Where to Eat and Drink in Casco Viejo

Casco Viejo has the best concentration of restaurants and bars in Panama City, from simple Panamanian cooking to fine dining and rooftop cocktails. Restaurants open and close often, so check recent reviews before you go.

Panamanian dishes to try

• Ceviche: raw fish or seafood "cooked" in lime juice, often served in small cups.
• Sancocho: Panama's national dish, a chicken soup with ñame (yam) and culantro.
• Carimañolas: fried yuca rolls stuffed with seasoned meat.
• Patacones: twice-fried green plantain slices.
• Arroz con pollo: chicken and rice, a staple of any Panamanian table.
• Hojaldras: fried dough, a classic breakfast.
• Raspao: shaved ice with syrup and condensed milk, sold by street vendors on hot afternoons.

Panamanian food

Fonda Lo Que Hay is a relaxed, colourful spot serving creative takes on Panamanian home cooking. It comes from the team behind Donde José, the tasting-menu restaurant that helped put modern Panamanian cuisine on the map. It's popular, so expect a wait at busy times.

Steaks and Spanish food

Santa Rita is one of the most highly rated restaurants in the city, known for its steaks and Spanish-style dishes in a restored Casco Viejo building. Reservations are a good idea.

Rooftop bars

Rooftop bars are a Casco Viejo speciality. Go around sunset for views of the skyline across the bay.

• Tántalo: the neighbourhood's first rooftop bar, on top of the Tántalo hotel, known for cocktails and music. The hotel also has a restaurant downstairs.
• CasaCasco: a five-floor venue with restaurants on the lower floors, a nightclub, and a top-floor terrace with 360-degree views over the bay and the old town.

Some rooftops have a dress code or door policy at night, especially on weekends.

Coffee

Panama produces some of the world's most prized coffee, including the Geisha variety grown in the highlands around Boquete. Café Unido in Casco Viejo is a good place to try Panamanian specialty coffee, with a relaxed, plant-filled interior.

Fresh seafood at the fish market

Just outside Casco Viejo, the Mercado de Mariscos (seafood market) is where locals go for fresh fish and cheap ceviche. It's a short taxi ride or walk along the waterfront.

Tips

• Book ahead for dinner at popular restaurants on Thursday to Saturday nights.
• Check the bill. Some restaurants add a service charge; check before you tip.
• Drinks: Panama's beers include Balboa and Atlas, and the national spirit is seco, a sugarcane liquor often mixed with milk or juice.
• Late nights: Casco Viejo gets lively on weekends. If you're sensitive to noise, see our advice in the where to stay guide.