Maito

If You've Been Before, Come Back; It's Still the Benchmark

Return visitors to Maito often report the same thing: the room feels familiar, but the menu keeps moving. Chef Mario Castrellón's commitment to Panamanian ingredients sourced from indigenous communities means the cooking evolves with the seasons and with what's available, not with trend cycles. If your last visit was a year ago, the dishes on the table today will be different enough to justify the trip back; and the cooking level will be the same or better. For first-timers, the practical question is simpler: this is the restaurant in Panama City worth planning around.

Maito's credentials are not ambiguous. It reached #100 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2023, and the Opinionated About Dining ranking for Casual in North America has tracked it consistently upward: #29 in 2024, rising to #9 in 2025. Those are not local-market rankings. They put Maito in conversation with restaurants like Lazy Bear in San Francisco and Atomix in New York City, restaurants where the cooking is the entire point of the visit. The difference is that Maito operates as a casual venue, not a formal tasting-room experience. You are not paying Alinea in Chicago prices or sitting through a four-hour ceremony. The quality-to-formality ratio here is unusually good.

, which at that volume is a signal worth taking seriously. Consensus at scale is harder to achieve than a handful of enthusiastic early reviews, Maito has held it. The menu is structured around land and sea, with Panamanian ingredients doing the work rather than imported luxury produce. That focus keeps the cooking grounded and gives it a specificity you won't find at Le Bernardin in New York City or Alain Ducasse at Louis XV in Monte Carlo, those are extraordinary restaurants, but they are not the places to understand what Panama tastes like.

Planning Your Visit

Booking difficulty at Maito is rated Near Impossible. That is not an exaggeration for a venue ranked in the global top 100. Reserve as early as the booking window opens, if you are travelling to Panama City specifically for this meal, lock in the reservation before you book flights. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday, 12–10 pm, closed Sunday. Lunch works if your schedule allows: the room will be quieter and the pacing more relaxed than a weekend dinner service, the kitchen is running the same menu either way.

Reservations: Book as far in advance as possible, this is a near-impossible table and availability disappears quickly. Hours: Mon–Sat 12–10 pm; closed Sunday. Location: Obarrio, Kenex Plaza, C. 59 Este, Panama City. Price range: Not published, but consistent with a globally ranked casual fine-dining venue, budget accordingly. Dress: No formal code stated, but smart casual is appropriate for the calibre of the experience. Groups: Contact the venue directly for group bookings; no specific group policy is published.

The Case for a Special Occasion

Maito works well for celebrations and business meals where the quality of the cooking needs to carry the evening. The casual format means it does not carry the stiffness of a formal tasting menu venue, which makes it more comfortable for guests who want a significant meal without a ceremonial atmosphere. If you are visiting Panama City for a milestone dinner, this is the clearest answer in the city. For a broader look at where to eat, drink, stay while you're there, see our full Panama City restaurants guide, our full Panama City hotels guide, our full Panama City bars guide, our full Panama City wineries guide, and our full Panama City experiences guide.

Other strong Panama City options worth knowing: Umi Restaurante Bar Izakaya, Atope, Caleta, Cantina del Tigre, and Corcho each serve a different profile of diner and occasion. Maito sits at the top of that set on credentials, but it is not the only option worth booking.