787 reviews
#90 of 1,284 Restaurants in Panama City$$$$, Caribbean, Contemporary, Vegetarian friendly+507 391-4657+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Mon
12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Tue
12:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Wed
12:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Thu
12:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Fri
12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Sat
12:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
Travelers' Choice 2024
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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PRICE RANGE
$30.00 – $60.00
CUISINES
Caribbean, Contemporary, Central American
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
meals, features
Is this restaurant good for lunch?
Details
About
Using all the influences of the Panama Canal and native ingredients, MAITO is a Panamanian restaurant that offers local food with a twist.
PRICE RANGE
$30.00 – $60.00
CUISINES
Caribbean, Contemporary, Central American
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Late Night, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Validated Parking, Valet Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Gift Cards Available
Contribute
4.5
787 reviews
Excellent
451
Very good
189
Average
93
Poor
26
Terrible
28
Jared J
World11 contributions
Jan 2023 • solo
i wish i could give more stars/circles. the tasting menu was one of the best meals i’ve experienced. i was dining solo on the last night of my trip and wanted to try so many items on the menu, so was glad there was an option for a tasting menu. at first, i thought $75 was steep, but i soon learned it would be 10 courses at that price—a deal by any standard.
the thought and presentation of every dish was clear and i tasted unique combinations of flavors and textures that i’d never encountered before. and the food was put on stunning dishes and bowls.
the staff were also wonderfully attentive and friendly, and explained the meaning of each dish in detail that helped me understand the history and future of panameño cuisine. i would definitely dine here again.
Written January 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maite C
🌴🌴🌴
Thank you for rating your #ExperienciaMaito.
Your review means a lot to us and makes us see that we are on the right track!
🌴🌴🌴
Written February 4, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
UtahJerry
Salt Lake City400 contributions
Oct 2021 • none
I stopped here because it was the closest restaurant to where I am staying and in walking distance. I was surprised to find out later that it supposed to be a renowned restaurant. Seating is in a covered garden area that was very nice. Service was good and so was the food. I ordered the Sea Bass but they were out of it so the waiter suggested a ceviche dish instead. It was small but very good. I also had a Tres Leche hoping for a house made delight, but I was disappointed. I have had better at franchise restaurants in the US. It is on a side street, so you aren't likely to drive by. There is ample free off street parking. I found the price to be higher than I was expecting for what I got.
Written October 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shanelle
Santa Monica8184 contributions
Jan 2024 • friends
Panamanian fusion cuisine that was listed as #100 on the top 100 restaurants in the world, and on the Latin America Top 50 restaurants. My friend and I had a reservation for 8pm on a Monday evening, and opted for the a la carte option (tasting menu for $100 per person is available). There’s parking available but we just Ubered. Credit cards accepted
We sat on the outdoor patio which had a nice vibe - the indoor seating was full. We started off the meal with complimentary bread and hibiscus butter, which was interesting. We got the shrimp wontons and kanpachi tartare per our waiter’s recommendations. The wontons came with a curry sauce and had four pieces; I’d get that. The kanpachi tartare was on the smaller side but came with a good amount of puffed chips on the side. For our entrees, we had the pesca chombasia and the guachito caribeno. Both were flavorful and these dishes were enough food for two people. We ended the meal with the torrejita de maiz per our waiter’s recommendation. It was an interesting blend of savory, sweet, and sour flavors thanks for a unique combination of ice cream, cheese, and syrup. There weren’t plate changes and water service was a bit slow, but overall, it was an enjoyable meal.
Written February 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maito Panama
Hello,
Thank you so much for your review and details. We are glad you enjoyed your experience and will let the administration know about the service. Thanks again and we hope to see you back soon.
Written February 26, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ronny W
Boca Raton2 contributions
Dec 2020 • couples
We saw that this was a renowned restaurant, so we decided it was something we had to do before we left Panama. I will let the pictures speak for themselves. I will post the picture of the item she ordered that they posted on their Restaurant Instagram vs. what she received. Completely different in the worst way possible. The octopus was in much smaller flavorless pieces and the rice which was non-existent in the restaurants picture was too hard to even eat. We expressed our dissatisfaction about the octopus and the waiter was nice and offered us a different dish to which we chose the sea bass, which was the blandest of them all. My girlfriend is not picky and was actually annoyed with my complaining about the how the texture of our shrimp appetizers resembling mashed potatoes, but even she said that the fish was borderline inedible. Not to mention the disappointment from my own meal. I wanted the Mongolian beef because of their Instagram post but the waiter changed my mind to choose the more expensive Asian pepper steak which was like the size of a hot dog, came in a gravy which did not complement well at all and had a side of plain lettuce. When we finally received the bill they tried to charge us $30 for the Asian Pepper Steak and $30 for the Sea Bass when the menu said that it was $23 and $25. Overall a complete letdown from a meal which was well over $100.
Written December 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
L L
San Juan3 contributions
Jan 2022 • none
The restaurant is classified as fine dining, and it is not. It is one of the worst restaurants in which we dined during the seven days that we spent in Panamá City.
We ordered the tasting menu. The chef abused the use of sweet sauces in the dishes, and the flavors tended to be unbalanced. From the nine little dishes that comprised the tasting menu, the tiraditos and the ceviche were fine (nothing out of the world). But other dishes were uneatable, such as the potato gnocchi and the duck dumpling. The only very good dishes were the two desserts.
Because of the abundance of sweet flavors, we came back to the hotel with a stomachache.
In addition to the terrible food, the setting and service does not respond to a fine dining restaurant: it is in a terrace with rattan chairs and plain tables. We waited an hour between the first and the second course. After we complained for the waiting, the dishes started to flow.
The wine list is very small. We ordered a wine that was very good but was one of the most expensive ones.
The strength of the chef are the desserts. The rest of the food can be skipped. We don't understand how this restaurant is classified as one of the best in Latin-American, because it is not.
Written January 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sdgt625
San Diego1641 contributions
Feb 2020 • friends
Location - about a 10 min ride from hotel zone . Pleasant , casual seating .
Service - decent if not wow.
The food - good but not wow. Unfortunately, I came here with lots of expectations, since this place is on top 50 Latin America restaurant lists . All the dishes I had were decent, but not amazing . The tuna appetizer was fresh. The fish of the day ( it was congrio fish when u was there ) was good Bd well prepared , and I also sampled a dish that was like mixed seafood risotto . Everything was good , but from quality to presentation, it was just good , not wow. It does not even come close to DOM or Astrid Y Gaston ...
I would recommend this restaurant if it is convenient for you to go to , but I would not jump into Uber car just to come eat here ...
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathryn B
Tampa13 contributions
Jun 2023 • family
We went to Maito for the second time in June 2023. We had been there in April and loved it. Both times we had the tasting menu, which we love. It is very pricey, especially if you get the drink pairing, but we splurged.
Each dish is very small; I have seen people complain about this. Since you are getting a LOT of courses, don't worry, you won't be hungry.
If you don't speak Spanish, they will find you a English-speaking waiter.
Now to the food; it is amazing. Each dish is presented beautifully and explained in detail and tastes extraordinary!
Written July 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luis T
Miami22 contributions
Feb 2023 • couples
We ordered the tasting menu and while some dishes were really good, some of them were really lacking. The first two courses were a sancocho and a papaya salad, which had good flavor, but were not excellent. After that, all dishes were really good, but I kept on waiting for that wow-moment in which I would’ve said, “Man, this is why Maito is #6 in the list of best restaurants in Latin America”, but that moment never came. I do have to admit that the dumplings, the fish, and the fresas con crema were really good.
Service was amazing! All of the waiters were very attentive and we loved how each dish was explained to use. The Geisha coffee demonstration was really nice.
We had a table inside, but I’d recommend others to get a table outside since the lighting seemed better and the environment looked livelier. Inside it was very cold and dark.
Maybe next time I’ll order from the menu instead of doing the tasting.
Written March 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maite C
🌴🌴🌴
Thank you for rating your #ExperienciaMaito.
Your review means a lot to us!
🌴🌴🌴
Written March 20, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Keren R
24 contributions
May 2022 • couples
If you’re looking for a good experience with local food, keep looking. We went to Maito since we read its name in a top 50 restaurants in Latin America. They had a tasting menu with traditional Panama food. It was a bit expensive but from our experience with this type of tasting menu, we thought it will be worth it. For an additional amount we could get pairing menu with each dish. And since the tasting was for 10 dishes it didn’t sound bad.
Every dish was smaller than the last one. One of the “main dishes” was just one shrimp with sauce. Other one was just one tortilla with small amounts of salad on top. I would’ve let the size of the dishes pass but the taste wasn’t good either: too salty and way too much sweet sauces.
For the first dish they recommended it with beer. They served us just one beer between the two, there were left in the bottle and they took it away. Not even an entire beer for the both of us. Pretty miserable for a restaurant that charged us almost $300 for dinner and pairings for two.
The only reason I gave 2 stars it’s because our waiter was very kind and nice to us. But again, if you’re looking for a local culinary experience, look somewhere else.
Very disappointing experience considering the reviews we read previously.
Written November 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara W
10 contributions
May 2022 • couples
Maito accommodated us even though they were fully booked because I had made a reservation on the wrong day. The service was attentive and all of the food was delicious. Especially the fish and gnocchi. The flavors are representative of Panama and nearby food cultures, and each dish is truly creative and fun to eat. Highly recommend!
Written May 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maite C
🌴🌴🌴
Thank you for rating your #MaitoExperience.
Your review means a lot to us and makes us see that we are on the right track!
🌴🌴🌴
Written July 11, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Crenshaw
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • couples
One of the best experiences! We had the chef selections and he guided us through the dishes of our meal and the preparation in mouthwatering detail. I would highly recommend. We dined on the patio. The ambiance is warm and atmospheric. Great place to eat and enjoy
Written February 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maite C
🌴🌴🌴
Thank you for rating your #ExperienciaMaito.
Your review means a lot to us and makes us see that we are on the right track!
🌴🌴🌴
Written March 20, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bob
Niederurnen8 contributions
Jan 2023 • none
We had the menu for lunch, 11 dishes, 70 $, which is absolutely ok, considering all the lovely, local ingredients and hard work the people put into it.
It all looks beautiful and tastes good, we were just missing the wow effect, the surprise, the special something when you bite into it.
We thought it was excellent for a homecooked meal, not enough for a restaurant with expectations.
But I suppose you should try yourself since we are very spoiled
The wine list has interesting bottles to offer but is missing some affordable wine, I would say average is around 80 $.
The garden is nice, love the bamboo, no decoration, no tablecloth.
The mixing tools at the bar are pretty noisy.
Service was good, every dish was explained.
Overall it's fine but not great.
Written January 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah F
Boston56 contributions
Jan 2024 • friends
This culinary odyssey was worth every penny for the nine course tasting menu. Each carefully crafted dish was delivered with a flourish and fully explained by the very professional waitstaff. The blend of flavors and spices were perfection - each dish was just …Wow! Everything was completely unique, and delectable. At the end, the chef came to deliver the last dessert dish and we were so pleased to meet her and express our gratitude. We have to count Maito as one of our best dining experiences ever.
Written January 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maito Panama
Hi Sarah! Thank you for your review and coming to visit us. We are so glad you enjoyed your experience and we hope to see you back here soon.
Written February 26, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SSP
74 contributions
Mar 2023 • none
Delicious food! Staff didn't all speak great English but I was able to get by with my Spanish. They were super accommodating to our 3 kids and we all enjoyed our food tremendously. The only reason I took off a star is because the wine by the glass menu is very small and not very good. The cocktails were also just okay.
Written April 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wouter Kwanten
7 contributions
Dec 2022 • none
My friend and I went to Maito on the 29th of December. It has been a visit that was on my bucket list since a very long time. As I am both fascinated by Panama - being a former exchange student - and fascinated about cuisine I could not leave this opportunity aside. I know the program 'the 50 best restaurants' very well and since I was aware that a restaurant in Panama was on this list, there was no option of not going for a visit.
As I understand the local ingredients and Panamanian cuisine, this visit has been very special to me. We got offered a tasting menu of 10 different dishes representing the Panamanian cuisine. Those dishes were one by one very well elaborated and the flavour was extra-ordinary. You notice immediately that this has been handled with care.
I am a big fan of Maito and I will definitely come back. Also I want to give credits to the service and in particular to Kris who made a very good effort in providing us an optimal experience. I remember that she had a wonderful red dress which synchronized very well with the restaurant. It has been a pleasure to be with you and hope to come back soon.
Written January 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maite C
🌴🌴🌴
Thank you for rating your #ExperienciaMaito.
Your review means a lot to us and makes us see that we are on the right track!
🌴🌴🌴
Written February 4, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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