South America

Top Rooftop Bars in Panama City: Kanibal Restaurant Experience

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Rounding out my Panama trip, I have to talk about Panama City’s rooftop scene. The city fully leans into rooftop dining, and for good reason. While Panama City is a dense, modern urban hub (not rural), it offers stunning views of both the skyline and the Pacific Ocean, especially at sunset. It’s no surprise that some of the city’s hottest restaurants are perched high above the streets. We made a point to book a few during our week-long stay.

Kanibal rooftop restaurant.

One of those spots was Kanibal. Located atop a parking garage (yes, you’re dropped off in a garage and take an elevator up), Kanibal is unexpected and chic. It offers both indoor and outdoor seating, but the outdoor area is definitely where you’ll want to be for the views.

When we visited, a DJ was spinning during dinner, adding to the lively atmosphere. It’s also very much a “see and be seen” kind of place—plenty of Instagram-worthy moments here. Since we made reservations in advance, we were seated at a lovely table overlooking the Pacific and downtown Panama City.

Our cute, yet tiny, table at Kanibal.

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1 Day in Panama City: The Perfect Food Tour Itinerary (Casco Antiguo)

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Panama City, Panama is wonderful destinations in Central America, particularly for foodies. With its mix of historic charm, modern skyline, and diverse culinary influences, it’s a city where you can eat incredibly well—if you know where to look. We spent a week in Panama City last year, and while it’s more modern (and pricier) than many of its neighbors, it isn’t the easiest place to navigate as a first-time visitor. That’s exactly why starting with a food tour turned out to be the perfect introduction.

Dan in Casco Antiguo, ready to eat our way around town.

On our first full day, we explored Casco Antiguo—the city’s colorful historic district—on a walking food tour that combined Panamanian history with some of the best dishes we sampled all week. From a traditional breakfast with hojaldra and steak, to fresh tropical juices, market eats, ceviche at the most famous seafood market, and world-renowned Geisha coffee, this experience gave us a true taste of Panama City. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything we ate, where to find it, and how to recreate this exact Panama City food tour itinerary on your own—perfect if you only have one day in the city or want to explore Panama City beyond the Panama Canal.

A street in colorful Casco Antiguo, Panama City.

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Mai Mai – The Best Restaurant In Panama City, Panama (2025)

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While my last post raves about Fonda Lo Que Hay in Casca Viejo, Panama City, Panama, the very best restaurant that I ate at in Panama City was Mai Mai! Mai Mai is short for Maido – Maito, or a combination of two world famous restaurants – Maido in Lima, Peru and Maito in Panama City, Panama. Both Maido and Maito are frequently on the Best 50 lists. And the combo, Mai Mai, is really fantastic.

Entering Mai Mai.

Mai Mai’s menu is described as a combination of “Peruvian-Nikkei appetizers, Asian-inspired dumplings, creative sushi rolls, premium nigiri, sashimi, and a wide range of main courses.” The chefs apparently want you to select dishes from each section to get the full Mai Mai experience. And, that is just what we did at Mai Mai. We tried a wide variety of dishes!

Mai Mai’s menu.

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Restaurant Review: Fonda Lo Que Hay, Panama City, Panama

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On my week vacation to Panama earlier this year, my first dinner was at the well-reputed Fonda Lo Que Hay restaurant. Fonda Lo Que Hay is listed on the 50 Best “Discovery” list for Latin America, and it generally gets very good reviews. It was also Number 57 on the 50 Best Latin America restaurants in 2022. That was enough for me to make a Saturday evening reservation, as I had had success with other 50 Best restaurants (like El Chato in Bogota and Borago in Santiago).

Dinner set up at Fonda Loa Que Hay. The plates were giving an Italian vibe. I really loved that.

Fonda Lo Que Hay, or “LQH” as it sometimes refers to itself, is located in Casco Viejo, or “old Panama City.” The area immediately surrounding the restaurant is walkable and safe, as well as quite well lit at night due to numerous tourist trinket shops in the immediate area. We found the restaurant pretty easily and were instantly impressed by its cute decor, which was giving trendy, Panamanian, tropical, cocktail bar, LOL.

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Airport Lounge Review: Copa Club, Panama Tocumen International

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In addition to visiting The Lounge lounge in Panama’s Tocumen International airport earlier this year following a fun week in Panama, we also visited the Copa Club in Terminal 2. Interestingly, we visited this lounge almost a decade ago (in 2016!); I wrote about it here. This lounge has clearly had a major facelift since 2016, and its currently chic and undergoing even more renovations. This post reviews the Copa Club in Panama Tocumen Terminal 2 in 2025.

Panama City, Panama.

THE COPA CLUB LOCATION IN TERMINAL 2

Terminal 2’s Copa Club is located on the third floor of Terminal 2 in the Panama Tocumen International airport. Located post-security, flyers walk to Gate 208 and take the elevator or stair to the third floor. It’s not difficult to find. It is also not very far from The Lounge (in fact, it’s just below it). If you are between the two, I would check out the Copa Club first, as its larger, has a better selection of food and drink, and closes earlier (while The Lounge is open 24/7).

The lounge overlooking Terminal 2.

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