If you can please try the food. Is amazing! Is hard to find local Caribbean food for real in Colon Island so the seafood here was a great deal, the sauce, the octopus, and also just in front of the beach! Great option! Also they have chairs in front of the ocean and easy to take Boat Taxis back to Colon Island.
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
PAB 10–15
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Rice and Curry
We had dinner here a few times during our vacation and thought the food was wonderfully tasty.
Unfortunately, the service is not quite at the same level. At busy times, you wait for a very long time and tell your order to several waiters most of whom then don't bring you anything. And at quieter times almost the same thing happened ... somebody takes your order and then you sit there waiting, without getting anything to drink (not even water) before your food arrives.
Lovely location by the water.
Service
Dine in
Food: 5
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 5
We had a fantastic meal here on New Year’s Eve. We were two people and ordered the patacones, lamb ravioli, shrimp curry and octopus. Plates are very easy to share (we had a little leftover but wanted to try them all) and delicious. Very rich with wonderful Caribbean/curry fusion. Octopus is the house specialty and I understand why - full of flavour and incredibly tender. I have yet to have a bland or disappointing dish here. The cocktails are also amazing and unique. We met the manager, Carlos, on a boat from Bocas Town to Carenero and he was so kind to squeeze us in on their busiest night. He was warm and accommodating when we arrived. Whether youre staying in town or on Carenero this place is a must.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
PAB 45–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Patacones
Wow. We came here by water taxi after a day at Red Frog Beach. We enjoyed sunset on the water and landed here shortly after. From dock to table, less than 5 min. Drinks in hand shortly there after. On Sundays they have the charcoal grill going. We had a group of 8, and showed up at the same time as another big group. That was unusual for a Sundat evening. The owner was there and jumped in to help push food out to the different tables. The flavors, out of this world. Being able to know that no matter how hard I tried to recreate this dish, it would never be the same. Hearing the waves and the sear from the grill. The food smells and smoke covered up the smell of citronella in the air from the house made essential oils to keep the Chitra away we all made sure to use. The in-house made hibiscus and ginger drink was excellent. Cold beer if you'd prefer. Fresh seafood, pork ribs, the octopus was outstanding and my new favorite with every meal patacones. We tried it all. The caramelized local cacao nibs on the mousse and the jackfruit ice cream were the perfect close to the meal. I would look to stay at the hotel attached my next visit. Well done friends.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Rice and Curry
We met the manager Carlos on a boat on the afternoon of new years. A bit serendipitous as we couldn’t get a reservation earlier in the day, but after seeing them boat over some tables, Carlos extended us an invite and squeezed us in for an excellent evening.
We have dined here before and been impressed. We remembered the best meal we had in bocas, but forgot about how great the customer service is. Panama generally has awful customer service, but RM is the exception to the rule. The staff are all friendly and awesome and there to serve and make a great experience for you.
Thank you to the staff for an amazing start to NYE, a memorable meal, and a great experience on a very stressful night that often leads to disappointment.
You will spend more here and get less quantity - but the quality and experience surely makes you feel the value and warmth of this place. Don’t skip it.
Mike
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
I will dream of these patacones! Excellent drinks and all the food was delicious. Service was a bit slow, but it’s island time. Would definitely return.
Food: 5
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 5
A triumph of a meal! The most creative cuisine that we have found in Bocas. Exquisite cocktails!
I absolutely loved this restaurant. Everything about it. I loved the atmosphere. I loved the food and I really liked the servers.
1. The drinks were extraordinary! We had been paying the same price at the other restaurants around Bocas for cocktails, and these were just such a step above. Not only in terms of flavor, but in terms of presentation. Beautiful drinks and very creative with a wonderful mixologist at the bar. My daughter and I both had two of the freshest, well-balanced caipirinhas we have ever had.
2. The food! You could tell that things were locally sourced and the chef was very creative with his interpretation of dishes. My daughter had her first whole fish here and they cooked it on the grill. See the photo. She was delighted. She’s a pescatarian and literally ate every little bit of it and left and nothing but the skeleton!
I enjoyed the lamb ravioli a great deal. Such intensely good flavors. We also had the octopus which was so tender. My husband’s pulled pork sandwich was good. My son had the same thing. They weren’t raving about it, but they said it was very good. Whereas my meal and my daughters meal were both just outstanding!
3. We arrived by personal boat, which was a bit tricky, because we parked on the side where the water taxis pull up, but they came running out and quickly showed us where we could tie up the boat.
4. I love the little spray that they give you at the table that helps keep the bugs away. It’s all natural, and afterwards you smell amazing. Assuming it has coconut oil in it.
5. The only downsides were that the food was slow to come out and my husband said he was pretty hot. But he’s Nordic and has a lot of body fur, so he just has to deal with it. We wanted to sit someplace with a chair that had a back, because my son had recently hurt his back, and all of the chairs that were close to the water and the breeze did not have backs. If we were sitting by the breeze, I’m sure he would not have felt too warm. We have been eating in outdoor restaurants for several days by the water, and I think we just needed that little bit of breeze.
I tried to convince my family to come here more than once during our trip, but there were other restaurants that they wanted to try. If I had my way, I would’ve come here at least two or three times!
Bravo to the chef and owner! I’m still dreaming about the ravioli and the octopus.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
PAB 15–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Grilled Fish of the Day
We spent five weeks on the island of Carenero. The staff of Receta became like an extended family. Even when we had imbibed a little too much we were greeted with smiles and laughter the next day. Peter, the manager was a stand out for us. Just such a cool guy. The food and cocktails were craft. We especially loved Gerard in the morning and lunchtime. It was so special all of it. Food is exquisite and drinks are top notch.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Other
Price per person
PAB 15–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Turmeric Twist
My husband and I stopped here two different nights during our stay on Isla Carenero. The first night, we had a sort of Panamanian rendition of fish tacos, which was incredibly delicious, and an exquisite beet root salad. We were too full for dessert but said we would come back the next night to sample it. We did, and wound up having an unprecedented (for us) 2 servings of a chocolate mousse that was out of this world. With it, we had 2 generous pours of coconut rum (which I highly recommend as an accompaniment to any chocolate dessert). That second night Chef Joseph himself was there, and even though he was very busy entertaining a group of fellow chefs, he took the time to stop and speak with us, and to give us a bit of history about the restaurant (named for his Mom). He has another restaurant, Octo, in Boco. We will come back to this one when we return, and will definitely try his other one as well.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
PAB 10–15
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Rice and Curry
