Bocas del Toro Archipelago

2 Best Restaurants in Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama

The town of Bocas has an ample restaurant selection, with such surprising options as Thai and Indian cuisine to complement the traditional seafood. Dining is casual and the pace is slow, so be patient for your meal. Local specialties include lobster, whole-fried snapper, octopus, and shrimp served with patacones (fried plantain slices) or yuca frita (fried cassava strips). At restaurants, opt for bottled water over a glass with ice because tap water is usually unsafe to drink. Almost no restaurant here accepts credit cards. Although tipping is not obligatory in Bocas, it is greatly appreciated by the locals.

Blue Coconut

Only in Bocas del Toro would you find the area’s best bar built on stilts over the water in the middle of nowhere. Ten minutes outside of Bocas Town on Isla Solarte, this palapa bar-restaurant lures travelers who show up even before it opens at noon. Blue Coconut is known for its cold beers, fruity cocktails, reggae music, and crystal waters so clear you can see the bottom. Soak up the powerful drinks with a plate of yucca fries, fish tacos, coconut chicken, and blackened fish sandwiches. There are complimentary lounge chairs, hammocks, and snorkel gear, as well as stand-up paddleboards ($7/hour). This ultimate chill spot has excellent snorkeling, especially beneath the dock where neon fish nibble at pylons and coral. A boat taxi from Bocas runs about $10.

Roots

Perched over the sea near the center of Old Bank, this rustic, open-air restaurant is known for serving authentic bocatoreña food. House specialties include Caribbean chicken (in a mildly spicy sauce), fresh lobster, shrimp, and conch, listed as "snail" on the menu. They are served with a hearty mix of coconut rice, red beans, and a simple cabbage salad. The ambience—a thatch roof with tables and chairs made from tree trunks—is equally authentic.

Bocas del Toro Archipelago

Bocas del Toro Archipelago

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