The Casco Viejo has the most interesting food in Panama City: creative restaurants in restored colonial buildings, Peruvian-Panamanian fusion, rooftop bars with city views, and a concentration of quality that would be impressive in a city five times the size. Outside the Casco, Panama City's food reflects its position at the crossroads of the Americas — Chinese-Panamanian cooking (chifas) from the large Cantonese community that arrived with the canal, Caribbean influences on the Atlantic side, and a solid tradition of Pacific seafood.
The local staples worth seeking out: ceviche made with corvina (white sea bass) in lemon juice with onion and ají chombo chilli; sancocho, the national dish, a rich chicken soup with root vegetables; arroz con mariscos (rice with seafood); patacones (twice-fried green plantain, eaten with everything); and carimanolas (deep-fried yuca fritters stuffed with spiced meat). The Amador Causeway has reliable seafood restaurants with good views if you want a more relaxed setting.