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The shining skyscrapers of Panama City, Panama may attract a lot of attention, but when it comes to creative cocktails and a hip vibe, the coolest bars in Panama City are in the Casco Antiguo, the old part of town. During my most recent trip to Panama, my husband Angel and I enjoyed a couple nights on the town.
Many of these venues combine the best of old and new Panama City, since several have rooftop bars that offer stunning views of the old city as well as the shimmering modern skyline in the distance. Here are some of our favorite places to have a cocktail in Panama City’s Casco Antiguo.
Barlovento
This Panama City rooftop bar and kitchen, perched atop a club called Zaza, isn’t the trendiest nightspot in the neighborhood, but it has an impressive drink menu, including some interesting concoctions made with Corona, the bar’s preferred beer — the Corolito, for example, is made with Corona beer, rum, lime and hierba buena.
Casa Casco
Likely the most complete and well-rounded after-dark venue in the Casco Antiguo (and perhaps all of Panama City, for that matter), Casa Casco is set in a historic building, and each of the four floors has a different vibe, menu and drink menu (“five experiences in one place,” as their ad says). You can dine on sushi on one floor, hit the lushly decorated, tiny dance floor on the fourth floor and have a drink on the rooftop, enjoying the city view.
Gatto Blanco
The rooftop of a boutique Panama City hotel carrying the same name, Gatto Blanco is a tiny-but-cool, open-air bar where you can sip cocktails, enjoy live DJ music and gaze at the far-off skyscrapers.
Lazotea
Sitting on the roof of a hotel called Casa Panama, this trendy Panama City bar is centered around a small pool, and also features an indoor restaurant. A very talented bartender named Sergio shook us up some tasty cocktails with Chivas Regal.
Tantalo
One of our personal favorites, Tantalo is part of a hotel of the same name. It’s both a ground-floor restaurant and bar (where the weekday afternoon executive menu is one of the tastiest deals if you need to recharge while touring the city), as well as a spacious rooftop bar with stunning city views.
Source: latinflyer.com
