Chowing Down in Boquete Panama
Posted by Lee on March 23, 2009
Today I am going to try and answer the self imposed question, where do I like to eat in Boquete Panama. In truth I enjoy eating at home more than most restaurants. Cooking is a leisure time vice for me. I am neither a chef nor a gourmet but I enjoy cooking for myself and friends. This is likely a hangover from years of cooking for children, who usually preferred a bowl of cereal. Despite those inauspicious beginnings, cooking is a passion. Still I do eat out and as is obvious from the restaurant roundup, I have tried many restaurants in Boquete and I have my favorites. Please take this as my opinion only. I welcome your opinions in the comments.
Breakfast: If I want a beautiful venue or want to impress someone visiting town who likes both fine food and white table cloths there is no doubt I would choose the Panamonte. In particular, on a weekend, when they have items such as Eggs Benedict and frittatas. For a more casual location, I prefer the prices and local color at Central Park in downtown Boquete. Central Park has a more traditional Panamanian fare, lower prices and like most local restaurants they are not consistent in either availability of menu items or quality of product. Regardless of those major points, it is my favorite location for desayuno. El Dorado in Alto Boquete has exactly the same menu but lacks the colorful stream of fellow diners and the view of the park.
Many people might think Olga’s or Amigos for Breakfast, each has it’s pluses and minuses but neither fall into a category of favorites. Olga’s because of attitude and Amigos just starts too late for me at 9 AM.
Lunch gets a bit more complex with a what would you like to eat and what atmosphere you are seeking. When I was in the world of business, lunch was almost always a business meeting. In this phase of life it is a casual “I am hungry” time. I prefer casual, inexpensive and fast service locations.
The best of the local Panamanian restaurants is unquestionably Aura’s, a bit off the trail in Palo Alto. After another recent visit, it remains both a great meal and value. If you order from the menu they will cook for you so don’t expect fast. The special of the day is waiting so it will be fast right off the stove.
Amigos is well located across the park from Central Park and if you order the Panamanian lunch from the blackboard or soup you will have a great value and positive eating experience with reasonably fast service. If you order from the menu, I suggest wings or nachos, both are consistent, so enjoy a cold beer and allow 30 minutes.
Another of my favorites is Nelvis behind Los Establos for fried chicken. They are right up with Milquiburger on fried chicken and unlike Milquibuger they are open for lunch.
Tammy’s is not always consistent on their chicken, sometimes dry and overcooked but I enjoy their burgers and hummus. All of Tammy’s middle eastern dishes seem very good and now unique to them in Boquete. I wish there was a good place for pizza in town but nothing in Boquete central has impressed me yet. With hat in hand I need to recommend Subway in Los Establos for a sandwich. No place else has the quality, service or the bread they have.
There are other excellent places for lunch including those I will discuss for dinner venues and most offer both the dinner items I enjoy and lighter fare for lunch. The locations above just fall into my list of where you are most likely to find me.
Dinner is the most complex because in my experience it is when we entertain, dine with friends and want a good combination of food, atmosphere and service along with a selection of wine and beer. Breakfast and lunch are rarely planned social events so more casual settings with lower price points dominate my regular haunts.
I have several favorites depending upon the mood and desired cuisine. Both the Panamonte Bar and Oasis are on top of my list. Each offers fine dining Boquete style, excellent simple dishes with local farm trout, corvina, fillete, pork chops and chicken; each has a few other specialties. My favorite at the Panamonte is the trout, at Oasis I am torn between the fillete and the rack of pork (not the lamb). The Panamonte also has good bar food including an excellent burger and oddly the only menu I found in town with sausage on it.
For an Italian craving Il Pianista is a consistently reliable option offering good pizza, excellent pasta and great cannelloni. It is a bit out of town around the Palo Alto loop and is often crowded for dinner so calling for a reservation is a good idea.
My other two choices are French, La Crepe and Oa La La. I am not a fan of crepes but those who are, tell me they make a fine crepe. La Crepe often has other specials and those are usually excellent. They are also open for lunches.
Ou La La is the most current creation of Christophe a local culinary celebrity. I find his food excellent, his service attentive, the venue acceptable and his wines exceptional. As long as Christophe is in the kitchen doing the preparation I have had excellent dinners at his locale.
If I feel a lust for Peruvian food or seafood in general, I go to Machu Picchu, not too far from the central park. I resent their 10% service charge because I prefer to tip based upon service; still they are consistent and have excellent food. If you eat there check your bill for “propina” before you tip, if it is there they have added a 10% tip already.
Mexican food is more complicated because I really like the Antojitos, snacks, at Antojitos. Trini does an superb job turning out an excellent product but it is not dinner fare and too pricy for lunch. If I am so inspired and do not have access to my own kitchen I will risk the hit and miss quality of La Casona.
Boquete has many other dining locales, some good, some awful, most inconsistent. I will risk inconsistent when dining alone or experimenting with something new but when I want to entertain I want to be sure of consistency, quality, service and a relaxed atmosphere.
The question often surfaces about the Jubilado discount on meals. Many Panamanian restaurants have a sign displayed with the law and all honor the discount. I cannot in good faith ask for a discount on a $3 lunch. I will request the discount in a restaurant that charges $10 or more for an entree – most honor it without grousing. It is my contention that those places with prices above what is affordable by a local campesino have the discount built into their menu and anticipate a proportion of their clients will request a discount. I would not object to the discount disappearing if prices were reduced for everyone; fat chance of that happening.
More information and links to reviews and first impressions are at the Boquete Restaurant Roundup.
Comments
5 Responses to “Chowing Down in Boquete Panama”Leave a comment, and if you'd like your own picture to show up next to your comments, go get a gravatar!
I visited Panama and Boquete for first time in Feb. Yes, I was there for the high winds and rain. Breakfast at Olga’s was great. Macchu Picchu in Boquete was so good, we also went to their restaurant in Panama City. Good service, excellent fish dishes. Looking forward to having the chance to get back there.
I have boycotted Macchu Picchu for several years now after being robbed to the tune of $30 for a “lunch special” consisting of some freezer-burned langostino in a not very appetizing sauce. I was not told the price and did not ask, so the lesson was mine. However, the highest priced item on the menu was about $7.95 at the time, and as a “special” I felt it would be competitive – it was, with NYC prices. And yes, the tip was automatically added in with the larcenous price. And I will never go to either of their locations again.
Hi Lee:
We appreciate your first post on Aura´s a couple of years ago. First time, we failed to find it… but later it has become a favorite, with the added plus that just next door, you find homemade bread, by Aura´s sister, I believe. Since we live in David, someone in our family has her phone number, so it has been easy to make a reservation and, most importantly, place the order in advance. The results have been excellent. In particular, I don´t mind it is not a fancy place, but the food is delicious… No way to repent from a mistaken choice… Thanks again,
Hilda