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Panama is the home of the Panama Canal, the San Blas Islands and of course Geisha coffee. In this article I will tell you about the best coffee shops in Panama City. Panama is a country in Central America that has become one of the big players in the coffee industry and you can tell by the quality of the coffee shops in the capital. The coffee scene might not be huge, it is a coffee scene that offers the best coffee, great Baristas and good coffee shops. Read on and I will show you what Panama City has to offer. This list is still incomplete, so if your favorite spot is not on the list, please add it in the comments. The list is written in alphabetical order, except for the first spot: my favorite hotspot.
Best Coffee Shops in Panama City: Paddle Coffee Roasters
Paddle Coffee roasters is a friendly and welcoming shop. Owner Manuel Barsello used to be a blogger (like me) but soon wanted something more…a shop of his own. With Paddle Coffee Roasters, Panama City gained a shop that is all about quality and sharing. Manuel loves to share his knowledge with others and while doing so he doesn’t mind teaching you certain aspects of being a Barista in the process. Inside his shop is the roaster and the classroom where you can learn all there is to know about coffee.
Don’t be surprised if one of his closest customers go behind the bar and pull a shot of espresso, apparently it is a way of how things go there. They pay to pull their own shot haha.
Did I already mention his food menu? Its on the chalkboard behind the counter, but if you are hungry I would recommend the Geisha Cascara pancakes!
Adress:
507 Business Center
Calle 65 Oeste
Panamá City
Panama
Opens:
Mon-Sun: 09:30-20:00
Best Coffee Shops in Panama City: Bajareque Coffee House.
Bajareque is located in Casco Viejo, the old part of Panama City, and is home to the famous Lamastus family. The Lamastus Family owns several estates in Boquete and one of the most famous ones are Elida and Burro. Bajareque is a small narrow shop in Casco Viejo that breathes coffee. Tourists and locals alike know how to find this place and get a cup of Elida Estate coffee here. The coffee is fairly priced and for only $9,- you can get a mug of Geisha coffee. If you are lucky you can peak around the corner in the back to see their roaster standing there. Don’t forget to buy your own bag of beans while you are there. The roasting date is always good!
If you want to have a good cup of coffee while you are in Casco Viejo, this is definitely your spot. I recommend the Geisha coffee since it’s fairly priced and just great coffee!
Adress:
In Casco Antiguo on Calle 1, Close to a Place Called Platea. Diagonally across from the stairs that lead up to the promenade.
Opens:
Mon-Sun: 08:00-18:00
Best Coffee Shops in Panama City: Leto Coffee Brew Bar.
Leto Coffee Brew Bar is a Russian project that was started in Panama city years ago. The Russian friends who started Leto Coffee Brew Bar did not only open up a great coffee shop, their shop also won the 2016 Panama Barista Championships and 2016 Panama Brewers Cup due to two Venezuelan brothers that used to work there. Leto Coffee Brew Bar is a coffee shop that mixes industrial and natural elements in their interior. There are seats to chill in, places to work and spots to wait for your coffee as it gets brewed. The Barista Aleks that works there speaks English and will tell you all you want to know about their coffee. If you can get him to brew the coffee for you as well, you are assured of a great brew.
Leto Coffee has several coffees and, of course, also a Geisha on the menu. Even though I’d recommend Geisha any day of the week, this time I’d recommend the Hartmann Maragogipe. These huge beans are so full of flavor and aroma that it’s a must try for everyone.
Adress:
Calle 76 Este
Panama City
Panama
Opens:
Mon-Fri: 07:00-21:00
Sat-Sun: 07:30-21:00
Best Coffee Shops in Panama City: Mentiritas Blancas.
Mentiritas Blancas started out as a pastry shop and had nothing to do with coffee whatsoever. The owners did not know anything about coffee and everything about creating wonderful and delicious pastries. Mentiritas Blancas means ‘Little White Lie’, a lie you tell yourself that it’s okay to eat yet another pastry while you shouldn’t. After a couple of years the owners decided they wanted to serve coffee as well and dived head first into the matter. A few years later and Mentiritas Blancas is a coffee shop that probably offers the best overall coffee shop experience in the city. The place is always crowded, good WIFI, lots of seating area, great pastries and amazing Baristas. The menu of coffee’s is good and they tend to rotate on a regular bases.
I recommend going there and drink any cup of coffee, and have a Red Velvet cookie! Just sit there, relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
Adress:
Calle Gaspar O. Hernandez
Local 2B Edificio DeMar
Via Argentina
Panama City
Panama
Opens:
Tue-Sat: 08:00-20:00
Sun: 09:00-16:00
Mon: Closed.
Best Coffee Shops in Panama City: Cafe Unido.
Cafe Unido is a coffee shop chain in Panama City. Now before you wrinkle your nose in disgust by reading the word ‘chain’, I want to tell you some more. Cafe Unido might be a coffee shop chain, the quality of their coffee shops however, is amazing. The coffee’s are all perfectly roasted and they have good Baristas brewing your coffee. Inside you will always find people drinking their coffee or waiting for their take-out coffee. Try their take on the Elida Estate coffee on the Hario V60 and you will not be disappointed, or if you feel like treating yourself, try a Geisha. Unido Coffee Roasters also sell coffees from several estates out of Boquete at a fair price: Elida, La Harpia and, from Volcan, Carmen Estate. Mind you, Unido Coffee Roasters rotate their coffee’s so it might be totally different when you get there.
There are five shops in Panama City:
Cafe Unido Coco de Mar (Flagstore)
Adress: Le Mare, Planta Baja, Panama City.
Opens:
Mon-Sat: 07:00-20:30
Sun: 08:00-17:00
Cafe Unido Marbella (Near the Riu Hotel)
Adress: Calle 54 Este, inside the Cul-De-Sac, Panama City.
Opens:
Mon-Sat: 07:30-21:00
Sun: 09:00-17:00
Cafe Unido Casco Viejo
Adress: Casco Viejo
Opens:
Mon-Sun: 07:00-19:00
Cafe Unido Multiplaza
Opens:
Mon-Sun 08:00-20:00
Cafe Unido Town Centre
Opens:
Mon-Sun: 07:00-21:00
We would like to be listed in your website as one of the bests coffee shops in Panama City . Please let me know what do we need to do
Thanks for the warm contact we have had. I will be visiting your shop when I travel to Panama again. I guess we both hope that your shop will make it on the list, but we will know when Ive been there. Greetings!
Hello. My name is Saida. I am Belgo-Moroccan and I would like to set up a coffee shop in Villalobos, not far from Brisas del Golf. I would be most grateful if you could send me some advice about a good coffee brand/suppliers/barista trainings etc… My email is saidahaja2602@gmail.com A million thanks.
Dear Saida,
Unfortunately I dont know anything about setting up a coffeeshop but perhaps you could chat with people in Panama City who own a coffeeshop such as Mentiritas Blancas, Leto, Tonos etc.
Good luck and perhaps I will drop by and visit your shop someday.