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KAANDELA, Panamá, Provincia de Panama

KAANDELA

4.2
4.2
147 Reviews
$31 to $50
Panamanian

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 p.m.
Booked 8 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Great for creative cocktails
We invite you to join us for our playful exploration of flavour, that is equal parts: intuition and experience. With often primitive methods of concoction such as fermentation, smoking, raw dishes, curing, pickling and the magic and unpredictability of cooking over wood fire – all coming together with elegant execution in dishes designed for sharing and pairing. Purposefully a little disruptive, we take an approach to dining that is fun, and encourages looking at traditional ideas from a new angle. This can be anything from getting stuck in with your hands, to rehashing recipes with funky local produce. We never stand still and continue to evolve – just as fire refuses to hold a single form.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Panamanian
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 6:30 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    6747-0682
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Chef José Aparicio
  • Private party facilities
    At Kaandela, we offer private dinners, corporate events, intimate weddings, and family gatherings in a cozy and exclusive setting. Our space is designed to provide a unique and personalized experience, tailored to your needs, creating unforgettable memories in an intimate and elegant environment.
  • Neighbourhood
    Panama City
  • Cross Street
    Avenida Central entre Calles 3ra y 4ta. <br />Casco Antiguo, Ciudad de Pana
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Metro Stations:Estación 5 de Mayo: Located about a 15-minute walk from Casco Viejo. It’s one of the nearest metro stations on Line 1.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wine

What 147 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 3.8Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Panama

    Romantic

  • Panama

    Lively

  • Panama

    Most Booked

  • Panama City

    Romantic

  • Panama City

    Lively

  • Panama City

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
KAANDELA offers a vibrant dining experience with a "lovely atmosphere" and standout dishes like pork belly and seafood casserole. Patrons praise the "attentive service" and "amazing cocktails." While some mention service inconsistencies, many laud the restaurant as "highly recommended" for its innovative flavors and warm hospitality.

147 Reviews
  1. Steven

    VIP

    Miami

    99 reviews

    5.0

    99 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing service from Yenny and the team. Interesting flavors and preparation. Lovely time!
    KAANDELAResponded 2 days ago
    Thanks so much for your kind review, dear Steven!

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  2. Kirill

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    The guys were really trying to do the great service and food. But actually nothing special. The only thing is a nice cheerful atmosphere and very friendly staff
    KAANDELAResponded 2 days ago
    Thank you for visiting Kaandela and for sharing your experience, dear Kirill.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Doug

    VIP

    Toronto

    50 reviews

    2.0

    50 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Although the menu is quite innovative and the food good, our service at Kaandela was nothing short of terrible. My main course arrived 20 minutes after my wife’s, which by that time was cold. Our dessert never did arrive. After many requests the bill was eventually presented. This was the worst experience we experienced during our visit to Panama City.
    KAANDELAResponded 5 days ago
    Dear Doug, we are truly heartbroken to hear about your experience at Kaandela. What you described is far from the standards we uphold and the experience we are committed to delivering to every guest. We deeply regret the delays and service lapses you encountered, and we sincerely apologize for falling short of your expectations. While we understand that the discount we applied to your bill cannot make up for your experience, it was meant as a small token of our appreciation for your visit and our regret for the situation.

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  4. jill

    VIP

    Greater Boston

    10 reviews

    3.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    True moments of spectaculars however, a couple of missed opportunities. The pork was very dry. One of four patacones was cold . the cocktails were delicious. Dessert was outstanding and the pork belly was terrific. It took way too long to settle. The bill. service was at best questionable Unfortunate because the potential is truly there.
    KAANDELAResponded 5 days ago
    Dear jill, thank you so much for sharing your feedback with us. We truly appreciate your kind words about our cocktails, dessert, and pork belly! We’re sorry to hear that some aspects of your meal didn’t meet your expectations. Please know we take your comments seriously, especially regarding the pork and the timing of the service. We're also grateful for your observations about the wait staff, and we’ll be sure to address these points with our team to ensure a smoother experience moving forward. We’re committed to making every visit memorable, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back soon for a more seamless experience!

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  5. Maria

    Fort Lauderdale

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing experience, good service and delicious food

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  6. Karl

    Tampa

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    In 900 reviews and many more visits unwritten, I have never before walked out of a restaurant mid meal. This was a bad experience that got worse as the evening progressed. First, of 5-6 choices in white wines, only one was actually available. Because I intended to pair it with the pork belly pops appetizer it seemed important to do it right. We actually don't know what wine we got because we were sampled on something not in the menu, but it was still the wrong choice when they didn't have the pops. Seriously, it's paper. Reporting your menus when you are out of everything, or at least tell us at the beginning instead of waiting until after we order. We got the Clams Papa which really needed bread to soak up the liquid. Several of them were still gritty and my wife said he's tasted fishy. Not good. Then we sat. An hour and a half after sitting down and after going to the kitchen to ask when to expect dinner they brought the steak. Compare the photo I'll upload with that of others. There's no comparison. Ours was small, grey and cooked in a pan, not appearing even near the advertised weight. There was no crust and no ember as described. There's no way that this gristley thing was prime either. At this point I decided I could not pay $100 for this junk and told them we were leaving. The chef came out, but there was nothing for him to do. I think that he was as embarrassed as he should have been to serve that mess. No, I would never return.
    KAANDELAResponded on February 17, 2025
    Dear Karl, thank you for taking the time to share your experience at Kaandela. First and foremost, please accept our sincerest apologies. It deeply saddens us to know that we did not meet your expectations and, more importantly, that we did not uphold the high standards of quality, presentation, and service that define us. We regret the way your ribeye was presented, as well as your experience with the national clams, which indeed have a very distinctive flavor influenced by the Panamanian seas. While we are pleased that your bill was fully waived as a gesture of our regret, we know that no courtesy can replace the opportunity to provide you with the outstanding culinary experience that you deserved.

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  7. Jane

    Unspecified

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Loud, rushed and mediocre, over-priced food. Seafood casserole at $35 with 2 little over-cooked shrimp, 2 mussels, a few clams smaller than my pinky fingernail, a 3 in strip of octopus??? Very disappointing.
    KAANDELAResponded on February 17, 2025
    Dear Jane, thank you for sharing your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We take all comments seriously as they help us improve. We're disappointed to hear that the seafood casserole did not meet the quality you were hoping for, and we will review this dish to ensure it's up to the standard we strive for. We also regret that you felt the atmosphere was loud and rushed. We appreciate your input and hope you’ll consider giving us another chance to offer a better experience in the future.

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  8. Mario

    Miami

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Mi expectativa era más elevada, pedí una cazuela de mariscos, la comida vino tibia, un camarón semi crudo y el tamaño y cantidad de mariscos decepcionantes
    KAANDELAResponded on February 17, 2025
    Querido Mario, lamentamos mucho que tu experiencia no haya cumplido con tus expectativas. Pedimos disculpas por la comida tibia y el camarón no cocido adecuadamente, ya que nos esforzamos por ofrecer platos de calidad y frescura. También tomamos en cuenta tus comentarios sobre la cantidad y el tamaño de los mariscos, y revisaremos estos detalles para mejorar. Agradecemos tu retroalimentación, que nos ayuda a seguir mejorando. Esperamos poder brindarte una experiencia más satisfactoria en el futuro.

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  9. amy

    New York City

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very attentive staff and good quality food. The desserts were delicious
    KAANDELAResponded on February 17, 2025
    Thanks so much, Amy!!!

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  10. Christa

    VIP

    New York City

    10 reviews

    2.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Overall, a subpar experience. We had really high hopes for this spot and nothing hit the mark. The cocktails left something to be desired and the beef short rib was one of the worst renditions of the dish I’ve ever had. There are so many restaurants in this area that I would not recommend coming here, unfortunately.
    KAANDELAResponded on February 18, 2025
    Dear Christa, thank you so much for visiting Kaandela. We truly appreciate your feedback. Our Chef, Jose Eduardo Aparicio, has been with us for nearly a year, and we have shared your comments with him. We’re sorry to hear that your experience at Kaandela did not meet your expectations, and we regret that you did not enjoy your visit.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

KAANDELA is rated 4.2 stars by 147 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 p.m.
Booked 8 times today
Google Map for KAANDELA

Av. Central España, Panamá, Provincia de Panama 00000

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Avenida Central entre Calles 3ra y 4ta. <br />Casco Antiguo, Ciudad de Pana
  • Neighbourhood
    Panama City
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 6:30 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Panamanian
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Metro Stations:Estación 5 de Mayo: Located about a 15-minute walk from Casco Viejo. It’s one of the nearest metro stations on Line 1.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Chef José Aparicio
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wine
  • Phone number
    6747-0682
  • Private party facilities
    At Kaandela, we offer private dinners, corporate events, intimate weddings, and family gatherings in a cozy and exclusive setting. Our space is designed to provide a unique and personalized experience, tailored to your needs, creating unforgettable memories in an intimate and elegant environment.
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