of the best restaurants
It's not quite New York or Paris, but Panama City's restaurant scene is impressive. Panamanians like to eat out, and eno
It's not quite New York or Paris, but Panama City's restaurant scene is impressive. Panamanians like to eat out, and enough of them have incomes that allow for regular dining on the town, which has resulted in a growing cadre of restaurants. Many of the best restaurants are clustered in Casco Viejo, El Cangrejo, Area Bancária, and nearby Calle Uruguay, which are also the neighborhoods where you'll find most of the best hotels. Java junkies will rejoice that a good cup of coffee can be found just about anywhere; even the inexpensive restaurants have espresso machines.
Cuisine selection spans the globe, from Indian and Italian to Lebanese and Panamanian (obviously). The seafood tends to be quite fresh, which shouldn't come as a surprise, since the word "Panama" means "abundance of fish," and it's relatively inexpensive, with the exception of lobster and crab. Panama produces decent beef, but the best beef is imported from the United States and can be more expensive. A typical entrée at an expensive restaurant runs about $17, whereas a main dish at a less expensive eatery averages around $9. It's customary to tip at least 10%, but some restaurants automatically add a 10% servicio charge, so be sure to have a good look at the check.
Some restaurants close Sunday, and many close between lunch and dinner (approximately 2:30 to 6:30). Reservations aren’t usually required, but are a good idea on weekends. Jackets and ties aren't necessary, but don't wear shorts and sandals unless the restaurant is outdoors.
Set in the high-ceilinged lobby of the American Trade Hotel, The Dining Room is an elegant venue that pays great attention to detail. The stylish decor blends antique and contemporary touches, and the cuisine is largely the work of chef Clara Icaza, a well-regarded culinary expert who was named one of the top 20 young chefs by the Spanish-language Gato Pardo magazine. Top dinner choices feature an array of meat and seafood creations, including corn-dusted filet of cobia served with spicy piccata sauce, and beef tenderloin served with a sweet potato tamale and guava sauce. The wine list is equally impressive, with varietals from regions including Argentina, Australia, Chile, Italy, and Spain.
Panama City's best Indian restaurant is also one of your surest bets for going vegetarian in a town short on options for herbivores. The shrine behind the bar shows a traditionally dressed Indian woman making the gesture meaning "welcome," and owners Koreena Bajwa and César Marín certainly make guests feel that way. Their authentic north Indian cuisine is served in cozy, colorfully decorated dining rooms, which include an area for shoeless dining on the floor on plush cushions. Just about any of the dozens of vegetarian, chicken, and lamb options on the menu are guaranteed to make your taste buds smile. A great nonmeat option is the thali, a plate that includes four hefty samplers including beans or lentils and a yogurt-based dish. This popular restaurant is small, so reservations are essential.
Nestled in a restored colonial building across the street from the ruins of Santo Domingo, Mostaza offers a cozy and delicious dining experience in the heart of the historic quarter. Start with a drink on the plaza, then move into one of the two narrow dining rooms, one of which has a centuries-old exposed stone wall. The Argentine and Panamanian owners are usually in the kitchen, preparing an eclectic mix of local seafood and meat dishes that range from lenguado (sole) in a mushroom sauce to pork tenderloin in a maracuya (passion fruit) sauce. They offer some inventive fresh pastas, such as seafood ravioli in a vodka salmon sauce, and langostinos (prawns) sautéed with Gran Marnier, but meat lovers will want to try the classic Argentine bife de chorizo (a thick cut of tenderloin) with chimichurri: an olive oil, garlic, and parsley sauce.
This large, no-frills eatery on busy Vía Cincuentenaria is packed most weekends, as Panamanians arrive in droves for sizzling steaks and seafood, served with a salad and baked potato, at reasonable prices. Though the owner is Greek, there is very little Greek food on the menu. If he'd opened his restaurant in Chicago instead of Panama City, it would no doubt be called Jimmy's Grill, which is basically what the name means in Spanish. Its big draws are the steaks, but the extensive menu has a lot of good options, such as corvina al ajillo (sea bass with garlic), pulpo a la parrilla (grilled octopus), or sancocho (Panama's national dish, chicken soup with tropical tubers). Seating is available on the front terrace, for a view of the traffic, or in two large, air-conditioned dining rooms.
After managing Manolo Caracol for years (see review), René opened his own place, while following Manolo's popular formula of offering a set menu that changes daily and consists of about a dozen items served in five or six courses. The difference is a more intimate setting, more Caribbean influence, and lower prices. René is almost always there, making sure his guests are happy. The small restaurant is in a historic building on the northwest corner of Plaza Catedral, with a high ceiling and white walls that are invariably decorated with the work of local artists. There are also several tables on the sidewalk with cathedral views. The dining experience is a sort of culinary journey, in which fresh dishes appear every time you complete a course, and you happily chew your way forward, toward a light dessert. Simpler, inexpensive lunches are an alternative to René's seemingly endless dinners.
Angel is the most elegant of the city's Spanish restaurants, with antiques and original art decorating its plush dining room, as well as a few photos of the owner receiving awards for his cooking. The cuisine is Spanish with some French influence, with dishes such as cordero chilidrón (lamb sautéed in tomato sauce) and conejo deshuesado (rabbit in a garlic sauce). It's located on quiet, tree-lined Vía Argentina, a short walk from most El Cangrejo hotels. Dress well if you dine here.
Vía Argentina No. 6868, Panama City, Panamá, Panama
This open-air restaurant is known for serving large portions of fresh seafood, prepared a variety of ways, with an ocean breeze. The specialties are all from the surrounding sea, such as ceviche, corvina con hongos (sea bass with a mushroom sauce) and crispy langostinos (prawns) served with coconut rice and guandú (pigeon peas). The name is a misspelling of the word barco (boat), and you'll probably see a few as you dine, because most tables face the canal, whereas the rest overlook the bay and city, beyond the parking lot. The wine list has 10 vintages from various countries. It's the first restaurant in the Brisas del Amador shopping center, on the left as you arrive at Isla Perico.
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