Panama Restaurants

An exceptional dining experience in Panama City. Well worth a visit for the service alone, while the food is both innovative and of high quality.

It had been far too long since my last visit to Filomena, and honestly, I can’t quite explain why I hadn’t returned sooner. Sure, there are plenty of pasta places in town, but good ones? Those are rare. Filomena, however, consistently delivers a dining experience that straddles the line between “exceptional” and “just missed the mark” in the most charming way. Let’s start with the highs: the burrata is as fresh as a farmer’s morning haul, and the tartare? A masterclass in texture and flavor. These dishes scream quality from the first bite. The black ink risotto, while enjoyable, stopped just short of greatness—it’s good but not “write-home-to-nonna” good. Then there’s the osso buco. Oh, the osso buco. It’s a show-stopper, cooked to absolute perfection. If Filomena’s goal is to make you forget the existence of any other dish while you’re eating it, mission accomplished. But then we get to dessert, where things get… interesting. The profiteroles with pistachio ice cream are delightful, but not life-changing. Meanwhile, the tiramisu? It comes with a tableside performance, which I’ll admit is a nice touch, but the flavor doesn’t quite deliver on the theatrics. A bit more punch and less wateriness, and we’d have a winner. In short, Filomena is a solid recommendation for anyone seeking high-quality Italian fare. The highs are high enough to make up for the occasional wobble, and even the misses are enjoyable in their own way. If you haven’t been yet, go—just be ready to critique the tiramisu like a true Italian grandmother.

Delicious food. Great ambience. Music was a little too loud for our taste. Service was also good. We also loved the cocktails.

Fantastic food choices. We had enough choices even being strict vegetarians

We enjoyed our meal there. Service was good, and food was delicious. Many choices to choose from on menu.