El Traphiche is a restaurant that started when a group of friends wanted to bring the traditional tastes of Panama into Panama City. El Trapiche is franchised so there are a few locations in Panama City. The restaurant is loved by both locals and tourists. Panama has a great culinary scene; it has the canal linking the world and is a hub between North and South America. This cultural hub brings a wide range of flavors to the culinary scene. El Trapiche is where you can try these authentic Panamanian cuisines in a restaurant with a warm, fun and authentic atmosphere.
When I was in Panama City for a little over a week, I asked a number of locals about where I could try the best local cuisine. I was recommended El Trapiche by several of them. And what do you know, I was staying in El Carmen which is the neighboring neighborhood of El Cangrejo, where one of the locations is found on Via Argentina.
It is a nice and walkable neighborhood, so the location of this El Trapiche restaurant is good, with plenty of bars, restaurants and cafes. When you arrive, you will notice the architecture of a traditional Panamanian building. Then when you walk in the décor looks traditional and the waiters and waitresses are dressed in costume.
The atmosphere is warm, the décor is cool and the service is great. The staff are friendly and helpful when providing recommendations and the menu is moderately priced. I had the Fiesta Panama, which is a little combination of everything: Empanadas, Carimañolas (stuffed casava), Almojabano (corn dough with cheese), fried Yuca, Petacones, Panamanian rice and soup. The food was tremendous; it was so good that I had to go back and order the same thing again a few days later. As a matter of fact, as I’m writing this review, I have the urge to go back to Panama City just to eat it again.
I didn’t try anything else on the menu, but the Fiesta Panama is a sample of the main portions of the menu and it was great.
Here is my breakdown:
Food – Excellent
Service – Great
Atmosphere – Great
Price – okay
Location – good
Now I’m not sure how it is at the other locations, but El Trapiche on Via Argentina was excellent and I’m assuming the other locations are too. It was my favorite meal in Panama (which had great food all around) and is in my top 3 for restaurants in Latin America (the only rivals are El Rancherito in Colombia and a certain taco place in Mexico City) and easily top 10 in the world. If you are ever in Panama City, you must try El Trapiche at one of the locations.
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