Why Casco Viejo has excellent seafood
Panama City sits on the Pacific coast, and the waters off Panama are extraordinarily productive — warm currents, diverse ecosystems, and the unique confluence of Atlantic and Pacific species that the canal corridor makes possible. The fish markets at Merca Panama supply fresh catch daily, and Casco Viejo's restaurants sit at the end of a very short supply chain.
The neighbourhood's position at the crossroads of multiple culinary traditions also shapes what seafood looks like here. You'll find Afro-Caribbean preparations using coconut milk alongside indigenous Pacific coast techniques, Spanish colonial rice-and-seafood combinations, and a modern restaurant scene that applies contemporary cooking methods to local catches. The range is exceptional.
🐟 Best fish to order in Panama: Corvina (a local white fish — mild, firm, excellent raw in ceviche), pargo (red snapper), mero (grouper), and róbalo (snook). All are caught locally and found on most menus.
Essential seafood dishes to try
Raw corvina cured in lime juice with onion, ají chombo (a local hot pepper), and coriander. Panama's national seafood dish. Every restaurant has a version — the quality marker is freshness of fish and brightness of lime.
Panama's seafood rice — similar to a Spanish paella but cooked with local spices and Pacific catch. Usually includes shrimp, octopus, squid, and fish. Deeply flavoured, filling, excellent value.
Garlic prawns — a staple on almost every menu in the neighbourhood. The quality of the shrimp in Panama is exceptional; these are not farmed prawns but wild Pacific shrimp with genuine flavour.
Whole baked red snapper — typically with plantain, rice, and patacones. One of the most satisfying single-dish meals in Casco Viejo. Order it at any of the traditional Panamanian restaurants.
A traditional Panamanian fried yuca dumpling filled with seafood rather than the more common meat filling. Harder to find but worth seeking out — a reminder that Panamanian cuisine has more depth than most visitors realise.
Panama's version of the Peruvian raw fish dish — thinly sliced fresh fish dressed with citrus, ají amarillo, and sometimes coconut milk. Found at the more upscale restaurants and represents the best of Panama's Pacific seafood tradition.
Best seafood restaurants in Casco Viejo
The most celebrated restaurant in Casco Viejo and a Panama City institution. Chef Manuel "Manolo" Madueño serves a changing daily menu of 10+ small dishes built entirely around whatever is freshest from the market — which means the menu is dominated by seafood. There is no à la carte option and no menu to read. You sit down, they bring food. It is one of the best restaurant experiences in Central America. Book well in advance.
Chef José Carles' tasting menu restaurant is widely considered the best fine dining experience in Panama City. The menu rotates constantly and celebrates local Panamanian ingredients — including exceptional Pacific seafood. A meal here is a serious commitment (multiple courses, 2–3 hours) and not cheap, but the cooking is extraordinary. Advance booking required. Casual but attentive service.
Panama's best-known craft brewery has a flagship restaurant on Plaza Bolívar serving a menu built around beer pairings — and the seafood dishes here are a strong match for their hop-forward ales. The ceviche de corvina is excellent and the shrimp dishes work particularly well with the lighter lagers. Good value, great location, no reservations needed for lunch.
The restaurant at the Tantalo Hotel has a terrace looking out over the neighbourhood with a menu that leans into local Panamanian flavours. The corvina dishes are consistently well-executed and the tiradito is one of the better versions in the neighbourhood. Good for a seafood dinner before heading upstairs to the rooftop bar.
Best cheap seafood in Casco Viejo
Not all great seafood requires a reservation and a credit card. Some of the best ceviche in Panama City is served from small stalls and no-frills lunch spots that most visitors walk straight past.
- Weekend market stalls (Plaza Mayor area): On Saturday and Sunday mornings, vendors set up with ceviche de corvina served in plastic cups with saltine crackers, in the traditional Panamanian street style. $2–4 a cup, usually excellent.
- Local lunch spots on Avenida A: The small fondas (traditional lunch counters) on Avenida A serve daily specials that often include fresh fish plates. No ambience, but excellent food and $6–10 for a full plate with rice, beans, and salad.
- Mercado de Mariscos (nearby, not in Casco Viejo): A 10-minute Uber from the neighbourhood, the Seafood Market is worth a visit for the freshest and cheapest ceviche in the city. Order at the counter upstairs. This is where the local fishermen eat.
Ordering tips
- Ask for corvina: If a menu says "fish" without specifying, ask if it's corvina. It should be — it's the local Pacific white fish and by far the best option for ceviche and tiradito.
- Order ají chombo on the side: Panama's small orange hot pepper is used to season ceviche but is often served separately so you can control the heat. Try a small amount — it is fruity and very hot.
- Lunch for value: The best seafood restaurants in Casco Viejo are significantly cheaper at lunch than at dinner. Manolo Caracol is particularly good value at midday.
- Ask what's fresh: Panamanian restaurants are generally honest about what came in that morning. If you ask "qué es fresco hoy?" (what's fresh today?) the staff will usually tell you, and the answer is worth following.
Taste Panama on our food tour
Our food tasting tour includes ceviche, patacones, carimañola, and the street food stops that most visitors never find. Two and a half hours, small groups, $35 per person.
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