CALETA
The verdict
A 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.
We booked Caleta for Christmas Day and ate a fixed five-course menu: beef tartare with truffle, kampachi with caviar, a prawn tamale, short rib with macha sauce and pumpkin foam, and turkey with cranberry and port. A Buche de Noel closed it.
The service matched the room - the waiter was good on the wine, and the evening finished with espresso martinis, Frangelico and a French take on an Old Fashioned.
Skip if
- You are looking for what to order tonight. This was a Christmas Day set menu and none of these courses are on the regular carte.
- You want our verdict on the everyday kitchen. We have not eaten off the regular menu yet, and this review does not pretend to cover it.
Would we go back? Yes, and specifically to try the regular menu and the brunch, neither of which we have had.
The visit
The room does a lot of the work
Chandeliers over a long run of set tables in the Sofitel Legend. It is a beautiful property and the dining room lives up to it.
Five courses, fixed
Printed in Spanish and English and set at each place. Everything below came off this menu, which is why none of it is orderable on a normal evening.
First: beef tartare with truffle
Served crunchy, in small tartlets on slate. The opening course and a good indication of the register.
Then kampachi, caviar, ceviche mayonnaise
The second course, and the one that most clearly belonged to this kitchen rather than to Christmas.
Short rib, macha sauce, pumpkin foam
The fourth course, after a prawn tamale we did not photograph. The pumpkin foam is the orange under the flower.
And the turkey, because it is Christmas
With cranberry and port sauce over potato cream. The one concession to the date, and it held its own alongside the rest.
A Buche de Noel to finish
Caramel with Grand Marnier, hazelnuts and a tangerine sorbet. Then espresso martinis and a Frangelico, which is how Christmas dinner should end.
On the table
- Crunchy beef tartare with truffle
- First course.
- Kampachi sashimi with caviar and ceviche mayonnaise
- Second course.
- Prawn tamale
- Third course. Not photographed.
- Short rib with macha sauce and pumpkin foam
- Fourth course.
- Turkey with cranberry and port sauce, potato cream
- Fifth course.
- Buche de Noel
- Caramel with Grand Marnier, hazelnuts and tangerine sorbet.
- Wine, and digestifs
- A bottle per couple, then espresso martinis, Frangelico and an Old Fashioned.
Where it is
C. 8a Este, Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama
Casco Viejo, Panama City
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Good to know
One of 10 Seafood spots in Casco Viejo
Best time to go
Notable mentions
Recognized on the extended list of Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants.
Frequently asked
What kind of food does CALETA serve?
CALETA serves Seafood. The menu includes King crab with finger lime, Croaker in bijao leaf with coconut rice.
What's good at CALETA?
Locally sourced seafood presented with refined, artful plating by a Michelin-starred kitchen. That reflects what people consistently say online - EatsPanama does not post star ratings.
When is CALETA open?
CALETA serves seven days a week. Most days it opens around 6:30 and closes around 11:00 AM, 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:30 PM.
Where is CALETA?
C. 8a Este, Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama, Casco Viejo, Panama City.
Nearby alternatives
Around Casco Viejo
CALETA is one of 149 restaurants EatsPanama tracks in Casco Viejo, Panama City. Every listing is built from public sources and menus - no restaurant can pay to appear. The neighborhood leans toward Cafe, Bar, Panamanian.
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