Top Panama City Food & Drink

Experience Panama City the way people who live here actually do. Instead of hopping between tourist hotspots, you’ll walk through a real neighborhood, stopping at small, family-run businesses that have been part of everyday life for years. Along the way, you’ll taste foods people grow up eating, learn how Panamanians decide where to eat, and understand the habits and rhythms that shape how food fits into daily life. Portions are generous enough that everyone eats well, turning the walk into a relaxed and satisfying experience. This isn’t about fancy plating or trendy restaurants. It’s about neighborhood spots with authentic narratives, where food connects naturally to culture and everyday routines. Led by a local guide who knows the area inside out, the experience offers a genuine way to see the city from the inside. Along the way, you’ll eat, drink, walk, and listen, discovering Panama City beyond postcards, through flavors, conversations, and places people truly value.

This activity comes out differently because the guest shall learn how to cook with the spices and come up with tasty Panamanian and African dishes. The guests shall be cooking with fresh ingredients as they learn new cooking skills. These new cooking skills make my experience unique.

Forget crowded bars and tourist menus, this is Panama the way locals experience it. You’ll step inside a real Panamanian home, where our local host will guide you through the entire experience. You’ll prepare 4 classic Panamanian cocktails - each one paired with a small dish you’ll make and taste on the spot, turning the class into a relaxed gathering in a friend’s kitchen than a formal class. As you mix and cook, your host shares stories, techniques, and everyday traditions that connect each recipe to Panama’s Caribbean roots. Everything is taught step by step, making it easy to follow whether you’ve mixed cocktails before or not. By the end, you’ll leave with simple recipes you can recreate anywhere, new skills to impress friends back home, and the memory of one of Panama City’s most vibrant nights in an authentic local setting. Guests often call this the unexpected highlight of their trip - and if it’s not the highlight of yours, you’ll get your money back, no questions asked.

We welcome you to discover the real flavors, colors, and rhythm of Panama City on our street-food tasting adventure that goes far beyond restaurants. This is not a sit-down meal—it’s a walking experience through the city’s most authentic neighborhoods, where you’ll taste, learn, and connect with the people behind Panama’s local cuisine. Start at the Seafood Market with three types of ceviche, then explore San Felipe Neri Market to sample Afro-Caribbean dishes, tropical juices, Geisha coffee, and hot sauces. Continue along Avenida Central for tamales and a visit to a local bakery. In El Chorrillo, enjoy coconut fish, BBQ chicken, smoked chorizo, and escabeche fish, served in tasting portions. Optional rum cocktail or juice included. This is a tasting tour, not a full meal. Please note: This is a tasting tour, not a full meal at each stop. The experience focuses on authentic local life, culture, and connection rather than fine dining.

Geisha Experience Panama is unique for its focus on Geisha coffee, recognized worldwide for its exceptional flavor. Travelers have the opportunity to see up close the artisan process of growing and roasting this premium bean, all in a natural environment of incomparable beauty. Tasting is an unrivalled sensory experience, where complex and subtle notes are discovered that make this cafe a real treasure for the senses.

Indulge your inner foodie on this private excursion to Panama City’s best mom-and-pop destinations. This morning tour begins with convenient hotel pickup before heading out for complimentary tastings of dishes like sancocho and carimañolas, chicheme and tamales, local beer and coffee, sopa de pata, and ceviche. Make the most of limited time with convenient hotel pickup and drop-off.

Step into the shoes of a rum master blender at Casa Barú's exclusive 'Craft Your Own Rum' workshop, an immersive experience in the heart of Panama City's vibrant Casco Viejo. Forget traditional tastings; here, you actively participate and master the art of rumblending. During this one-hour session, discover the Casa Barú production method, our raw materials and the secrets of distillation. This is not just about tasting; it is about understanding the science and passion behind every drop. Guided by expert instructors, you will explore different flavor profiles. We talk about the aromatic notes, giving you the freedom to design and mix your own custom rum recipe, perfectly tailored to your palate. Once your master blend is perfected, bottle it in a 235 ml hip flask or a 700 ml bottle. While you seal your creation, enjoy a complimentary cocktail. Take home the ultimate souvenir capturing your creative journey: a completely unique bottle of rum that exists nowhere else in the world.

A guided bike tour that blends history and gastronomy in Panama City. Explore Casco Viejo, taste exotic juices and local ceviches, and end with a coastal drone shot and exclusive restaurant perks. TOUR HIGHLIGHTS: -Tastings at two traditional markets: San Felipe Neri & Fish Market -Sample 9 natural juices, orchid honey, Geisha coffee & 4 local dishes -Try 3 types of ceviche, including a creative honey mustard version -Scenic coastal ride & optional drone video with city skyline -Complimentary access to a local gastronomy magazine -Free tasting coupons at select Casco Antiguo restaurants

Cruise the Panama Canal to Gatun Lake on a nature tour from Panama City that includes round-trip transport from central Panama City and time to explore Gatun’s wildlife-rich shoreline by boat. Visit jungle islands that were cut off from mainland Panama by the construction of the canal, which protect a thriving population of monkeys, birds, crocodiles, and mammals.

Learn to make local food yourself in this Panama City cooking class to take your appreciation of Panamanian cuisine to the next level. Follow your chef instructor as they take you through 10 recipes, eating and sipping on unlimited cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages as you work your way through the menu. This class can cater to vegetarians and people with other food restrictions.

Panama City’s historic Casco Viejo boasts some of the capital’s hippest bars, but finding the best spots requires local know-how. With this bar crawl you’ll get one included drink at each of five happening places, joining a party crew of energetic guides and fellow travelers. The guides know the neighborhood, which means you can focus on having fun.

Take a break from Panama City and head to the Caribbean coast of Panama, to the beautiful San Blas Islands. Traveling by boat, check out a shipwreck and natural swimming pool, and enjoy the tropical scenery and atmosphere. Your tour includes activities—kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, and more—and round-trip road and boat transport, with hotel pickup and drop-off. Refuel with a tasty included lunch, too, such as fresh fish and rice.

We want to share with visitors our passion for Panamanian cocoa and chocolate. A super fun and educational experience that you can enjoy with your family, friends and partner. Not only will you learn how chocolate is made, but you will be able to make your own chocolate bar and try our products. An experience that you will take as a memory in your heart.

Connect with indigenous people on this guided tour from Panama City to an Embera village in the Chagres rainforest. Travel by canoe to a waterfall for a swim and a VIP lunch with drinks.

Every country has a story - Panama tells hers through flavor. This experience was born from our love for those hidden tastes locals grow up with but travelers rarely find. Your host opens her home to share 32 of Panama’s most beloved bites and sips, connecting each one to a region, a ritual, or a memory. It’s not just a tasting, it’s a cultural map told through food. You’ll experience how ingredients, traditions, and people blend into the country’s identity, and leave with stories and flavors that stay with you long after you return home.

Experience a unique sensory experience in Cacao Bar, Panama City. Enjoy our exclusive tasting of Geisha coffee, grown in the prestigious Finca Suarez, especially for our shop. This natural Geisha coffee, one of the most exotic and sought after in the world, reveals an incomparable taste profile with gentle floral notes and tropical fruit nuances. During the experience, we will explain the process of growing coffee and cocoa, its origins and methods of preparation. The coffee is perfectly paired with handmade chocolates, hand painted, additive free and made with cocoa from Changuinola, Bocas del Toro. Each chocolate highlights the notes of Geisha coffee, creating harmony between the delicateness of coffee and the sweetness of chocolate. All this you will enjoy surrounded by our tree table, in a unique and natural environment. At Cacao Bar, every detail is designed to offer you an exclusive experience, awakening your passion for the finest flavors of Panama.

Learn more about Panama City’s culture and history through its unique cuisine. On this small-group half-day tour you’ll visit places where artisanal chocolate, local coffee, and Central American rum are made. Get a chance to make your own hand-made chocolate. Try plenty of food and drink samples as this is an all-inclusive tour with a traditional lunch provided.

Afro Panamanian Drink and Dine experience brings you the best out of Panama and Africa, irresistible mouth watering buffet.

Travel southbound through the Panama Canal during this 6-hour tour from Panama City. With your local guide, board a bus for a 45-minute journey to Gamboa, home of the Panama Canal Dredging Division. Meet your vessel, the Pacific Queen, for a trip through the Gailard cut, the Pedro Miguel Locks and the Miraflores Locks. Admire scenic views of the Centennial Bridge, the Chagres River, and the Bridge of the Americas. Eat a complimentary lunch on board during your journey. Disembark at the Flamenco Marina in Panama City. Please Note: The exact check-in will be confirmed the day before your tour via email. Please make sure you check your inbox.

Foodies and cultural enthusiasts will love this evening of entertainment. You’ll be picked up from your hotel and driven to a themed restaurant for a delicious Panamanian dinner and folklore show. Performers wear traditional costumes and the restaurant evokes different regions of Panama. Three drinks are included per person, and transfers back to your hotel are included so feel free to enjoy yourself.

Get an authentic taste of Panama's cuisine and learn how to recreate dishes at home during this cooking class. Learn to shop the markets like a local and how to hunt for the freshest ingredients. Your guide will teach you about the herbs and seasonings that make Panama's cuisine shine. Get home cooking techniques from a local chef, and cap off the class with a complimentary drink.

This coffee-tasting experience is a sensory exploration unlike any other, combining the earthy depth and vibrant nuances of freshly roasted Panamanian beans. Each step of the journey unveils a unique layer of flavor: the fragrant aroma that rises from newly roasted coffee, the complex notes that unfold with each tasting sip, and the warmth of an artisan’s hand guiding you through it all. With every slurp, you’ll encounter rich, floral hints in the Geisha, the bright acidity of a traditional washed coffee, or the chocolatey undertones of an experimental natural. This experience is about more than tasting; it’s a true immersion into Panama’s finest flavors, capturing the passion, artistry, and culture behind each cup.

I know what a traveler needs when visiting a new country as a Solo Traveler or with a Small group: Suggestions/Precautions and local Touring options. Ramp up your vacations with this tour and get you a cultural tour at Casco Viejo avoiding hot temperatures of a day tour. Admire the Spanish/French architecture, feel the Pacific Ocean breeze and let me provide you with souvenir shops advice. Visit one of my favorite Rooftop Bars, admire the beautiful lights of my city, and let me take you to Sabroso Panama. You or your group will be able to enjoy our Panamanian gastronomy at a favorite location and count with one hour and a half for your dinner. Do not hesitate to ask me any details about this tour or other tours.