A cuisine that wins awards and crosses borders
Panama's Geisha coffee from Chiriquí is the most awarded specialty coffee in the world — a single pound has sold for over $10,000 at auction. Its cacao from Bocas del Toro is a raw material for international chocolatiers. And Panama City hosts one of the most diverse culinary scenes in the region: 7 indigenous groups, an Afro-Caribbean community with its own cuisine, one of the oldest Asian communities in Latin America, and a new wave of award-winning chefs putting Panamanian cuisine on the global map. This guide covers real restaurants, local tips and the culinary experiences you can only have here.
Panama City
The most diverse culinary scene in Central America. Skyscraper-view restaurants, market stalls, ceviche for breakfast and world-class steakhouses — all within one city.
🦞 Seafood & Ceviche
Market / Street Food
Mercado de Mariscos
✦ Must try: Fresh corvina ceviche, shrimp and octopus cocktails. 70+ stalls.
💡 The temple of ceviche in PTY. Breakfast ceviche like the locals.
Panamanian Cuisine
Cantina del Tigre
✦ Must try: Fried aranitas, octopus croquettes, seafood rice with concolón, coffee flan with white cheese.
💡 Share plates at the center of the table. The coffee flan is the most talked-about dessert on social media.
Mediterranean Fusion & Seafood
Azahar Panama
✦ Must try: Ceviches, tiraditos, sushi, handmade pasta, risottos. 90+ wine labels.
💡 One of Panama's top-rated on TripAdvisor. Elegant ambiance.
Traditional Seafood
La Casa del Marisco
✦ Must try: Seafood zarzuela, lobster salad, seafood soup.
💡 Cocktail bar at the entrance. Perfect for celebrations.
Traditional Panamanian
El Trapiche
✦ Must try: Ropa vieja, seafood cazuelo, sancocho, carimañolas, bistec encebollado.
💡 The Panamanian favorite for authentic local food. Always packed.
🥩 Steakhouses & Grills
Artisan Steakhouse
Caliope Steakhouse
✦ Must try: Premium cuts, brisket, ribs, the iconic Anti-Coquette burger.
💡 International chefs. Burger Week 2024 winner.
Artisan BBQ
BBQ Fellas
✦ Must try: Slow-smoked brisket, ribs, artisan burgers. Homemade desserts.
💡 Grand Master Champion BBQ Fest 2022. Outdoor terrace and family atmosphere.
Premium Smokehouse
THE Restaurant HH
✦ Must try: Smoked meats, artisan bread, gourmet desserts. Restored colonial space.
💡 A unique gastronomic experience in Panama. For special occasions. Reservation required.
🌿 Vegetarian & Plant-Based
Vegetarian / Vegan (90%)
Dodo Bon Pan Café
✦ Must try: Vegan sandwiches, avocado toast, Sunday brunch, vegan tres leches.
💡 Charming atmosphere in Casco. Run by its owners. Fills up fast.
Vegan
Loving Hut
✦ Must try: Asian-vegan cuisine. Changing daily menu. Very affordable.
💡 Global chain with excellent local reviews. Multiple locations in PTY.
Desserts
Healthy: Dodo Bon Pan Café (vegan tres leches, key lime pie $5–$9) · Indulgent: Cantina del Tigre (coffee flan with white cheese $8–$12) · Azahar Panama (gourmet pastries $9–$15) · Traditional: Tembleque de coco · Bienmesabe · Chicheme · Arroz con leche · Tropical fruit raspao
Boquete & Highlands
The cloud forest capital of Panama doubles as a culinary destination. Farm-to-table dining, world-famous Geisha coffee and the best ratings in the country outside the capital.
☕ Specialty Coffee & Top Restaurants
Italian Farm-to-Table
RetroGusto Restaurant & Bar
✦ Must try: Handmade pasta, wood-fired pizzas, carpaccio, lobster, Angus burgers.
💡 #1 in Boquete. 4.8★ with 1,394 reviews on TripAdvisor. Closed Mondays.
Contemporary International
Nomad Restaurant & Lounge
✦ Must try: Seasonal menu with regional ingredients. Curated wine list.
💡 4.9★ — the best rating in Boquete. Intimate and sophisticated. Reservation required.
Steakhouse & Grill
Butcher Chophouse
✦ Must try: Premium cuts, grills, smoked ribs with volcano view.
💡 4.8★ — the best steakhouse in Boquete.
Fine Dining & Highland Coffee
T'ACH Restaurant — Hotel Panamonte
✦ Must try: Finca Lerida Geisha coffee, fireplace, local trout, seasonal menu.
💡 Referenced in Condé Nast Traveller. Nelson lighting the fireplaces is an experience.
Specialty Coffee
Buckle Tip Coffee Studio
✦ Must try: Geisha and Chiriquí varieties with precision filter methods.
💡 4.9★ on TripAdvisor. One of the best specialty coffee shops in the country.
Desserts
Strawberries with cream (the most famous dessert in Boquete, $3–$7) · Otto Gastronomia Italiana (artisan tiramisu $5–$12)
Bocas del Toro
Caribbean flavors, coconut, fresh fish and lobster. Bocas mixes bohemian energy with authentic Afro-Caribbean recipes passed down through generations.
🌊 Seafood & Caribbean Cuisine
Caribbean Cuisine & Fusion
El Pecado de Josefina
✦ Must try: Lobster, shrimp, seared tuna and Bocas cacao dessert.
💡 Reviews highlight the seared tuna and cacao dessert. Live music.
Healthy & Vegetarian
Leaf Eaters Café
✦ Must try: Fish burgers, vegan Portobello French Dip, fresh salads.
💡 Panama's best fish burgers according to reviews. Isla Carenero, 5 min by water taxi.
Seafood & Caribbean Tapas
Caballito del Mar
✦ Must try: Creole shrimp, Caribbean ceviche, fish tacos.
💡 Over the water. A manta ray passes under the dock regularly.
Desserts
Bocas cacao dessert · Coconut bread with honey · Artisan coconut ice cream · Fresh tropical fruit juices
Pedasí & Azuero
The most authentic food in Panama. No menus, no online presence — just honest cuisine made the way it's always been made in the interior.
🐄 Traditional Food — The Most Authentic in the Country
Fresh Pacific Seafood
Beach Ranchos — Pedasí
✦ Must try: Fried corvina, shrimp ceviche, seafood cocktails. Tables facing the Pacific.
💡 The ranchos facing Playa El Toro and La Garita are the most authentic.
Traditional Azuero Cuisine
Market Fondas — Chitré & Las Tablas
✦ Must try: Pesé chorizos (the country's best), ropa vieja, sancocho de gallina criolla.
💡 No menu, no online presence. The most honest cooking in the interior.
Desserts
Dulce de nance · Sopa borracha · Mazamorra · Passion fruit flan · Festival raspados
Coronado & Central Pacific
1.5 hours from the city, the Central Pacific coast offers fresh seafood on the beach and the flavors of El Valle de Antón's highlands.
🏖️ Seafood & Family Grills
Fresh Pacific Seafood
Beach Ranchos Coronado
✦ Must try: Fried corvina, shrimp ceviche, seafood cocktails with Pacific view.
💡 Informal beach ranchos are the most authentic experience.
Local Cuisine & Coffee
El Valle de Antón — Local Restaurants
✦ Must try: Trout, pollo al disco, criolla food. 45 min from Coronado.
💡 Their own proposal based on river trout and highland vegetables.
Desserts
El Valle artisan ice cream (soursop, passion fruit) · Highland fruit jams from the market
Culinary Experiences
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