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15 neighborhoods3 guides

Where Panama actually eats.

Independent coverage, in English y en español. No paid placements, no tourist traps - a directory built from public sources, with an editorial layer on top.

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Bella Vista232El Cangrejo231San Francisco152Casco Viejo149Costa del Este148See all →

Every table worth knowing in Panama City.

The Pistacho Coffee at Bungla Coffee House, Bella Vista, Panama City: a cappuccino in a ceramic mug rimmed with crushed pistachio, a bear's face drawn in the foam VisitedBungla Coffee HouseCafe · Bella Vista
A pork main at Maito, San Francisco, Panama City: dark-glazed pieces in a pool of jus under a crisp topping and chopped greens, with a whole flat sheet of crackling beside them VisitedMaito RestaurantePanamanian · San Francisco
The painted orange tiger and CANTINA DEL TIGRE lettering across the black wall of the dining room, with bare wood tables laid in front of it VisitedCantina del TigrePanamanian · San Francisco
The backlit bottle wall, bar stools and black-and-white tile floor at Mai Mai, Costa del Este, Panama City VisitedMai MaiNikkei · Costa del Este
An everything-bagel piled with cured salmon, pickled onion and microgreens at Luna Café, Bella Vista, Panama City Editors' pickLuna CaféCafe · Bella Vista
Iced latte at Boquete Bakery Cafe, Clayton, Panama CityBoquete Bakery CaféCafe · Clayton
Smash burger with fries at Beauty and the Butcher, Casco Viejo, Panama CityBeauty and the Butcher - Casco ViejoBurgers · Casco Viejo
Latte at Casa Valiente, El Cangrejo, Panama CityCasa ValienteCafe · El Cangrejo
Cappuccino with latte art at AMARA Coffee & Flowers, Bella Vista, Panama CityAMARA coffee & flowersCafe · Bella Vista

First-hand

Reviewed in person

15 restaurants we sat down in - signed, and dated.

How we review →
A plate of clams with cherry tomatoes and parsley at La Vespa Vista MareChris&Kris29 December 2025La Vespa Vista MareItalian · Punta Pacífica · $$$Italian and seafood by a window wall over the bay, and the meal that changed our minds about both.ExploreThe dining room at Caleta in the Sofitel Legend, chandeliers above a long run of set tablesChris&Kris25 December 2025CALETASeafood · Casco ViejoA five-course Christmas Day dinner in the Sofitel Legend that was, in Kristen's word, fabulous - and a regular menu we still have not tried.ExploreThe dining room at Kaandela, Casco Viejo: woven pendant lamps over a long counter with tables set for serviceChris&Kris28 November 2025Kaandela RestaurantAmerican · Casco Viejo · $$$A short, carefully built menu of gourmet Panamanian cooking, and a table we would happily order exactly the same thing at again.ExploreChicken tikka masala at Mystic India Panama, served in a steel karahi with naan and riceChris&Kris6 November 2025Mystic India PanamaIndian · Punta Pacífica · $$A new Indian room in Punta Pacifica that we walked into curious and left already planning the next visit.ExploreTaquitos Tuk Tuk at Nacion Sushi: crisp shells filled and stood upright on a white plateChris&Kris30 October 2025Nación Sushi | Multiplaza PacificInternational · Marbella · $$A forty-page menu spanning half of Asia, portions bigger than they look, and one plate we ordered twice.ExploreThe backlit bottle wall and low pendant lamps over the bar at Azahar, Bella Vista, Panama CityChris&Kris12 September 2025Azahar PanamaJapanese · Bella Vista · $$$A seventh-floor room behind a flower shop, with a backlit bar, windows over the bay, and a kitchen good enough to deserve them.ExploreA banquette beneath the El Nacional mark on the dining room wall, Casco ViejoChris&Kris9 September 2025Restaurante El Nacional Sabores de PanamáPanamanian · Casco Viejo · $$Traditional Panamanian cooking in Casco Viejo, where the appetiser was comfortably the best thing on the table.ExploreA painted Diablo Rojo bus installed inside Sabroso on the Amador causeway, under a thatched roofChris&Kris7 September 2025Sabroso PanamáPanamanian · Amador · $$A balcony on the Amador causeway, good Panamanian small plates, and a bill that did not quite match them.ExploreThe lit entrance to Meze at night, a lantern either side of an open doorwayChris&Kris5 September 2025Meze Panamá - Restaurante GriegoGreek · Bella Vista · $$Greek cooking in a good-looking room with a live saxophone, let down only by twenty minutes of trying to pay.ExploreAn elderflower spritz on the table at Bruttito, Multiplaza, beside a branded napkinChris&Kris5 September 2025Bruttito Multiplaza MallJapanese · Marbella · $$A mall brasserie doing sushi rolls better than a mall brasserie has any business doing, and a pistachio cookie worth staying for.ExploreA long table laid for lunch on the terrace at Lima Nikkei, against a stone wallChris&Kris4 September 2025Lima NikkeiNikkei · Punta Pacífica · $$$$Japanese-Peruvian cooking on a terrace over the water, and the rare meal where we would order every single thing again.Explore

The Essentials

New to Panama? Start with these.

A short, cross-city shortlist we would hand a friend on their first week - not a ranking, just a good place to begin.

See the full list →
Eggplant parmesan at Afrodisíaco, Casco Viejo, Panama CityAfrodisíaco Italian Modern KitchenItalian · Casco ViejoService is repeatedly described as attentive, knowledgeable and genuinely welcoming.
Mango frappe at Coffee Max, Punta Paitilla, Panama CityCoffee MaxCafe · PaitillaBroad menu spanning breakfast, sandwiches and grilled mains
Whole grilled fish plated on a banana leaf with lime at Aya la Vida, Casco Viejo, Panama CityAya la Vida RestaurantePanamanian · Casco ViejoCreative modern reinterpretations of traditional Panamanian dishes.
Pasta in tomato sauce at Annie & Motts Eating House, El Cangrejo, Panama CityAnnie & Motts Eating HouseInternational · El CangrejoCozy, homey brunch spot with friendly service
Interior dining room and bar with rattan stools and pendant lighting at Bruma Seafood & Wine, Casco Viejo, Panama CityBruma Seafood & WineSeafood · Casco ViejoFresh, sustainably sourced local seafood (tuna, snapper, corvina, shrimp, San Blas lobster) is the consistent highlight.

Good for

What are you in the mood for?

All occasions →

BrunchBrunch

136 spots
Photo: @lesmecspty

Outdoor seatingAl aire libre

110 spots
Photo: @athenspanama

Family-friendlyPara toda la familia

89 spots
Photo: Finca del Mar

Cocktail barsBares de cócteles

89 spots
Photo: Capitán Bahía

CevicheCeviche

75 spots
Photo: @durancoffeestore

Specialty coffeeCafé de especialidad

61 spots
Photo: @salva_rest

Vegetarian and veganVegetariano y vegano

60 spots
Photo: @paloemangogardenspot

Dog-friendlyAptos para mascotas

51 spots

Guides, kept alive

Shortlists, not listicles.

Curated from the directory and rebuilt as the data changes.

All 3 guides →
French toast, bacon and a mimosa at Petit Paris, Costa del Este, Panama City
Updated July 202612 spots

Where to Eat Brunch in Panama City

Twelve places for a late, slow breakfast in Panama City, chosen from every brunch room we cover and checked against their own opening hours.

Read the guide →
Cappuccino with latte art at AMARA Coffee & Flowers, Bella Vista, Panama City
Updated July 202612 spots

Specialty Coffee in Panama City: Where to Drink It

Panama grows some of the most expensive coffee on earth. These are the rooms in the capital that treat it properly.

Read the guide →

Find your barrio

Explore Panama on the map

Every place, pinned and hand-checked. No sponsored pins, no pay-to-rank - just where the city actually eats.

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All 15 neighborhoods →
The historic Casco Viejo skyline seen from the waterfront, Panama CityPhoto: Ivo Kruusamägi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Casco Viejo

149 spots
Open-air beer garden with wooden picnic tables and tropical greenery in El Cangrejo, Panama CityPhoto: BierGarten

El Cangrejo

231 spots
Open-air sidewalk terrace with orange umbrellas and patio tables at La Rana Dorada, Vía Argentina, Bella Vista, Panama CityPhoto: La Rana Dorada

Bella Vista

232 spots
Paella served tableside at Casa Iberica, Costa del Este, Panama CityPhoto: @casaiberica_panama

Costa del Este

148 spots
Open-air garden patio at night under a mango tree strung with festoon lights at Palo 'e Mango, Albrook, Panama CityPhoto: Palo 'e Mango Garden Spot

Albrook

91 spots
Marble teppanyaki counter and dining room in a warm, low-lit setting at Makoto, Obarrio, Panama CityPhoto: Makoto

Obarrio

94 spots
Covered open-air patio with string lights and greenery at Cantina del Tigre, San Francisco, Panama CityPhoto: Cantina del Tigre

San Francisco

152 spots
Open-air patio with white tensile canopy and string lights at La Taberna del Canal, Clayton, Panama CityPhoto: La Taberna del Canal

Clayton

40 spots
Rooftop terrace at dusk with wood decking, loungers, and the Panama City skyline at Sortis Hotel, Marbella, Panama CityPhoto: Sortis Hotel (Autograph Collection)

Marbella

44 spots
Seafood boil bucket with crab, lobster and shrimp at Porky Lobster, Amador, Panama CityPhoto: @porkylobster

Amador

35 spots
Open-air rooftop terrace with set tables overlooking the Panama City skyline at Cielo Rooftop, CalidoniaPhoto: Cielo Rooftop

Calidonia

52 spots
The colonial Iglesia de Santa Ana and its plaza in the historic Santa Ana district, Panama CityPhoto: Y.Y.Y.G. / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Santa Ana

12 spots
Nikkei sushi platter at Noa Evolution, Punta Pacífica, Panama CityPhoto: @noaevolution

Punta Pacífica

10 spots
Beef bowl with fried egg and guacamole at Yoss Burger Bar, Punta Paitilla, Panama CityPhoto: @yossburgerbar

Paitilla

8 spots