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Panama City has great nightlife for all kinds of tastes and budgets. Whether you’re just looking for a few beers with friends or want to dance all night, you’ll find what you’re looking for. During a bachelor party, my friends and I had the chance to visit several places around the city. For my entry on restaurants in Panama City, click here.
In Casco Viejo
First, in the historic Casco Viejo district, you’ll find plenty of great spots to hang out. La Rana Dorada, Tántalo, and Red Lion are all good places to have a few drinks. All of them also serve food if you prefer to munch on something as well.
Ego y Narciso (permanently closed) is more laid back and is known as a nicer establishment for a romantic dinner. Service is very friendly. To be completely honest, the air conditioning is the only reason we went in for a few beers, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. The menu looked interesting and I’m sure it’s worth a try for dinner.
La Rana Dorada is a small brewery with a selection of beers brewed on site. We were greeted with a sample and explanation of each of the beers. It’s got a nice relaxed atmosphere with happy servers. There are a few locations, but we only visited the original one in Casco Viejo.
Tántalo is a hotel and restaurant with a rooftop bar. Go early to avoid the rooftop bar’s cover charge. The rooftop has excellent views and a DJ, and is a great place to enjoy a few drinks.
Finally, Red Lion was suggested by many locals and our hotel. It has a wide selection of beers from all over the world and has a reputation of having gorgeous waitresses, many who are pursuing careers in modeling. There are two locations, one in Casco Viejo and one in the financial district at Multicentro. Both are a good time. I was especially happy to find one of my favorite beers, Fix, which has not been easy for me to find outside of Greece.
Bits Rooftop Lounge (Permanently Closed)
The Hard Rock Hotel’s Bits Rooftop Lounge is one of the most popular spots to spend a Friday or Saturday night in Panama City. This club on the 62nd floor of the hotel has incredible views of the city, good music, and a hot young crowd. Expect to pay a hefty cover. (Note: The Hard Rock is now the Megapolis Hotel and the rooftop bar is undergoing renovation (as of January 2024))
In El Cangrejo
In the El Cangrejo area, we tried a couple pubs. Istmo Brew Pub and Bros & Beers. Istmo had no air conditioning and we weren’t too happy with the service or beer selection. Bros & Beers was the complete opposite. The staff was outgoing and fun, there was a good selection of beers and drinks, and food was good.
El Karaoke 50 was a karaoke dive bar that was pretty entertaining at 3am. They have a huge book full of just about any song you can imagine in Spanish and English.
The Royal Casino at the Marriott and Veneto Wyndham (permanently closed) had casinos with sports books. Beware the unbearable amounts of “professional” ladies that roam around the Veneto, although they make the people watching more exciting.
Other Entertainment
For entertainment options worthy of a bachelor party, Elite II was a waste. Open bar wasn’t too expensive but the shows were terrible. The taxi drivers outside were waiting to rip off customers.
