All photos this page: ©2007 Scott Doggett, Special to WhozHereNow.com

This is the place to come if you’re in the mood for a good burger or chicken sandwich, or if you feel like hanging with middle-age gringos or catching some sports on satellite TV at a laid-back seaside restaurant and bar that’s been a hit with Americans since it opened in the mid-1990s. The filet mignon and prawns with Thai coconut curry are said to be delicious, and no one will complain if you eat them at the bar, which is made from the loveliest reddish-brown hardwood on the islands, which the local Indians call tabbaco. The building’s owners live above the restaurant and are huge San Francisco 49er fans. If the 'niners are playing and you’re in a festive mood, get here early to get a good seat and request one of their big and potent margaritas.

 
All photos this page: ©2007 Scott Doggett, Special to WhozHereNow.com

The Reef is pure Bocas. Expect a waiter to frequent your table as regularly as high tide returns to The Reef and not a minute sooner. In Panamanian hands, service tends to be on a pace far removed from the heading-for-a-stroke course most norteamericanos are on. And when the food arrives, it’s really no better than mediocre and it’s pricey for what you get, but something about waiting up an appetite (CQ,) makes the food taste better.

The only suits allowed at Yarisnori are of the bathing variety.

©2007 Scott Doggett, Special to WhozHereNow.com
This spacious open-air restaurant on a field of sand at the edge of the sea makes for a super-casual, super-relaxing all-day destination. Its owner loves her customers and doesn't mind if you occupy a table for hours, mixing light drinking and eating with refreshing dips in the sea, sunbathing and short snorkeling excursions, perhaps a stroll along the beach. There's some heady brain coral near the point, and the current is safe if you stay close to shore.

La Ballena owner Nanni Antonante and his wife.

All photos this page: ©2007 Scott Doggett, Special to WhozHereNow.com

Owned and operated by an Italian couple who were among the first wave of foreigners in recent years to open a business in Bocas, La Ballena’s homemade Italian cuisine is a nice departure from Panamanian fare, and the pleasant restaurant contains the only wine bar in this part of Panama.

All photos this page: ©2007 Scott Doggett, Special to WhozHereNow.com

Lemongrass was an instant hit the moment it opened, in late 2005, for its scrumptious cuisine (owner Mike Thompson and Lydia Kimmerling worked in restaurants in Indonesia and Thailand) and its location (above a dive shop and at water’s edge; it is the only restaurant in town with an elevated waterfront view). While not exactly fancy, Lemongrass is one of the few places in Bocas you’d feel like a toothless hillbilly entering this spotless establishment looking like you’ve just come from the beach or a tree farm (there are many on the islands). Adding to appeal of the place is a cozy lounge often featuring live music. The restaurant takes credit cards (not all of them do, but there are two ATMs in town), and the service is spot-on. About the only thing not to like about Lemongrass is the menu; with so many mouth-watering choices, choosing something can be tough.

 
All photos this page: ©2007 Scott Doggett, Special to WhozHereNow.com

Some people come from as far away as Costa Rica to enjoy seafood soup at El Pirate. On days when you’ve been really active or otherwise deserve a treat, consider ordering a bowl of the soup and a big red snapper. It’ll arrive with a heap of patacones (plantain slices fried in vegetable oil and salt) and a little salad. Toss it back with a beer and you’re still out the door for less than $15. And now you can put it on your credit card, so it’s practically free!