ENES

Kaandela Restaurant

American$$$~Casco Viejo
Perfect forDate nightOutdoor seating

Reviewed by Chris&Kris · visited 28 November 2025

$32 to $120 a mainSigned review. How we review
The dining room at Kaandela, Casco Viejo: woven pendant lamps over a long counter with tables set for service

The verdict

A short, carefully built menu of gourmet Panamanian cooking, and a table we would happily order exactly the same thing at again.

We booked 6:45 on a weeknight, which is early, and had the room mostly to ourselves - this place fills between half six and half eight.

The menu is small and every item on it looks deliberate rather than obligatory. Food for three took twenty to thirty minutes and all of it landed. Our waitress was good on the wine as well as the food.

Skip if

  • You are hoping to walk in. It fills between 6:30 and 8:30, and we only got a civilised hour by booking ahead.
  • You want a long menu to browse. This one is deliberately short.

Would we go back? Yes, and we would order exactly the same things again.

The visit

The dining room at Kaandela, Casco Viejo: woven pendant lamps over a long counter with tables set for service

Book early, or do not book at all

A counter facing the open pass, glasses already set and the kitchen working behind it. We took a 6:45 table because Kaandela fills between half six and half eight, and had the room almost to ourselves for the first hour.

Pork belly pops at Kaandela: glazed cubes of pork under a crisp topping, with a small bowl alongside

Pork belly pops to start

Glazed cubes of pork under a crisp topping. One of five plates we put on a table for three, and the menu is short enough that five is most of it.

A bottle of Gauchezco Reserve Cabernet Franc from Mendoza on the table at Kaandela

A Cabernet Franc from Mendoza

Gauchezco Reserve, opened early and drunk across the whole meal. The waitress was as good on the pairings as she was on the food.

The seafood casserole at Kaandela: prawns, mussels and clams with potato in a broth, in a speckled bowl

The seafood casserole is the one to order

Prawns, mussels and clams with potato in a broth that carried a lot of different flavours at once. If you order one thing here, order this.

The cowboy ribeye at Kaandela on the table with the seafood casserole, pork belly pops and a glass of red wine

The cowboy ribeye, over embers

It came off the embers juicy, and the sides that arrived with it complemented rather than competed.

Coconut rice served in a carved wooden bowl at Kaandela, Casco Viejo

Coconut rice on the side

Served in a carved wooden bowl, with patacones alongside it.

On the table

Pork belly pops
Seafood casserole
The standout. A lot of different flavours in one bowl.
Cowboy ribeye over embers
Juicy, and the sides alongside it complemented it well.
Coconut rice
Patacones
Gauchezco Reserve Cabernet Franc, Mendoza
From the waitress's recommendations, which were good.

The food

Pork belly pops$18

Slow-cooked pork-belly lollipops with kimchi and a raspadura-kombu glaze; a repeated bestseller.

Popular
Beef short rib ahumado$61

Low-and-slow smoked short rib with organic-pepper demi-glace and seasonal bean guacho.

Popular
Rib eye cowboy a la brasa$120

22oz prime rib eye over the coals with bone-marrow butter and recao chimichurri.

Popular
Koftas de cordero$17

Spiced lamb koftas with tzatziki, tomato jam, and aji-chombo pickle on house naan.

Popular
Crudito de pescado y papaya$17

Raw fish with green papaya, tree tomato, passion fruit, and a ginger-chili note.

Zapato de langosta$35

Atlantic lobster with Caribbean coconut curry and criollo rice.

Where it is

Casa 3, Amarla Casco Viejo Boutique Hotel, Av. Central España 24, Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama
Casco Viejo, Panama City
Get directions →

Good to know

Reservations recommended (online, OpenTable, or phone)Open-kitchen chef's counter plus covered courtyard/patioPrivate events up to ~32 seatedBar with cocktails and wine pairingsTasting menus: 6-course $90, 8-course $120 (pre-tax)Prices before 17% tax and service

One of 5 American spots in Casco Viejo

Best time to go

BusiestFri-Sat, 8-10 PMPrime weekend dinner service
Easy tableTue-WedQuieter room, easier reservation
Sweet spotThu, 7:30 PMFull service, calmer pace

Notable mentions

Chef Edy Acedo / Kaandela was nominated by El Buen Tenedor (2023) among Panama's best restaurants.

Frequently asked

What kind of food does Kaandela Restaurant serve?

Kaandela Restaurant serves American. The menu includes Pork belly pops, Beef short rib ahumado, Rib eye cowboy a la brasa.

What's good at Kaandela Restaurant?

Distinctive open-fire cooking with a strong Panamanian ingredient identity from its own highland farm. That reflects what people consistently say online - EatsPanama does not post star ratings.

How much does a meal at Kaandela Restaurant cost?

Based on its published menu, dishes run $17.00 to $120.00 ($$$ overall).

When is Kaandela Restaurant open?

Kaandela Restaurant serves seven days a week. Most days it opens around 12:00 and closes around 5:00 PM, 6:30 – 10:30 PM.

Where is Kaandela Restaurant?

Casa 3, Amarla Casco Viejo Boutique Hotel, Av. Central España 24, Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama, Casco Viejo, Panama City.

Nearby alternatives

Saucesalicious by El Caribe

International

Athanasiou

Cafe

Athen's Pizza

Greek

Around Casco Viejo

Kaandela Restaurant 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.

See all 149 restaurants in Casco Viejo →

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