2 Best Restaurants in Chiriqui Province, Panama

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You can get a good meal almost anywhere in the province, but Boquete has the best restaurant selection. The specialty in the mountains is local farm-raised trout, but because the Gulf of Chiriquí has such great fishing, seafood is also a good bet. Chiriquí is cattle country, so you'll also find plenty of beef on the menu.

Restaurante Panamonte

$$$ Fodor's Choice

Though Boquete's first hotel now faces stiff competition, its stately restaurant remains one of the best in town. Created by award-winning Executive Chef Charlie Collins, inventive dishes are based on traditional Panamanian cuisine and might include pumpkin soup, shrimp-and-plantain croquettes, butter-poached trout, wild boar with chocolate demi-glace, and grilled beef tenderloin topped with a three-pepper sauce. Service is flawless in a historic European atmosphere that's hardly changed over the past century. Sunday breakfast is popular.

La Brulerie

$$$$
Led by Michelin star Chef Andrés Madrigal, this sophisticated restaurant at Finca Lerida is based on the “Kilómetro Cero” (Zero Kilometer) concept: Only local ingredients from nearby farms are used to create a menu of authentic Panamanian flavors. Beet carpaccio with caramelized cashews is an excellent starter, as is the signature tree-tomato soup made from a sweet tomato-like fruit grown on-site. Elegant entrées range from tender lamb and seared trout to roasted skirt steak and homemade ravioli. The hydroponic greens add a colorful and healthy touch, right before the rich and savory dessert, Pan Perdido (black chocolate custard with rum). If the weather cooperates, request a table on the outside deck overlooking the gardens.