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Panama City's after-dark offerings range from a quiet drink on historic Plaza Bolívar to dancing until dawn at one of the clubs on Calle Uruguay, with plenty of options in between. Although there are bars everywhere, nightlife is concentrated in Casco Viejo, El Cangrejo, and Calle Uruguay, though there are also a few options in the Area Bancária and Punta Paitilla.
Casco Viejo is the city’s nightlife epicenter, with a variety of bars and clubs that rock into the wee hours on weekends. The Calzada de Amador is the place to head for a quiet drink with lovely ocean views. The streets around Calle Uruguay are packed on weekends, when a predominantly young crowd fills its bars and dance clubs. There are also a few night spots in El Cangrejo and Punta Paitilla, where a couple of hotel bars have amazing views.
The nicest casinos are in, or next to, the city's big hotels, namely the Panama Marriott, Veneto, Trump Ocean Club, and El Panamá, and often have excellent bands performing Latin music in their bars.
The city's dance clubs play a broad mix of music that includes pop, salsa, reggaetón, and house music. Cover charges run between $5 and $10, and sometimes include a drink.
There are also strip clubs, locally called "nightclubs," scattered between the Area Bancária and El Cangrejo, which have traditionally catered to business travelers, but are becoming a bit of a tourist attraction in their own right. Prostitution is legal in Panama, but streetwalking is not, so representatives of the world's oldest profession gather at a few of its bars and casinos.
The bar at the French restaurant Las Bóvedas, on Plaza Francia, usually has live jazz on Friday night. There's a mellower atmosphere than the Latin vibe at nearby Platea, and they play earlier, starting around 7 pm. Call to confirm that the band is playing.
Located on the ground floor of a restored colonial building, Platea sometimes hosts live Latin jazz; the venue is only open on Friday and Saturday nights. Call to confirm.
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