Panama- A seafood haven

Fried red snapper

I spent a week in Panama city during which I had the chance to sample its restaurant scene. The seafood was the highlight, which is perhaps not surprising given that Panama's geography ensures that one is never far from either the Pacific and Caribbean. While I tried seafood cooked in panamanian style for the most part, I also tried it in different ethnic styles.

Lobster and shrimp ceviche

The freshness of Panamanian seafood was such that it did not warrant any elaborate use of spices or herbs. The fish was mostly fried with minimal use of herbs and served with either fried plantains, corn or potato.

If you are in Latin America, it is your duty to partake in the local variant of ceviche. While I cannot say that I enjoyed my experience with Peruvian ceviche, the lobster and shrimp ceviche I tried in Panama City's local fish market was a highlight of my trip.


I also visited restaurants serving ethnic cuisines including Mediterranean, Indian and Spanish. Beirut, a Lebanese restaurant in the city served delicious schwarma.

Tuna with cheese

On the more fine dining end of the dining spectrum, we visited a Spanish seafood restaurant called La Casa Del Marisco where I had one of the freshest tuna dishes ever served with Manchego cheese and a seafood paella.

While I still cannot claim to be a fan of ceviche, and some of the fried dishes I tried left me cold, I cannot recommend Panama enough as a destination for sea foodies wondering how to spend that unused vacation time.