Captivating view of colonial buildings in Casco Viejo, Panama City.
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Panama City Food Guide: Casco Viejo, the Fish Market and Local Favorites

ByJordan

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Panama’s capital has quietly become one of the region’s most interesting places to eat, mixing Afro-Caribbean, Indigenous, Chinese and Spanish influences on two oceans’ worth of seafood. The best Panama City restaurants cluster in two places: the historic streets of Casco Viejo and the San Francisco neighborhood a short ride east.

For a wider look at the region’s dishes, see our Latin American food guide. Here’s where to eat in the city itself.

Start at the fish market

Mercado de Mariscos sits on Avenida Balboa, between the Cinta Costera and Casco Viejo. Downstairs, fishmongers sell corvina, snapper and shrimp; around the building, small stalls ladle out ceviche in plastic cups and upstairs kitchens fry whole fish to order.

Go at lunch, point at what looks freshest and eat it with a cold beer and a view of the bay. It is casual, busy and very much a walk-in affair. Afterward, stroll the Cinta Costera, the waterfront promenade, toward Casco Viejo; it is a pleasant walk with skyline views in one direction and the old town’s rooftops in the other.

Casco Viejo: dining in the old town

Casco Viejo’s restored colonial blocks are the city’s most atmospheric place for dinner, and an easy walk from the market. Plazas, balconies and rooftop terraces make it easy to turn one meal into an evening, with a drink before and a stroll along the old sea wall after.

Fonda Lo Que Hay is chef José Carles’s playful take on the Panamanian fonda, the humble lunch counter, with dishes like corn bollitos, crispy yuca and little clams. The room is relaxed and the menu changes with what’s good, so reserve ahead for dinner.

Caleta, inside the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, turns Pacific seafood into creative, tropical plates with European technique. It is a polished choice for a special dinner; book a week or two out, especially for weekends.

Coffee in Casco

Panama grows some of the world’s most prized coffee, especially geisha from the Chiriquí highlands, and Casco is the place to taste it.

  • Casa Sucre Coffeehouse: a two-story colonial building near Plaza de la Independencia, with beans to take home. Try a geisha espresso.
  • Café Unido: a homegrown specialty roaster serving Panamanian coffee and a full breakfast menu, with a branch in Casco Viejo.

San Francisco: local favorites

A short taxi ride from Casco, Calle 68 Este in San Francisco has become a food street in its own right. It is a more residential, local-feeling corner of the city, and an easy place to string together dinner and a nightcap without crossing town.

Cantina del Tigre reworks Panamanian classics with a modern, Caribbean edge and a serious cocktail list. Think ceviche with mamón chino and a lighter take on mondongo. Reserve by WhatsApp.

La Tapa del Coco, nearly next door, celebrates Afro-Panamanian cooking with roots in Colón: coconut, curry, ginger and saril flavor dishes that are rarely served this well anywhere else. Book ahead on weekends.

Maito, chef Mario Castrellón’s flagship, is the city’s best-known dining room, ranked No. 18 on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2025. The menu draws on every culture that shaped Panama, from Chinese to Afro-Caribbean. Reserve well ahead.

What to order in Panama City

Panamanian cooking is generous and unfussy, built on rice, plantains, root vegetables and fresh seafood, with a long Afro-Caribbean and Chinese influence running through it.

  • Sancocho: the national chicken soup, fragrant with culantro and served with rice on the side.
  • Ceviche de corvina: the city’s signature, sharp with lime and often served with crackers.
  • Patacones and carimañolas: twice-fried plantains and stuffed yuca fritters, perfect with a cold beer.
  • Raspao: shaved ice drizzled with syrup and condensed milk, sold from carts along the waterfront.

The US dollar is used alongside the Panamanian balboa, so paying is easy. Many restaurants add a service charge, so check the bill before adding a tip.

If you love the stories behind dishes as much as the dishes themselves, Let Them Eat, an app that explores cakes, ramen, cookies and noodles from around the world, is a tasty way to pass the layover at Tocumen.

Plan your visit

  • Best time: The dry season, mid-December to April, is ideal for rooftops and outdoor tables.
  • Getting around: Walk Casco Viejo and the Cinta Costera; use taxis or ride-hailing for San Francisco.
  • Where to base: Casco Viejo for character, San Francisco or Obarrio for modern hotels. See our Panama guide.
  • Booking tips: Reserve dinner at Maito, Caleta and the Calle 68 spots; walk in at the fish market and cafés.
  • More destinations are waiting on our destinations page.

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