OUR SUGGESTIONS |
Passion Fruit and rum at
Ultimo Refugio |
Panama has coastlines
on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, so naturally seafood is found
on every menu from Panama City to Bocas del Toro. When prepared with the
flavors of this Latin American country the palate explodes in joy with every
mouthful. Although Panamanian cuisine is not as hot-spicy as other Latin
American foods, spices like achiote, cumin, oregano, cilantro and chili peppers
and herbs like sazon and culantro (which we learned about in a cooking class in
the capital) reflect the country’s many diverse cultures like Spanish,
Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean.
Culantro tastes like
cilantro, but much more potent.
Ceviche was on every
menu, often accompanied by fried plantains or patacones, which are a staple in
Latin America, and made for a great snack while relaxing at a table on the
beach, an Abuelo Rum or Balboa Cerveza in hand.
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| cheap food in Bocas Town |
Except for two days
when I had Ropa Vieja tacos in Panama City and insisted on having Tex-Mex one
night in Bocas Town we had fish like tilapia, tuna, Covina, Red Snapper, dorado,
or lobster or shrimp.
COSTLY
Unfortunately, though
reasonably priced when compared to prices back at home, Bocas del Toro is a very touristed area and the prices
reflect the popularity. We met some travelers who were going through other
countries like Nicaragua and Colombia and every one said the prices in Panama
are higher. Entrees were in the mid-20’s range, which is reasonable for seafood
at home. Meals with an appetizer, entrée, drinks and a 10% tip came out to $80+
on average.
Of course, you can
munch your way through some empanadas and eat fresh papaya if you’re on an
extreme budget.
So, following is the
list of restaurants that we had the pleasure to stuff our faces in Panama City
and Bocas del Toro. We would have done more, but we ran out of time.
OUR SUGGESTIONS:
CANAL HOUSE, Panama
City
 |
Ropa Vieja Tacos at
the Canal House |
Rather than eating at
the Radisson Panama Canal in Panama City we walked down to the Balboa Marina
just a couple of hundred yards away from our hotel and ate at the Canal House. We
took an outdoor table overlooking the Panama Canal we had some drinks, ceviche
and Ropa Vieja tacos that were fantastic. $52.65
THE CANAL HOUSE, PANAMA CITY, PANAMA
RADISSON PANAMA CANAL
PUNTA CARACOL ACQUA-LODGE
The very affordable
overwater bungalows of Punta Caracol were the main reason we traveled to Bocas
del Toro in the first place. We spent four days at this isolated resort and
stayed in the thatched roof two-story main suite. For meals we could have taken
a free shuttle taxi into Bocas Town, but opted to remain all four days at the resort.
After all, we were staying in Bocas Town after our stay at the relaxing and
quiet Caracol. |
| Dessert at Punta Caracol |
We took all breakfasts,
lunches and dinners and mid-afternoon drinks in the Punta Caracol’s open-air
main building. Dinners had to be pre-ordered in the afternoon for either of two
seatings. Janet raved about the sauce they put on her different fish entrees. Our
entire bill for all food and drink came to $317.79
PUNTA CARACOL ACQUA-LODGE
ISLAND TAP HOUSE
Okay, we didn’t eat
there, but we had craft beer brewed in Panama City. La Rana Dorado brews an
impressive array of craft cervezas, including our favorite the Grand Cru. Located directly across
the street from our Tropical Suites hotel, it was a great place to linger as we
waited for our room to be prepared. Their happy hour prices were $5.00 per beer
and went from noon to 5:00 pm. Local beers like Balboa or Kristal were cheaper.
They have live music at night.
LA RANA DORADA CERVEZA
ISLAND TAP HOUSE BOCAS TOWN PANAMA
TROPICAL SUITES HOTEL
Located in the center
of Bocas Town and thankfully directly across the street from the Island Tap
House, the Tropical Suites hotel was clean with spacious rooms. Ours overlooked
the waters of Bocas del Toro and from our balcony could see the water taxis and
the nightlife come alive across the way on Isla Carenero. We had a kitchenette
and bought fruit for snacking at a local market. |
Tropical Suites in
background |
They have a pool and a
swim up bar, although a somewhat limited restaurant menu. They offer meal
plans, but we only had one dinner and a breakfast, and lots of rum at the bar. Our
tab for our 5-day stay was $112.89
JOHN’S BAKERY
Great place for coffee,
snacks and breakfast this very local place is a block down from the Simon
Bolivar Park and it helps to know some Spanish so you know how your eggs will
be prepared. Not fancy, but local and good! Cash or credit cards. Two breakfasts
with eggs, coffee and a Danish cost about $18.00. |
| John's Bakery, Bocas Town |
La BUGA GASTRO MARKET
If you’re not sure what
you want to eat while in Bocas Town then La Buga Gastro Market is a great place
to start. La Buga is a consolidation of five restaurants; Italian, Mexican,
Hawaiian, Burgers and Pizza. You can order everything from poke bowls and sushi
to tacos and risotto. Find a table overlooking the water and a waiter will
present you with a massive menu listing everything from all the restaurants. Enjoy
the whimsical décor, but don’t fall into the water. At night this opening in
the deck is lighted and you’ll see fish. Their classic margarita is excellent!
75.39 |
| Classic Margarita at La Buga |
LA BUGA GASTRO MARKET BOCAS TOWN
ULTIMO REFUGIO
This was the first
choice in Bocas Town restaurants for Janet and I was happy to oblige. She’s
always right. Although the entrance to Ultimo Refugio is suspect with a sign
just above a ramp that looked derelict, once you pass the kitchen you enter an inviting
world, bright, funky and busy. We had to sit at the bar for a time because we
didn’t have a reservation, but were introduced to the house drink, Passion
Fruit and Abuelo Rum. At just $6.00, it was the beginning of a great night. The
gracious hostess pulled up large whiteboard menus in English and Spanish and
propped them up near our bar stools so we could an idea of what to order and we
were prepared to sit at the bar and eat, but soon a table opened up..jpeg) |
| Ultimo Refugio |
We had a couple of
appetizers. Janet had snapper ceviche and we shared a plate of fried plantains
with a spicy dipping sauce. The plantain appetizer is usually twice the size,
and the hostess offered to just give us a half portion and charged accordingly.
We each had seared tuna encrusted with sesame seeds. The portions were so large
that we could have shared one entrée between us.
Entertainment was a sax
player and singer and we sat on a table overlooking the waters of Bocas del
Toro. It was a great meal and a lovely location.
I had a wheat beer from
the Bocas Beer Company. Sadly, we did not see these beers listed anywhere else
on Isla Colon.
We both thought it was
the best restaurant and 97.47
with tip was well
worth the money. In hindsight we wished we went there for another meal in our
too short time at Bocas del Toro.
ULTIMO REFUGIO BOCAS TOWN
BOCAS BREWING COMPANY
RESTAURANTE YARISNORI
Bocas del Drago is a small town on the far end
of Isla Colon from Bocas Town. This is the end of the line for the little
public bus and people usually then hike the 20 minutes over to Playa Estrella. Restaurante
Yarisnori is a hotel with a bar and restaurant and we sat one of their tables on
the beach by the placid waters and had…yes, ceviche and plantains, a bottle of
water and a Balboa beer for $15.80 as we waited for the return bus. |
| Restaurante Yarisnori |
RESTAURANTE YARISNORI
TEQUILA REPUBLIC
Here’s some great
advice…drink rum when in Panama. Tequila and Mezcal are great, but they are not
from Panama and the cost of drinks certainly are reflected in this fact.
There are all sorts of
foods available throughout Bocas Town and there was a number of Mexican
restaurants. I really enjoy Mexican food, and Tequila Republic stood out. I
insisted on going there one night and it was the first and only time Janet didn’t
have fish for dinner. Instead, we had burritos and quesadillas at this lively
joint. Outdoor tables were filled with Canadian ex-patriots hooting it up, and
the people watching was fun. The Tex-Mex fare was enjoyable, but the bill was outrageous.
We ordered from the menu margaritas, but with Mezcal. Afterwards we learned
there was an upcharge of $15.00 per shot of Mezcal, on top of the price of the
margarita!!!
Our “entrees” cost just
$33.00 and the rest was for drinks.
Drink rum in Panama. $108.44
TEQUILA REPUBLIC BOCAS TOWN
COCO FASTRONOMY
Their menu is all over
the place from sandwiches to large potions for fish entrees. Janet went big with two fillets, Tuna and
Dorado, while I had a Caribenos Bowl with rice, beans and a hunk of Dorado. I
also had a Seco, a clear cheap unaged rum. Costa Rica has a similar alcohol
called Cacique.
There’s a four-stool
bar on the street, but like every other place in Bocas Town their tables are on
a back deck overlooking the water. Though the meal was filling and the atmosphere
was enchanting, we came away from Coco Fastronomy wishing we had returned to
Ultimo Refugio. $84.71
COCO FASTRONOMY
PALMAR BEACH LODGE
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| Pina Colada at Palmar |
We spent the afternoon
at the Red Frog Beach and had drinks at the Palmar Beach Lodge. Janet got the
prettiest pina colada we’d ever seen. My Abuelo Rum over ice with lime came out
quick, but her drink was a work of art. $15.73
PIER 19 $22.00
The restaurant is part
of the Diver’s Paradise Experience. On the grounds is a boutique hotel, the
dive shop and the restaurant. After our two-tank dive we lingered over brunch,
which because we dove with them got a 10% discount!!
PIER 19 MENU
BOCAS DIVERS PARADISE
OCTO
This place was on Janet’s
list, but they were never open during our stay. A recent search states it’s
temporarily closed. That’s okay, they serve octopus and that’s just not right.
OCTO BOCAS TOWN PANAMA
I'm officially hungry.
Thanks for reading
Love Janet and greg
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| drinks at Coco Fastronomy |
© 2026 by Gregory Dunaj
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