Coconuts, fresh fruit and vegan hotspots
Eating vegan in Panama wasn’t difficult unless you’re too picky. A country full of tropical fruits (pineapples, papayas, watermelons) and avocados quickly makes me happy. For breakfast, I was delighted with a large plate of fruit. But even beyond that, there was almost always a choice. Sometimes it was nothing more than rice, patacones (a kind of fried potato but made from plantain, favorite!) and vegetables or a veggie meal with the cheese left out, and sometimes it was vegan heaven. The places I’ve been to that are worth mentioning I’ve listed, supplemented with the places I got as tips and looked cool!
More about my trip to Panama, including nice tips, can be found here.
Panama City
Mahalo
This restaurant is located in Casco Viejo, the old part of Panama City. An area with picturesque streets, cozy squares, and historic sites. Plenty of choice in delicious restaurants! Mahalo is definitely recommended. It has a very nice courtyard and the food was delicious. There were so many tasty vegan options on the menu that it was hard to choose! Fresh coconut, smoothies, well-filled salads, veggie wraps, and avocado toast. You’ll love it.
Location: Av A & Calle 5 Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama
Aki Sushi
Here they have cocktails and delicious sushi with vegan options! A veggie roll, vegan ramen soup, and veggie pad thai with tofu. For the last one, be sure to ask for it without eggs, because they otherwise add it. We were here on our last night in the city before we took the night bus. The staff was so friendly that we could leave our backpacks so we could take another stroll through the city!
Location: Calle 8a Este s/n Casco Viejo, Panama city, Panama
Multi Centro
You wouldn’t expect it (at least I didn’t), but in the big shopping center in the city with a food court at the top, we had a delicious healthy vegan lunch! Among the fast food stalls, they amazingly have vegan and healthy options. I found a poké bowl with lots of vegetables, silken tofu, and seaweed. The stall next door sold falafel sandwiches.
Location: Paitilla, Avenida Balboa, next to the Hard Rock Hotel and Radisson Decapolis, Panama city, Panama
Mojita
I don’t remember what this place is called, but it’s on a large square, and you’ll recognize it by a small balcony in the front. The interior is colorful, and the staff is very friendly. Not so fancy, just cozy. If you’re lucky, you can sit at one of the two tables on the balcony in the front with a view over the square. At the end of the afternoon, they have happy hour that we took great advantage of because they make delicious cocktails! My favorite: maracuya mojito (passion fruit). For vegan, just ask, and they’ll make it without a problem.
Location: Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama
Bocas del Toro
Bambuda Lodge – Isla Solarte
A paradise! Absolutely worth visiting if you go to Bocas del Toro. With a large slide that ends in the sea, you can entertain yourself for at least an afternoon. They have decent WiFi if you want to work, a swimming pool, and behind the hostel, you start on a great jungle route to the beach. For breakfast, they don’t have much more vegan options than fresh fruit. There’s more choice at lunch, and for dinner, they serve something different every evening. You can choose from a meat, fish, vegetarian, and vegan option. Always very flavorful!
Location: Isla Solarte, Panama
Palmar Lodge – Red Frog Beach
Red Frog beach is named after the famous little red frog that you will encounter frequently in this area. Red Frog beach is a wonderful beach with only a few stalls. Palmar Lodge is not only a restaurant but also a hostel, and you can take yoga classes here daily. I haven’t eaten here myself, but I’ve heard good stories about it! They serve a lot of veggie and vegan dishes.
Location: red frog beach, isla bastimentos, bocas del toro, panama
Dreamcatcher – Isla Bastimentos
Isla Bastimentos really has that Caribbean feel. It is a tiny village where people live outside. The people are super friendly and up for a chat. I haven’t eaten at the hostel/restaurant Dreamcatcher myself, but it looked very nice. From people we met, we heard good stories about it, and they have vegan dishes on the menu.
Location: Calle Principal, Isla Bastimentos, Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Coco hill – Isla Bastimentos
One of the best places where we ate vegan! From the village, you walk up the hill and end up here. The Australian/Russian couple built this atmospheric place themselves (you can also stay here in one of the cabanas). The woman is a chef, and it shows. Here you get something different every evening, three courses for 20 dollars and large portions! Be sure to call in advance to
Location: Isla Bastimentos Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Up the Hill – Isla Bastimentos
When you walk further up the hill after Coco Hill, you arrive at Up the Hill. Homemade chocolate everything. Very nice to visit if only to browse around and check out the handmade beauty products. They cook with ingredients they grow themselves and have the tastiest cocoa tea and chocolate balls.
Location: Isla Bastimentos, Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Boquete & El Valle
Sugar & Spice
You shouldn’t go to this bakery for a vegan breakfast, but for lunch, you can get veggie burritos and quesadillas. I didn’t eat them myself because we were always hiking around lunchtime, but they looked very good.
Location: Calle Principal y 7 Sur, Vía Boquete Calle 7 Sur, Bajo Boquete, Panama
Retrogusto
Boquete, the village in the beautiful mountainous area, you will find the Italian Retrogusto in the center. This is Italian as we know it in the west. The prices are accordingly, but the food is delicious. A nice menu with many veggie options (for vegan, just ask, and they’ll do it without a problem) and the pizzas are yum!
Location: Avenida central, Calle 1 Boquete, Panama
La Horqueta
This is an eco hostel slightly north of Boquete. It is more remote, so you have no phone reception, little WiFi, and no electric lights. It is run by a very sweet family who chased their dream, and you can also go here for yoga, reiki, or a detox. The hostel could be a bit more atmospheric, but the food here is incredibly delicious! The founder is a chef, and inspired by books and documentaries about veganism, she always cooks veggie or vegan with lots of vegetables. Ate here wonderfully!
Location: Calle principal de Horqueta, Boquete, Panama
Mamallena eco lodge – El Valle
A nice laid-back hostel, beautifully located between the mountains by a small river. Not much to do in the area, but lovely to stay for a few days. For breakfast, they serve standard pancakes, but for a small price, they make fresh fruit and/or oatmeal with dried fruit, nuts, and plant-based milk. Joining the dinner being cooked is a good deal and almost always veggie(n).
Location: Carr. Las Lajas -La Laguna, Panama
Luna Llena
This hostel with Caribbean vibes has a lovely terrace with a view of the town and the water. In the hostel, there is a kitchen where you can cook for yourself, but the owners also cook deliciously themselves. They have vegan options! We had a pumpkin soup (a bit salty but flavorful) with coconut rice and a salad.
Location: Calle Guinea, Portobelo, Colon, Panama
Casa Vela
Hidden on the beach behind the main street, you sit here delightfully by the water. The owners are German, and you can try typical German dishes (bratwurst), but especially for incredibly delicious pizzas! These are made without cheese without any problem. We went back twice for the spinach and garlic pizza. Oh, and the mango juice!
Location: Calle Central 34, Portobelo, Colon, Panama