Costa del Este Panama What It Is and Where to Eat
What Costa del Este is, why it matters in Panama City and how the dining scene works there, from business lunches to long dinners.
If you land in Panama City and someone mentions Costa del Este, they are talking about the newest and most planned neighborhood in the capital: wide avenues, glass towers, corporate headquarters and a residential population with money to spend on dinner. It sits on reclaimed land east of the center, twenty minutes from the old town.
Why it exists
Costa del Este was built from scratch on what used to be a landfill by the bay. The result is unusual for Latin America: a district designed with sidewalks, green areas and underground utilities, which is why it feels more like Miami than like the rest of the city.
How the dining scene works
The offer splits into three blocks, and eating in each is a different experience:
- Town Center. The densest concentration of restaurants, with familiar chains and several chef driven places. The safe option when the group cannot agree.
- The inner streets. Quieter rooms, better for conversation and for dinners that run long.
- The hotel restaurants. Reliable, air conditioned and open when everything else has closed.
What is missing
For the size of the district, two categories are underrepresented: Spanish cooking and Argentine grill. That gap is being filled by houses moving in from Casco Viejo, Santa Rita among them, which brings its Spanish kitchen and its parrilla to the neighborhood.
Practical tips
- Parking is the district’s advantage: most places have their own or valet.
- Friday after 8 p.m. is the busiest window; Town Center fills first.
- Between May and November, an uncovered terrace at five in the afternoon is a gamble.
- For a dinner that is the plan of the evening, many residents drive down to Casco Viejo instead.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Costa del Este?
East of the city center, on reclaimed land along the bay, about twenty minutes from Casco Viejo by the Corredor Sur.
Is it worth visiting as a tourist?
As a destination in itself, not really. As a base, yes: it is quiet, modern and safe, with easy parking and good restaurants.
Do restaurants there open on Sundays?
Many do, but several close early, around 8 p.m. Sunday hours are the least predictable of the week.
Santa Rita in Casco Viejo
Spanish kitchen and Argentine grill on Avenida Eloy Alfaro and Calle 11, in the heart of Casco Viejo. Open Monday to Thursday 5:00 to 11:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 1:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Sunday 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. Phone +507 303-0991 · WhatsApp +507 6629-6315.
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Book a table at Santa Rita
Spanish kitchen and Argentine grill in the Casco Antiguo of Panama City, Avenida Eloy Alfaro and Calle 11. Live music Thursday to Saturday.