THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Panama - page 118

plus a pleasant outdoor open-si ded kitchen-c um -social area, where you prepare your compli-
mentary DIY breakfast. Dorms $15 , doubles $33
OTHER AREAS
Panama House B&B (formerly Casa del Carmen) C Primera El Carmen 32 263 4366,
panamahousebb.com ; map . Attracts a wide age range with their restful patio and garden,
and free services including breakfast, internet, shared kitchen, laundry, hot water and bar-
becue area. Strongly recommended and usually full, so book ahead. Dorms US$17 , doubles
US$50
Riande Aeropuerto Hotel & Resort Av Tocumen 291 9012, hotelesriande.com/aerop-
uerto ; map . Not a place to base a stay in Panama City, but this motel-like joint does the job if
you've an early flight out of Toc umen (or a late arrival) as it's a couple of minutes away and
offers a free airport transfer. $113
< Back to Accommodation
EATING
Panama City's cosmopolitan nature is reflected in its restaurants : anything from US fast
food to Greek, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and French cuisine can easily be found in addition
to traditional Panamanian dishes and excellent seafood. Bookings are advisable at weekends,
if there's live music or a show, and during holiday periods. The most celebrated areas to eat
out in are Bella Vista and El Cangrejo - along and around Vía España, Vía Argentina, Vía
Veneto and Calle Uruguay - and Casco Viejo , with a handful of restaurants sprinkled along
the Amador Causeway . Cheap hot and cold takeaway meals are available from the Rey su-
permarket (open 24hr) on Vía España, while the food courts in the city's numerous shopping
malls are popular at weekends.
CASCO VIEJO
Casco Viejo is a destination for the city's smart set, jamming the streets in the evenings with
their 4WDs as they head for the chic venues in converted colonial houses, though there are a
few open-air restaurants, where you can soak up the historic surroundings, and the odd inex-
pensive hole-in-the wall joint, where you can get a meal for under three dollars.
Las Bóvedas Plaza de Francia 228 8058, restaurantelasbovedas.com ; map . Soak up
the history as well as the fine wine in the dimly lit caverns of these former dungeons. The
French-inspired cuisine is both mouthwatering and tastefully presented, but it plays second
fiddle to the intimate ambience. Mains $20-45. Live jazz after 9pm on Fri & Sat. Mon-Sat
5.30pm-midnight.
Café Coca-Cola Plaza Santa Ana, C 12 at Av Central 228 7687; map . The self-proclaimed
“oldest café in Panama” and something of an institution among the city's older residents,
who gather to drink coffee, read the paper and discuss the news. Filling Panamanian staples