Restaurants in Panama City

Maito is Panama City's highest-credentialled restaurant: World's 50 Best Top 100 in 2023, OAD Casual North America #9 in 2025, and a 4.7 Google rating across over 1,100 reviews. Chef Mario Castrellón's focus on indigenous Panamanian ingredients delivers serious cooking in a casual format. Book as early as possible — availability is near impossible — and treat this as the meal worth planning the trip around.

Cantina del Tigre is the right pick for food-focused visitors who want bold, ingredient-driven Panamanian cooking with genuine regional character. Chef Fulvio Miranda reimagines traditional dishes with visual flair and a clear sourcing philosophy. Booking is easy, the atmosphere is lively, and it sits at the more accessible end of Panama City's creative dining options.

Caleta, inside the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, is Panama City's clearest case for a Michelin-starred dinner. Executive Chef Lorenzo Di Gravio applies European technique to fresh Pacific seafood alongside Panamanian tropical flavours, in a restored colonial setting that earns its occasion-dining reputation. Book it as your anchor dinner in Casco Viejo, especially during the dry season (December to April).

Fonda Lo Que Hay is a modern Casco Antiguo restaurant making a serious case for Panamanian cuisine and cocktails as a combined experience. It suits return visitors to Panama City who want more than a standard tourist dinner. For internationally recognised Panamanian fine dining, Maito remains the benchmark, but this is the stronger choice if the bar program matters to you.

La Tapa Del Coco is the right next step after Maito for anyone who wants to go deeper into Panama's food culture. Chef Isaac Villaverde's project reinterprets Afro-Antillean and Afro-Colonial cooking with clear purpose on Calle 68 Este. Booking is easy, making this one of Panama City's more accessible serious dining choices.

Umi is Panama City's only refined izakaya with a Latin America's 50 Best listing, making it the default choice if Japanese cooking and serious cocktails are your reason for choosing a restaurant in the city. Part of the Kome Hospitality Group, it pairs fine seafood and hand rolls with a Japanese mixology program. Book the counter, plan well ahead, and budget at the top of Panama City's dining market.