Best Restaurants Casco Viejo

These six restaurants in Casco Viejo, also known as San Felipe, aren’t just listings—they’ve been tried, tested, and trusted. Dining here means food that feels alive: seafood from the coastline, grass-fed steaks seared to perfection, and vegetables shaped by Panama’s mountain ranges. You’ll taste fruits ripened in tropical sun, locally raised beef, and the kind of craftsmanship that only comes from chefs who respect their ingredients.

Each restaurant goes beyond expectation to source the finest from land and sea—proof that in Casco Viejo, dining is both an art and a tradition.

Plated dish at Santa Rita restaurant in Casco Viejo featuring tuna tartare with avocado, sweet potato crisps, wine, and sparkling water.

Santa Rita restaurant

Santa Rita is a beloved destination restaurant in Casco Viejo, drawing loyal locals from across Panama City. Hosts Chef Nino and Geraldine bring warmth and charm to every table, creating a space that feels both elegant and welcoming. Their Spanish-Argentine cuisine and hospitality keep guests returning, again and again. With steaks grilled to perfection, seafood prepared at peak freshness, and a firm commitment to avoiding processed foods, every dish reflects a passion for quality and authenticity.

It’s also a place where presidents, travelers, and locals alike gather to experience food and service that set the standard for the neighborhood. Santa Rita was the restaurant that first drew Panama’s elite into Casco Viejo — and it continues to define excellence today.

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Kaandela restaurant entrance in Casco Viejo, Panama, farm-to-table dining with modern Panamanian cuisine

KAANDELA

Kaandela is a fresh farm-to-table experience in Casco Viejo. Guests explore an amazing expression of Panamanian cuisine, grounded in real partnerships with local farmers. Every dish reflects the seasons, honoring the country’s agricultural roots. Seasonal ingredients meet creative precision, creating a restaurant that can stand beside New York, Paris, London, or Singapore. Kaandela defines Panama’s best

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BRUMA – Seafood

Bruma is the seafood restaurant that welcomes families during the day with a great selection of comforting dishes everyone can share. As evening falls, the mood shifts, and out comes the full fisherman’s bounty — the fresh catches of Panama’s coast. Tuna, Snapper, Corvina, Shrimp and San Blas Lobster — everything is local, everything is fresh, and everything carries the true, unforgettable taste of the sea, straight from Panama’s shores.

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Mahalo

Mahalo is Casco Viejo’s go-to spot for any meal—breakfast, lunch, or an easy dinner. Loved by both locals and travelers, it’s the kind of place every city has: relaxed, welcoming, and full of flavor. From healthy bowls to indulgent bites, Mahalo is Casco’s feel-good favorite—vibrant, social, effortlessly cool, always buzzing, and community-driven.

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Exterior of Casco Mar restaurant at night, warmly lit on a historic corner in Casco Viejo

Casco Mar

Casco Mar is the most consistent restaurant in Casco Viejo when it comes to both food and service. With its waterfront views, fresh seafood, and attentive staff, it has earned a reputation for reliability. Locals and visitors alike return for the quality, calm atmosphere, and beautifully prepared dishes that highlight Panama’s coastal bounty, always elegant, always satisfying.

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Chef Masaki Uyema standing outside Enkai Restaurant in Casco Viejo Panama wearing chef whites and a blue headband.

Enkai peruvian Japanese Restaurant

Enkai is Casco Viejo’s Nikkei discovery—Japanese precision meets Peruvian soul. Citrus, soy, and ocean-fresh fish create plates that surprise and stay. It’s global and local at once, the kind of place Anthony Bourdain would pause, smile, and stay awhile. A dinner here feels like a quiet adventure worth remembering.

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Dining in the Best Restaurants Casco Viejo Is About the Five Senses

  • Sight: vibrant plates echoing the colors of Panama, served in some of the best Casco Viejo dining spots.
  • Smell: herbs, citrus, and salt air mingling in every course.
  • Taste: flavors that balance tradition with innovation.
  • Sound: the hum of Casco’s plazas, laughter, and glasses lifted in celebration at the top eateries.
  • Touch: the textures of fresh bread, grilled seafood, and fruit pulled straight from the earth.

Q&A Dining in Casco Viejo

What Food Are Restaurants in Casco Viejo Known For?

Casco Viejo isn’t just known for its seafood — it’s known for balance. The chefs here work with the best of Panama’s land and sea: grass-fed steaks, sustainable fish, farm-to-fork produce, and inventive vegan dishes that stand on their own. Menus move easily between corvina and ribeye, tropical fruits and root vegetables, always rooted in seasonality and craft. Together, they reflect a neighborhood where heritage and innovation share the same table.

Are Restaurants in Casco Viejo Good for Seafood?

Yes. With Panama’s Pacific coast and Caribbean waters nearby, seafood in Casco Viejo is exceptionally fresh. Restaurants highlight daily catches such as tuna, lobster, and shellfish. From casual ceviche to refined tasting menus, diners can expect seafood prepared with both skill and respect for Panama’s maritime traditions.

Are there family-friendly restaurants in Casco Viejo?

Yes. You don’t need a long list to find them—our Top 6 restaurants already hit the mark. Each one is hand-selected, welcoming families with approachable menus, fresh local ingredients, and warm service. From relaxed cafés to refined dining rooms, these choices make it easy for children and adults to enjoy memorable meals together in Casco Viejo.

Do Locals Eat at Restaurants in Casco Viejo, or Just Tourists?

Both. Casco Viejo attracts travelers, but it is also a favorite dining destination for Panama City residents. Locals return often for the quality, consistency, and atmosphere of the neighborhood’s Top 6 restaurants .This mix of visitors and locals creates an authentic energy where dining feels both global and rooted in community.

What’s the Dining Scene Like at Night in Casco Viejo?

After sunset, Casco Viejo transforms. Rooftop terraces glow, live music drifts through plazas, and restaurants shift from relaxed daytime service to elegant evening dining. It’s lively without losing sophistication — perfect for a late dinner, a glass of wine, or a quiet walk afterward through the cobblestone streets.

Fast Facts: Best Restaurants Casco Viejo

Cuisine Range: Seafood, steaks, farm-to-fork produce, and vegan options.
Local Favorites: Corvina, snapper, octopus, tropical fruits, and local beef.
Style of Dining: Courtyard cafés, rooftops, and Dining rooms.
Atmosphere: Colonial charm with candlelight, sea breeze, and design flair.
Reservations: Recommended Thursday–Sunday; book online or via concierge.
Dress Code: Smart casual by day, elevated casual by night.
Best Time to Dine: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM for peak ambiance and live music.
Average Price Range: $25 – $60 per person including wine.
Walkability: All Top 6 restaurants are within Casco’s 40-acre UNESCO district.

Closing Note: Best Restaurant Casco Viejo

What makes Casco Viejo so remarkable isn’t just its history or architecture. Instead, it’s the culinary diversity flourishing within every cobblestone block. There are so many up-and-coming young chefs in Casco Viejo who have learned their craft from the ground up. They bring energy, precision, and imagination to Panama’s most vibrant neighborhood.

The beautiful thing is the diversity every restaurant carries a story, a point of view, and a reason to return. You can find everything here, from fine steaks and handmade pastas to ceviche bars, vegan kitchens, and late-night rooftops where world flavors meet local rhythm. Every turn seems to reveal another surprise, each one more tempting than the last.

Many of Panama’s Youngest Chefs have chosen Casco Viejo as their proving ground, redefining what dining in Panama can be. They’re shaping a culinary identity that feels rooted in history yet open to the world. Here, authenticity and creativity meet in every dish.

Each restaurant tells part of a bigger story. It’s about how creativity and community have turned Casco into one of Latin America’s most compelling dining destinations. Whether you’re drawn to elegant tasting menus, barefoot beach bites, or the quiet romance of candlelit courtyards, the best restaurant in Casco Viejo is the one that feels like it was waiting for you all along.

Map of the Top Six restaurants

Every restaurant on this map is within a comfortable five-minute walk no taxis, no stress, just an easy wander through one of the safest and most charming corners of Panama City.

Bonus Find: The Secret Captain

There is one more local favorite in Casco. He is not listed in the Top Six because he appears when he wants and disappears just as quickly. If you feel adventurous, solve this riddle:

Seek the captain who sails without a ship.
He anchors where sunsets paint the sea.
Follow the locals, not the menu boards,
and when you see jars of gold you have found his treasure.
Walk the street of Molas to find his shore.

Find him… and you have earned a story you will not forget.

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