Short answer: Don’t leave Panama without eating a bowl of sancocho, the chicken soup Panamanians call their national dish, a cup of fresh ceviche at the seafood market in Panama City, carimañolas and hojaldras for breakfast, Caribbean rice and beans with coconut in Bocas del Toro, and a cup of Geisha coffee in Boquete. Cool off with a raspao, and you have tasted the country.
Panamanian food mixes Indigenous, Spanish, Afro-Caribbean and many immigrant traditions, a result of centuries as a crossroads between two oceans. Rice is the backbone of most meals, alongside chicken, beef, plantains, yuca, corn and the herb culantro, which gives many dishes their flavor. The Pacific and Caribbean coasts supply fish and seafood; the Caribbean side around Bocas del Toro and Colón cooks with coconut; the Azuero Peninsula is the heartland of country cooking and folklore; and the cool highlands of Chiriquí grow coffee, vegetables and fruit. UNESCO recognized this mix when it made Panama City a Creative City of Gastronomy in 2017. For the bigger picture, see our Panama travel guide.
Classic plates
1. Sancocho
A simple, comforting soup of chicken (traditionally a free-range hen), yuca, ñame (a starchy root) and corn, flavored with plenty of culantro and onion, and served with white rice on the side. Panamanians call it their national dish, eat it at family gatherings and on Sundays, and swear by it after a long night out. Every fonda and many restaurants have it; the version from the Azuero region is especially famous. Add a spoonful of rice to the bowl, as locals do. It may sound heavy for a hot day, but the clear broth is lighter than it looks, and a few drops of hot sauce wake it up.
2. Arroz con pollo
Rice cooked with chicken, vegetables, olives and capers, colored yellow with achiote or saffron-style seasoning. It is the dish of birthdays, school events and big family lunches, and every fonda serves it. It is mild and a safe bet for children.
3. Ropa vieja
Shredded beef (the name means “old clothes”) simmered in a tomato, onion and pepper sauce, served with white rice, beans and fried plantain. It is a common plate of the day at fondas in Panama City. Its cousin, bistec picado (diced beef in sauce), is a typical breakfast.
4. Arroz con guandú
Rice cooked with pigeon peas (guandú), often with coconut milk on the Caribbean side, and served alongside meats. It is a Christmas and holiday dish but appears on menus all year. Ask for it with coconut (con coco) if you like a richer, slightly sweet taste.
5. Patacones
Green plantain slices fried, smashed flat and fried again until crisp, then salted. They come on the side of almost every fish and meat plate and as a snack with beer. Ask for tajadas if you prefer sweet, ripe plantain slices instead.
From the sea
6. Ceviche
Cubes of raw white fish, usually corvina (sea bass), cured in lime juice with onion, celery, culantro and a little hot ají chombo pepper, served in a small cup with crackers. Panama City’s seafood market, the Mercado de Mariscos on the waterfront at the edge of Casco Viejo, is the classic place to try it, with stalls selling corvina, shrimp, octopus and mixed ceviche. Go at lunchtime, when the stalls are busiest.
7. Pescado frito and seafood
A whole fried fish, usually red snapper or corvina, served with patacones, coconut rice and a slice of lime. Beach towns on both coasts and the islands serve it, and on the Pacific islands and the Pearl Islands lobster, octopus and shrimp are often on the menu. Ask for the catch of the day (pescado del día) and the price before you order, since whole fish is sold by size.
8. Caribbean rice and beans, rondón and coconut cooking
On the Caribbean coast, Afro-Antillean families cook rice and beans in coconut milk and serve it with chicken, fish or pork. Rondón, a slow-cooked stew of fish or seafood with coconut milk, plantain and root vegetables, is a specialty. In Bocas del Toro, look for these dishes, and for Johnny cake, a slightly sweet coconut bread for breakfast. In the San Blas Islands (Guna Yala), Guna families serve fresh fish with coconut rice and plantain, usually included in island stays.
Breakfast and snacks
9. Carimañolas
Torpedo-shaped yuca fritters stuffed with seasoned ground beef, chicken or cheese, then deep-fried until golden. They are a breakfast and snack food, sold at bakeries, cafés and street stands in the morning. Ask for cheese (de queso) for a vegetarian version.
10. Hojaldras and tortillas
Hojaldras (also called hojaldres) are pieces of dough fried into soft, puffy rounds, similar to fry bread, eaten with eggs, cheese, bistec picado or sausage. Panamanian corn tortillas are thick and fried rather than thin, often topped with fresh white cheese (queso blanco). Together they make the classic Panamanian breakfast, served at fondas and cafés from early morning.
11. Tamales and bollos
Panamanian tamales are corn dough filled with chicken or pork, olives and raisins, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled, a Christmas and holiday tradition. Bollos are simpler: corn dough wrapped in husks or leaves and boiled, eaten with cheese or as a side. Look for them at markets and roadside stands in the countryside, especially on the way to the Azuero Peninsula.
Sweets and drinks
12. Raspao
Shaved ice topped with fruit syrup and a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk, sometimes with powdered milk or honey on top. Vendors push carts around plazas, parks and the Cinta Costera waterfront in Panama City. It is a cheap, colorful way to cool off in the afternoon heat.
13. Chicheme and fresh drinks
Chicheme is a sweet, thick corn drink made with milk, cinnamon and vanilla, a specialty of the town of La Chorrera west of Panama City. Fresh fruit drinks called chichas (passion fruit, tamarind, pineapple and others) come with lunch at fondas. For something stronger, try seco, a clear sugarcane spirit, often mixed with milk as a seco con leche or with fruit juice.
14. Geisha coffee from Boquete
The Panama Tourism Authority says the coffee farms around Boquete grow at about 1,000 to 2,100 meters on volcanic soils, with a stable microclimate that suits specialty coffee, including the famous Geisha variety. The harvest runs roughly from December to March, and many farms offer tours of the fields, roasting and tasting. Boquete’s cafés serve Geisha and other local coffees by the cup, and the town holds its Flower and Coffee Fair each January.
Where to eat: Panama City and beyond
Panama City. Panama City has the widest choice, from fondas serving sancocho and plates of the day to the restaurants of Casco Viejo, where many chefs cook modern Panamanian food in restored colonial buildings. The Mercado de Mariscos is the place for ceviche and fried fish, and the waterfront Cinta Costera is good for an evening walk with a raspao. Districts such as El Cangrejo and Obarrio are full of restaurants from many cuisines, reflecting the city’s international mix.
Boquete and Chiriquí. In Boquete, coffee tours, cafés and farm-to-table restaurants make the most of the highland produce, and the cool weather is perfect for a hot sancocho. The surrounding Chiriquí highlands grow much of the country’s vegetables, strawberries and dairy.
Bocas del Toro. Bocas del Toro is the place for Caribbean rice and beans, coconut fish, rondón and Johnny cake, as well as cacao farm visits on the islands and mainland.
San Blas Islands. In the San Blas Islands, meals are simple and fresh, usually part of a package with boat transfers and Guna-run lodges: fish, coconut rice, plantain and, in season, seafood.
The Azuero Peninsula. The towns of the Azuero region, such as Chitré and Las Tablas, are known for country cooking, tamales, bollos and the folklore festivals where sancocho is served in big pots.
Food etiquette and tipping
Panama uses the US dollar (alongside the balboa, which is pegged at par), so prices are easy to read. Fondas are simple local lunch places: you choose from the dishes of the day in the display, usually a main with rice and a side, plus a chicha, and pay at the end. In restaurants, a tip of about 10% is customary, and some places add it to the bill as a service charge, so check before paying extra. Our tip calculator works out amounts on the spot.
Panamanians eat lunch as their main meal, and dinner in the city can start late. Useful phrases: ¿qué hay de almuerzo? (what is there for lunch?), sin carne (without meat) and la cuenta, por favor (the bill, please); our phrase cards have more. According to the UK government, tap water is safe to drink in most of the country, but follow local advice on the islands and in rural areas.
Eating on a budget
Fondas are the cheapest way to eat in Panama, serving filling plates of rice, beans and stews for a fraction of Casco Viejo restaurant prices. Our cost guide puts a meal at an inexpensive restaurant in Panama City at about $11.50 and a three-course dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant at about $47.50, without drinks. Eat your big meal at lunch, try street snacks like carimañolas and raspao, and keep Casco Viejo dinners for a special night. For daily budgets, see how much a trip to Panama costs. Coffee farm, food and market tours are easy to book through our tour finder.
Plan your trip
Fit your meals into the bigger plan: our top places to visit in Panama shows where each food stop lives, the Panama itinerary links Panama City, Boquete, Bocas del Toro and the San Blas Islands into a route, and the best time to visit Panama covers the dry and green seasons, the coffee harvest and festivals. Or let our AI trip planner build a day-by-day plan with food stops included, and check the Destination weather tool before you pack.
Frequently asked questions
What is the national dish of Panama?
Sancocho, a chicken soup with yuca, ñame, corn and culantro, served with white rice. Panamanians eat it at family gatherings, on Sundays and at festivals, and the Azuero version is the most famous.
Is Panamanian food spicy?
No, most Panamanian food is mild. Heat comes from ají chombo, a hot Caribbean pepper, used in ceviche and in hot sauces you add at the table. Ask before you add more.
What do people eat for breakfast in Panama?
Hojaldras or thick fried corn tortillas with fresh white cheese, eggs, bistec picado or sausage, and carimañolas, with coffee. On the Caribbean coast, Johnny cake is a breakfast favorite.
Is Panama good for vegetarians?
Reasonably. Rice, beans, patacones, cheese carimañolas, tortillas with cheese and fresh fruit are easy to find, and Panama City, Boquete and Bocas del Toro have vegetarian restaurants. Soups and beans may be made with meat stock, so ask.
What is Geisha coffee?
Geisha is a coffee variety grown in the highlands around Boquete, prized for its floral, tea-like flavor. The Panama Tourism Authority notes that it grows between about 1,000 and 2,100 meters on volcanic soils, and many farms around Boquete offer tours and tastings.
Where is the best place to eat ceviche in Panama City?
The Mercado de Mariscos, the city’s seafood market next to Casco Viejo, is the classic choice, with stalls selling cups of fresh corvina, shrimp and octopus ceviche. Go at lunchtime, when it is busiest and freshest.