Super Gourmet & El Motete: Two Casco Viejo Icons Worth Finding

Super Gourmet

A neighborhood staple since the very beginning – Casco Viejo Gift Shop

If you’re walking into Casco Viejo for the first time, start at Super Gourmet a “Casco Viejo Gift Shop”. This is the kind of place where everything just works—coffee brewing, people chatting, and a rhythm that matches the heartbeat of the neighborhood.

I met Blayne in 2008, just days after buying our home in Casa Garay. He was one of the first people I met in the area—part of the early wave that believed Casco had something special. Super Gourmet, back then, was a humble outpost. You picked up your essentials, maybe a bottle of wine or something stronger, and off you went.

Today, it’s evolved into something more: a gourmet café, a deli, and a meeting point for travelers, residents, and the creative community. Their team—some of whom have been there since the beginning—serve up soups, sandwiches, and arguably the best empanadas in Panama. It’s relaxed. It’s bright. And it’s real. If you’re meeting anyone in Casco, this is where you meet them.

Casco Viejo Gift Shop

El Motete: Everything made in Panama

Just around the corner on Plaza Cathedral, you’ll find El Motete—a shop that feels more like a celebration of Panama than a retail space. Created by Yazmin, Blayne’s wife, this is a curated gift shop with a purpose: if it’s not made in Panama, it’s not sold.

Inside, you’ll find vivid molas, indigenous masks, handwoven baskets, small-batch rums, and enough Geisha coffee to tempt you into checking an extra bag. Every item is local. Every vendor has been carefully chosen. And somehow, you always leave with something for yourself—even if you came in looking for a gift.

It’s a shop with heart. And like Super Gourmet, it’s built on care, community, and consistency. Yaz and Blayne are part of the fabric of Casco Viejo. They’ve cared for its people, its pets (Casco Cat Community, anyone?), and the visitors who pass through their doors. You’ll feel it when you walk in.

Start here

Super Gourmet and El Motete aren’t just stores. They’re your welcome mat to Casco Viejo. Start your walk there. Pick up a snack. Grab a coffee. Chat with someone. Find a gift. Take a breath. Then go wander — the streets here reward curiosity.

You’re surrounded by stories that reveal themselves one step at a time. A barista’s smile. A local’s nod. A hidden courtyard or an unexpected mural. Every turn leads to something worth slowing down for. And just a few blocks away, you can see what’s new inside the Canal Museum for 2025 — a world-class exhibit that brings Panama’s identity, engineering genius, and resilience to life.

Casco Viejo works best when you let it unfold at its own pace. Start with good coffee, end with a view of the Canal, and in between, let the neighborhood remind you that travel isn’t just about getting somewhere — it’s about feeling somewhere.