Had a wonderful dinner here. Staff were very friendly. Tried some cocktails, the expresso martini was stunning! One of the top two I've had in Melbourne. Went for the Feed Me feast and there was so much food, which was great. Started with bread and butter which was delicious, followed by the whipped cod roe, my fav dish of the night. Kingfish was very tasty and saganaki was good. Octopus terrine was a tad bland in my opinion. For mains, we shared the potato gnocchi which had a lovely goats fetta that brought a nice saltiness to the dish. The lamb shoulder was a little dry and I would have liked more sauce. Parsnip side was nice. Mandarin custard dessert was a great way to finish the meal, light and refreshing. Recommend.
What an absolutely amazing night we had celebrating the wedding of a beautiful and amazing couple at one of the most stunning wedding venues I’ve been to with great food! A great way to spend the long weekend ❤️👌😍💋
I loved this venue for a wedding so much! It was a perfect event for a ceremony to move to canapés to a sit down dinner then dancing, it was just perfect!!!
Pictured is the Market Fish (with cabbage, spinach and cider poached apple) and Prawn and Fish Raviolo (with pomelo, salmon roe and butter sauce)
Beautiful interior and comfortable seating - I really enjoyed grabbing a drink here.
The place itself is close to public transport and up a few flights of stairs.
Cool and deluxe restaurant and bar with great views of the city from Fitzroy! Awesome location, and it has great decor, very spacious, and cozy. You can definitely spend hours here to relax over some great food and drinks!
Very lovely setting, hard to find parking so , only two hours on the street, however the staff are very friendly and service are good as well, food , not too much special, the wine list are good. Good to have a try if you haven’t been before.
Panama is always an amazing experience. It's the best place to take guests from out of town, to show them a unique Melbourne warehouse experience. On weekends, it's busy and gets rather loud, but on week nights it's more subdued and perfect for a quiet meal and drink in the bar. The arched windows are a big draw card, but the drinks list and food are equally as enticing, combing to create a fabulous evening. My recent meal was superb, and the feasting menu was too much food for us to finish. Smiling service, great vibes, chilled music and beautiful views.
Forget about roses, I want a three course dinner for Valentine’s Day. Panama had prepared a lovely semi-set menu for V Day. For my entree I selected the prawns served over a piece of watermelon, very refreshing and sweet with a nice texture. My hubby had the steak tartare with these light sesame crackers, yummy since I had a bite hehe.
For our mains, I went with the barramundi which looked beautiful. Hubby had the beef rump with enokitake, didn’t try it but he said it was pretty good. And for dessert we both had the cheesecake with fig ice cream. Wasn’t my favourite, probably because it was very different, but still nice. Overall a very cute space that is perfect for date night. Friendly staff and reasonably priced for the high quality foods. We will see you again Panama. S
Delicious food, attentive service, absolutely beautiful dining/entertaining space, and delicious cocktails to top it all off. It’s on the pricey side but worth a visit for an occasion.
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Panama Dining Room is a Melbourne institution, and for a very good reason. It's about 15 years old and continually gets better and better. You get a bit of Fitzroy attitude from the staff, but that's ok. You are in Fitzroy after all, and if the shoe fits, well.. you know the rest! The food, cocktails and service is always outstanding. I've been her a few times recently (one wedding and one date night with my better-half) and it's been nothing short of exceptional. Highlights from my past few visits were the grilled saganaki; the octopus with harissa and olives; the corn fed chicken (it's soft like butter!) and the crispy pork belly. I'm not a huge dessert fan, but my wife says they are amazing! I came here a few years ago and had a duck-fat washed old fashioned cocktail that, to this day, is still the best drink I've ever had. Sadly, it is no longer on the menu.... but they have plenty of other great cocktails, craft beers, Australian spirits and a much-improved wine list. Plus, the view through the arched windows at night are truly spectacular, especially the ones that are in front of the flood-lit trees. It will always be my go-to in Melbourne.
4.3
This is a really good bar. Great upstairs space. It’s huge and complete with a shabbily attractive international decor. We tried the Panama G & T. This has wolf gin, orange and rhubarb and tonic. This is a beautiful drink. We absolutely adored it. The house made rhubarb chip on top is almost like toffee and adds interest, texture and more great flavour.
We loved this place. Note is a good one for tourists. You can watch the world go by from the window. All the diversity of Smith Street. Or, look from the windows all the way to the Dandenong ranges.
Smiling staff, happening ambience and great food. Took my girlfriend here for her birthday dinner date and she was a very happy little vegemite. Service was on point and we thoroughly enjoyed all the dishes.
A little out of the way but easy enough to find. Good food and a wide range of drinks, reasonable prices and staff that are happy to help, as long as you don’t mind the stairs at the end of a long night at the bar.
Celebrated my birthday here a while back. Booked an area near the bar which could fit a group of about 30 of us comfortably. Great service and we could order meals and have drinks from the bar at the same time.
Food was spot on. Absolutely loved it. Staff were super friendly and incredibly nice and welcoming.
The atmosphere was great; very glamorous and added so much excitement to the evening.
I had my birthday here tonight and it was wonderful. My friends were really impressed with the entrees, so much so that we ordered the saganaki and the calamari twice.
The food was stunning, the staff were friendly, and everything ran very smoothly. We were a party of eight people, and I was impressed with the effort the staff made with all the different food preferences and allergies. (Two vegetarians, a vegan, a pregnant woman, and a person allergic to wine).
The most impressive part of it all was the well curated drinks menu. Particular favourites were the Imperial Pilsner and the Imperial Porter.
The porter went very well with the chocolate and hazelnut dessert.
Will definitely come back again.
A really cool place that has something different to the rest of smith street. The decor is just stunning and makes the place warm and inviting. The staff are really lovely and happy to help with whatever they can. The food is AMAZING however I’d say that it’s a bit pricy for what you get but I guess you do pay for quality not quantity.
Cocktails are yum and they have a good selection of wines. I’ll be back again for sure! Thank for a great dining experience.
Fabulous place with a great strong aesthetic of that New York style lofts. The chill vibes was there and I really enjoyed my time there. Perfect place for a catch up and chill.
What lost brownie points was the food perhaps.. the hummus and oyster was delicious. Different concept than the usual kilpatrick, but I loved how refreshing it was. The kingfish however needed more seasoning, it was quite bland. It was $21 for that dish.. with only small 6 slices.. would be great if the portions was bigger for the money you pay for..need short ribs was tender and marinated well. And the saganaki was interesting, very sweet but hard to cut. Good to try but probably won't order again. Definitely would come here again for a chill night.
Popped into Panama for post dinner drinks on Saturday night and the place was absolutely buzzing. I've been to dinner here previously (and it's delicious) but clearly all the action happens after hours. The stairs are torturous (particularly in heels) but it's well worth it for the stunning ambiance upon descent. Dimly lit, modern and elegant interiors with beautiful floor to ceiling windows providing killer views of our spectacular city. You can grapple for a game on the pool table or relax on the chic couches and take in the lush greenery and lovely atmosphere. A Smith St institution.
We opted for the "feed me" menu. The appetizers were delicious. I really enjoyed the hummus and the ox tongue with pine mushrooms. The mains were mediocre. The gnocchi dish needed more salt and some acidity to cut through the richness of the creamy mushroom sauce. The beef and sea urchin dish was okay. The mandarin mandarin mandarin dessert was my favourite but it didn't look very appealing when it came to the table. Cocktails were inventive and delicious. To sum up, some hits and some misses
Had dinner here with 5 friends on Saturday night. The service was really friendly and attentive. The food divine, highly recommend the grilled saganaki w honey, the slow roasted lamb shoulder to share (this plate was massive, we couldn't finish it between us... also comes w green beans underneath) and the roasted pickled carrots and bbq corn w chilli & cucumber on the side.The venue is 115years old and stunning inside. Loved the interior and warehouse-arched windows.Would be perfect for a birthday or private function.
Very nice place, service was amazing and food was good. We had a very yummy Goats shoulder to share between 2 however i would say it is better off between 4 if you have a starters. Cocktails are also a win. The only bad thing i have to say is it is very loud in the dinning room we found it hard to have a hear each other.
Perched several floors above smith street, the Panama Dining Room is a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle below. Despite the initial struggle with the stairs up, this exposed brick loft style hotspot is worth the cardio. Do play some pool in the bar once you've caught your breath!
I recommend coming here for both dinner and drinks, DO order The Lost Mermaid, a gin based cocktail that proved so delicious our entire table ordered it twice over. For your starters, do include the lamb ribs - these are super tender and literally fall off the bone. Drool.
The braised duck leg gnocchi with mushrooms and cauliflower was our favourite main, the gnocchi was super pillowy and light. Serves are relatively small here so don't be afraid to order extra! Great Fitzroy spot for a night out with your friends.
Date night with husband... wound up being at a venue I had checked out for his 30th birthday last year. The Panama Dining Room is as eclectic in its cuisine as it is in its decor. We started our night with a couple of cocktails; Chiang-Maitini for me, and The Panama GnT for him. The place was abuzz with diners and some sort of celebration being had in the middle of the venue with a large group booking slowly trickling in over the course of our meal. To eat we had:
Starters (sorry I forgot to take a snap of these- I was starving!)
-Roasted cauliflower, with caramelised yoghurt, preserved lemons and za'atar
-House-made hummus with pine nuts
Mains
-Lamb rump, pistachio, olive, broccoli,onion
- Red mullet and octopus with karkalla
Dessert
-White chocolate and candied lemon ganache, rose water, Davidson plum, raspberry
The food was divine (although the red mullet was a little burnt) but the dessert blew me away! One of my favourites and definitely a place to have a night out with friend! 💗
You can't fault the decor, ubercool without being contrived. Hip without being Hipster. We had the bar tapas - sakanaki, lamb, beetroot salad and the cauliflower. Deelish. Bartendress gave me a free softdrink as I wasn't drinking which was much appreciated. The dude picking up the dishes asked us how our meal was, again appreciated. So in a nutshell... cool venue, beautiful food, and great service. Spot on.
Great atmosphere and friendly service but the steak was very tough unfortunately (and I ordered it rare). The wine and pâté was lovely and overall wasn't too pricey.
This Diner Is Anonymous
+4.5
This place is a Fitzroy institution, and it's not hard to work out why. The flight of stairs was challenging for my aunt, but there was a real sense of achievement (for her, at least) when we rounded the corner to find a stunning restaurant with the most beautiful, welcoming windows. We were seated promptly and seen to with wine almost immediately. Be warned that the food portions are quite generous. We ordered the saganaki, pumpkin, grain salad and gnocchi and couldn't get through it all (admittedly my dining mate was precious little help). The only thing to improve on would be the peas in the gnocchi. There were so many of them, and I suspect they were frozen. Fewer but fresher would be awesome. A lovely dining experience nonetheless.
Went here for dinner with friends. The venue itself is beautiful, with a lovely view of the busy Smith St. Food was tasty, loved it. The only con..we went with a set sharing menu, food came out too quick! We reached a point where we didn't even have enough room. Perhaps serving sizes could be a tad smaller as we struggled to finish it all.
This ones for the window heads, the connoisseurs of views. The undeniable star of this dinner spot is those huge arch windows, each with a table placed right in front of it. Now might be the time for me to plead my ignorance and admit that we have only ever eaten the burger special!
Still, come here, grab the burger, grab the beer grab the fries and get ready for a cozy yet sexy date spot. The restaurant seems to have quite nice food, so maybe get your date started on the burger then move on to fancier dishes. If they're not up for that? They might not be right for you.
Burger is delicious, american cheeseburger style with a pickle.
Great bar in the middle of Smith st. This place is usually really busy and you can see why; cool music, amazing views and interesting interior. The staff seem to have a bit of attitude on every trip I've been there but still worth checking out for a Friday night drink.
We dined at Panama last night and had a brilliant evening. We started out in the lounge admiring the views and tucking into some oysters before we sat in the dining area. We elected to try the feed me menu option, and were very happy with that choice! An amazing array of delicious plates came one after the other, filled with bold flavours, delicate techniques and beautiful presentation. The service was attentive and friendly and the decor is kind of shabby chic, which made it cosy. We finished the meal highly satisfied and would definitely recommend to come.
Good friendly service, food is good but very rich, a bit heavy, but maybe I made poor choices. Nice selection of gins.
The space is great, although be aware it's quite noisy if you were hoping to chat and relax.
A Fitzroy-Collingwood institution which always has a great atmosphere, hence why I always recommend it to people looking for somewhere to eat/drink on Smith Street…. & I love climbing those stairs. My recent visits have all good been good dining experiences. But I have to say that I preferred the bar food to what I had for dinner in the restaurant in a recent visit. I had the pork belly, a large serve but a little too much fat, not there's anything they could do with the actual amount of fat on the pork belly itself. However, I did think that when selecting cuts for a restaurant you'd choose leaner cuts, unless fatty is what you're after. But the rest of the dinner was good as was the dessert. The bar menu is definitely a winner, great for when you're out on a whim and haven't booked anywhere and it's late on a busy Saturday night. Oh and the “ Old Duck “ cocktail easily one of the best cocktails I’ve had in ages.
Seriously worth the stair climb! Superb view perched up high on Smith Street. Cool crowd. Great Vibe. Had a near-faultless restaurant meal. Stayed in bar after dinner and left when the DJ stopped playing at 1am. I can see why the place was packed! Very enjoyable night from start to finish.
Dinner onFriday. Tapas were excellent and mains were well prepared to. Just a little loud and unsure if I was in a pub or a restaurant. Seems the vendors a little unsure too. Restaurant prices.
I love this place. Great ambience, and fantastic food. I've been twice now - first time for dinner, second time for drinks. Both times have been fab. Only gripe would be waiting for a very, very, very long time for drinks when at the bar.
Fantastic place! My partner and I shared the lamb shoulder and it was absolutely amazing. Huge serving and worth every penny. Will have to try the private dining room one day soon! I will be back very soon!
Panama Dining Room never seems to fail me. One of my favourite venues, it was the perfect place to take my brother and his wife to celebrate a plus 1 on the way!! Great food, especially the kangaroo & beef. Great beer list, and great atmosphere on a weekend. Can get a bit loud, but I guess thats part the course. Highly recommend.
Popped my Panama cherry last night. Rounded up a group of girlfriends and ventured over to Fitzroy - or was that Collingwood? Not sure, but after walking up a few flights of stairs the doors opened onto an amazing space. Pumping atmosphere. Venue was cranking at full capacity. Had a small wait for our table to be ready, but understandable given the buzz of a full venue. Loved the food. Pumpkin eclairs were delish! So were the scallops with apple and horseradish. We all shared a few mains - all were standouts, especially the beef & fish. I was the only one who had dessert and the white chocolate/yoghurt/honey grape thingy was simply the best thing I have eaten. Yay to me, I chose well. Delightful cocktails, great company, big space, hidden from the street and I can see why Panama is so popular.
Mari Frances Rachelle Julian
+4.5
I had a pleasant experience in this restaurant quite recently. Working just a few blocks away, we randomly picked it whilst walking on Smith St., caught by the $1 oyster hour, too. The waitstaff are wonderful. We weren't really dressed up for a sit down dinner but we were treated all the same, and our waitstaff told us everything about the quirks of their ever-changing menu. From Cocktails, the oysters, the mains, the dessert, and the coffee, the food adventure was awesome. The mains were detailed. Check them out.
Diners are rewarded for their staircase climbing endeavours - floor to ceiling arched windows surround the large, airy space and provide a view that captures the surrounding suburbs and city skyline. Lofty lounges, a large pool table and elegant furnishings result in a comfortable, modern and chic space.
Now that Brad and I have been dating for nearly 6 years (somehow), it’s been interesting seeing how his tolerance for spending money on food changes, and the type of food he prefers. . Modern Australian has become a bit of a ‘touch and go’ situation with Brad in the last couple of years, as there’s been some places that have been hits, where the food portions are generous and the flavours big and hearty, and some places where I can certainly appreciate the work that goes into the food, but it’s a little too subtle in flavour, a little too sweet, or maybe a little too pretentious, then I get a grumbly old man in the car ride home.
I lose count of the times I have walked past the Panama Dining Room on Smith Street. Perched on Level Three, it can be easy to miss this hidden gem in Fitzroy. And until last week, I had never dined there. It’s amazing how much Smith Street has changed over the years. The gritty street has become one of the hottest eating and drinking strips in Melbourne. With neighbours like Saint Crispin, Rockwell and Son and Alimentari, it’s easy to see why.
$1 oysters! Why wouldn't I?? Went with my partner to pig out on oysters. We had 100 of them mind you! Plus a few cocktails and champagnes. Beautiful, rustic dining area and a 2nd story view of the bustling street below. Nice place. Only had oysters but they were fresh and delicious. Great experience!
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Panama was a great place to bring my parents from Sydney. The young host when we arrived was so friendly. The fish, steak and passionfruit dessert were the best options for our dinner. Our blonde waitress was smiley and understanding when we decided to change our minds on the dessert menu and also when I asked for more bread.The cheese board was okay, we all thought it needed some more cheeses but was still delicious. We moved over to the bar after dinner and were served by a US gentleman who didn't seem particularly happy about it but we ordered a Panama G&T for everyone which he made very tasty! We also spoke to 'Chelsea' at the bar who had fantastic knowledge of spirits and informed my husband in what he should drink-which turned out to be very tasty. My friend was going to order off the cocktail menu but Chelsea insisted he try something that wasn't on it, which turned out to be delicious. Overall, I think the food is great although expensive, will definitely visit for the $1 oysters in the future!
Fitzroy Feast $59. Never will we eat the same again. Yes, Chin Chin started the whole feed me menu, but Panama has turned it on it's head. From start to finish the food was brilliant. Lots of courses, all designed to share. This place is already heaps of fun when it's packed on weekends, now the food gives me even more reasons to keep coming back. Stand-out dish was everything! We were so caught up in eating and having a great time that we both forgot to take pics. Doh! Oh well, just another excuse to come back. And luckily, we have a friend getting married there next month, so we'll be seeing Panama again soon x
AMAZING! booked in with a heap of girlfriends. Ordered the 'feed-me' menu and we all loved it - the kitchen ordered for us! The wait staff were kind enough to help with a guest who couldn't eat garlic & onion. Every time we come back, Panama just seems to get better. And they still make the best espresso martini in Melbourne.
Gorgeous atmosphere and amazing food! I ordered chicken liver as entree that is soooo good taste. Chicken and bacon roll for main dish, the sauce was awesome! Desserts are really beautiful, chocolate orange and rosewater, wonderful again! For cocktail, old duck and espresso martini are smart choice. The restaurant of the top 20 chef in Australia and classic surrounding. I love this place!
The view from this place is fantastic. I haven't eaten here yet but the nighttime vibe is great for going out and sipping on cocktails with mates. I booked in for my bday dinner but had to cancel last minute and they were very understanding and helpful.
Dad had Saturday night off which was quite rare so I took up the opportunity to take mum and dad out. Normally when dad is off we eat at home because my mum is a fabulous cook but it means it's always Asian food. So to be different, I took mum and dad to Panama Dining room and followed up with a trip to Messina (dad loves ice cream.... think that's where I inherited that passion).
The atmosphere in here always great at night time, it is great place for dating. It is very busy on the weekend. Food is amazing, we must come back here again
Decided it's time to explore Fitzroy. Recommended by a local friend to this beautiful restaurant , we came to this unique bar&restaurant. It's located on third floor of the building , We walked up the stairs and got a table without reservation.
First impression is the decor-- beautiful setting and color . Divided into two sections :dinning and bar .
Ordered their home made steak tart as entry , very unique and tasty . My friend and I are amazed how they made raw beef so delicious . My friend's Medium rare rib- eye is very delicious and tender , however I was disappointed with my blue eye fish filet - portion is extremely small and the taste is not praisable. Two sides are in decent size . But our desert - the cheese selection board is a bit too tiny for the price .
150 for two people . A little expensive for what we got but worth experiencing. I wont mind going back to check out their bar section .
This review is based on my personal experience at the time of visit.
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We absolutely love Panama! Went on the busy grand final weekend (boring game!) and it was packed. Went with a big group and when we arrived our table wasn't ready so we waited in the bar and ordered some of the best cocktails any of us have had! The martini with a twist was brilliant, but I forget what made it so good...! DOH! By the time we sat down for dinner there was not a spare seat in the house. The food was devine and we had several OMG moments!! The seared tuna special & manchego, cucumber & verjuice appetisers were small, cheap & delicious for us girls. We shared a whole bunch of mains between us with the lamb, fish & chicken dishes being stand-outs. Unable to fit in much dessert, we shared the Bombe Alaska & a new rhubarb dessert between the 8 of us. The bombe alaska was set on fire right in front of us and provided some theatre. It tasted like strawberries & cream with torched marshmallow!!. All up, we loved everything about our night. Some of my friends were from Sydney and had never been before and regretted not moving down to Melbourne haha Love to or hate it, Panama is as unique as they come. Its big, it can get loud and it gets really crowded in the bar on weekends, but the quality of cocktails and food is beyond awesome. Popularity isn't for everyone, but I live for buzzy places with happening atmosphere and Panama sure does tick the boxes!
The only negative would be I saw they have an elevator at the back of the room - so why make us use the stairs??? lol
The word 'Panama' reminds us of those wide-brimmed hats, that Dads try to pull off at the Races. In the words of Regina George, please stop trying to make Panama hats a thing, it's not gonna happen. Panama Dining Room is very much a 'thing'. It's been a hip and happening 'thing' for years, with modern upscale bistro dishes and an atmospheric bar to boot. Walking up a narrow nondescript stairway, we found ourselves slightly puffed from two flights of stairs. Guess those 'freak shakes' are taking a toll. Reaching the spacious loft, the sight is quite spectacular. The large arched windows, a conspicuous stand out against the grunginess of Smith Street. A 'jungle' theme perpetuates the restaurant with thick greenery dividing spaces and leaf printed booths sitting happy punters. I swear it even smells like watermelon sheesha. The smell lingers on my dress, a nice change from the aroma of ciggies and booze (what most bars smell like).
Food and drinks quite pricey but it is a top venue with great ambience and interesting decor. Food servings were quite small too we got the set menu. Classy joint, when we went to pay they were very slow in noticing us... Customer service was quite poor which was a shame.
Food and service is really good, the only negative is that the oysters are tiny and they're $4.00 per oyster which is rather expensive I'll be back though especially for the gnocchi.
Great location with spectacular views of the city. Good wine list with small sharing plates. Non snobby bartenders. Great ambience and caters for semi large groups.
The food is good, delicious flavours and generous sizes. However, the wait time for our meals was quite ridiculous. We sat down at 8.15, ordered 15 mins later, and didn't receive our main meals until 10pm. Granted two of the six people at our table ordered entrees, but to wait almost 2 hours for a meal is insane. We also waited 45 mins for our desserts after ordering, and didn't leave the venue until 11.30pm. Luckily we weren't in a hurry, and the food was worth it, but I don't think I'll be returning solely due to the fact that I was ready to gorge myself on anything by the time the food finally arrived. Please employ more chefs!
Came here again recently and found it be 'pretty good.'
Pros
- Unique dining room style vibe, something different and feels a bit more social than a restaurant... Like you can get up and walk around
- Not a bad menu- a number of fancy sounding mains to choose from, good range of sides
- Great place for a drink
Cons
- Food was quite expensive, and I personally was underwhelmed
- To me, the style of the menu and food didn't suit the style of the place.
- Some of the tables are located in areas which would kill the vibe a bit. Eg right near the stairs and middle of walkway
Overall I feel like this place has a lot of potential, but needs a bit of an upheaval
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Aug'17 update - went in between 6 and 7 pm for $1 oysters and a glass of bubbles. Not the best oysters but a great bargain nevertheless!
Feb'16 - Went to Panama on a Saturday evening with three people. The place was packed at around 8:30 pm, but luckily there was still a table. It was a bit too noisy to comfortably have a conversation. After we ordered we got some bread and butter to start with. It was very nice, but we got 5 pieces which was a bit hard to share. We asked for some more, which arrived after we had finished our mains. We had one vegetarian person with us. There is only one vegetarian entree and one vegetarian main on the menu. I feel that's not of this time, there should be at least two options. We took the grass-fed beef, the pumpkin gnocchi and the pork belly, with the beetroot entree as a side. The main dishes were very tasty. The beetroot dish was probably the smallest side I've ever seen, but that's probably our own fault because we took an entree as a side. We decided to try all the desserts, which was a big mistake. The chocolate dessert was nice. The Alaska Bombe looked spectaculair, and they put it on fire on your table, but the taste wasn't good. Way too much creamy filling cheesy-ness, and no exciting flavours. The whipped cheesecake looked like a mess on the plate, and was also too much cheesy-ness without having good flavours. The icecream with the cheesecake was very nice though.
We had some glasses of lovely shiraz, which were unfortunately a bit expensive by the bottle.
All and all the mains definitely convinced us, and therefor we would go back. But definitely would not take a dessert again.
I had an amazing time at Panama, we had the oysters, prawn and ocean trout appetizers which were a great start to the dinner. Our chicken and beef mains were cooked really well so they were still moist and tender. Emma was so lovely to cater for all our needs and played along with my birthday surprise for the boyfriend like a legend. You can organise cake here with Luke without a cakeage fee from Messina or B&P for the most delicious dessert. I can't rave enough!
As you climb the flights to the entrance, breath wheezy, legs burning, you know there will be $1 oysters waiting between 6 and 7pm, so you keep going. But it’s all worth it, when you enter the spacious, light-filled loft that is The Panama Dining Room and Bar. Views from the massive windows are great, the atmosphere is loud, but very casual and relaxed.
Panama Dining Dining Room and Bar is an old fave, get your daily work out up those stairs and the reward at the top is a quirky, easy going, good old hang out to relax and enjoy. AND they are doing happy hour $1 oysters from 6-7 every night and they are damn good oysters – fine shucking!. Foresters Hall, Collingwood
Great service, great atmosphere and food was divine, we will most definitely be back!! Desert on fire was delicious!! Highly recommended!!
Cool modern decor. They have $1 oysters for early birds! It's a great place with excellent modern Australian food. They often use interesting ingredients in their dishes. They deserve a higher rating expecially on the age good food guide. Better than some hatted places imo.
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Tram it to Clam it!. All trams lead to the Panama Dining Room and Bar where as relaxed and casual it may be, you can also book a group party or event! The Panama Dining Room and Bar is a lot of things to a lot of people. It's a great bar, a fabulous restaurant, a perfect function space and an iconic Melbourne loft where the PDRB pays homage to the denizens of the deep, especially of the pink-fleshed variety, offering scrumptious seafood with no catch—no fusion confusion, flashy lures or over-priced raw nibbles that leave you hankering for a hamburger. You must try the citrus infused ocean trout, the freshly shucked oysters and beef with sea urchin and wasabi butter, and all at a price that won’t leave you feeling like you were caught—hook, line and sinker. Don’t let this be the big one that got away. There has been talk of Panama having a few changes and from what our group of 12 experienced it is for the better. Do yourself a favour and ray the dining room and or bar. They both won't disappoint.
Love this place and the atmosphere!!. Wow, this shows you how misleading online reviews can be. Went to a local restaurant with a 93% score and hated it. Came here with a big group of friends and we haven't stopped raving about it since! I guess you can't please the hipsters in the area!! lol We were a group of 18 or 19 and chose a set menu. I would have to say it was in the top 3 restaurant experience I've had in Melbourne. Its not the first time I've been to Panama, but something has changed. Its just so much better! We are planning on coming back for my GF's birthday in May, so I'm going to spread the word! 10/10 Panama! And kudos to Mike, the GM of the place. He helped with my best mates dietary requirements (he can be painful at times..)
Grand Prix Weekend Dining & A Bucks included. WOW what a weekend to enjoy a great mates bucks party (did I mention it was Grand Prix weekend)? We kick started our celebrations with 22 of us dining in the Panama restaurant (an overall best choice of dishes was Oysters 'au natural' see pic and snapper with red crab risotto. After dinner we headed over to the bar area for a chilled night with our group all enjoying the pool table, booth/ lounge area and service whilst mingling with friends and after a few gins and beer random guests. Can't knock this place it's a great dinner/ bar venue. I just wish we had the quality of oysters up here in Queensland, unless they are from here. The chef said it was a secret where they are from. Overall great night, thanks The Panama Team.
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A 'superb' experience post an unfortunate bad group one. My partner & I returned after Michael, the manager, profusely apologized for their worst short staffed & overbooked night ever when I happen to have a special event, girls night with 18 of us. He offered a voucher to experience their 'normal' food & service & I'm glad to say that we thoroughly enjoyed our night. The food & wine was superb. So much so that we were tempted to pay for our meal but left a good tip instead. We enjoyed the charcuterie with its proscuitti & meats & THE BEST chicken liver patè we have ever had!!! It was divine! Followed by a seriously delicious thick lamb fillet dish.
I now know why they get so busy & it comes highly recommended. It was agreed..."we'll be back!"
Thanks Michael & staff for looking after us so well.
-----29 Mar, 2015-----
Worst & unacceptable food service - on our group event!. Difficult to believe they could fail so miserably in food service ALL night! DON'T GO SATURDAY NIGHT! They overbook & can't deliver a 'normal service' Set menu, small group, & started with waiting over an hour for the meal to come out in dribs & drabs; no idea of who ordered what; another half hour wait for the accompaniments (basic salad & chips) to come out. Then an hour for desserts to come out in dribs & drabs, with some guests leaving as wait was far too long & one person waiting extra 20 mins after 3 more polite requests. Then she received only 1/2 of the dessert!!! What the? How could you let that get out of the kitchen half done? Come on guys... This was just a total botch up & worst any of us have ever experienced!!!
The food at Panama is French/European inspired, and it’s somewhere I’ve been meaning to check out for a while now. The restaurant is located on the food haven of Smith St in Fitzroy, basically right above the ever-popular Gelato Messina. You need to go up about 3 flights of stairs in a very dimly lit passage to get to the restaurant. I believe the doors on the other levels actually lead to private residences. Opening the door into The Panama Dining Room reveals a very spacious restaurant with two quite distinct halves; the left side has a number of cosy looking booths as well as the bar, the
As the name suggests, the restaurant consists of a casual bar section with a pool table and a dining area serving French bistro cuisine. The dining area is lit by two oversized arched windows which give beautiful views of Fitzroy and the city. Whilst Panama is known for its $1 happy hour Oysters, the focus of tonight was the two set menu options. Set Menu The set menu was $65 for 4 courses including a ‘bemise en bouche’ with the choice between three dishes, within each course. An additional $10 would give you an amuse bouche and a glass of champagne. Interior
The Panama Dining Room has one of the best views in town of the Melbourne skyline. It's up a steep flight of stairs to work up your appetite. The food is very well executed too. For starters, the three of us decided to share our orders. We had the following : Freshly shucked Pacific oysters with a Cabernet sauvignon vinegar and shallot dressing. The dressing was deeeelicious! Could have sculled that on its own. The oysters were $4 each. They weren't big but they were fresh. FYI - The Panama has a special between 6pm - 7pm - $1 oysters. Next time, I shall get there a bit earlier!
The “special” entrée de jour was the braised.goat in pastry, with a smoked tomato puree. The goat was very tender, easily pulled apart and melting in the mouth. That smoky puree was amazing- really intense smoke flavour but not so strong as to taste burnt- so good it elicited dual "oh wow!"s from the degusters. Awesome, I could eat these all day long... Yummm.
Today is dad's birthday, but he's overseas, so Cin and I went to get a roast from the Panama Dining Room. The Melbourne Food & Wine website dubs June the Month of Roasts, so there are various places around Melbourne that are doing roast deals. The deal at
The patterned wallpaper, soft glowing lights, old school arched floor to ceiling windows, worn white bricks and an eclectic mix of chairs, the combination was a little funny, but I love it all together. On one side of the room beer and cocktails flowed from the bar freely, and the other side where we were, tables were neatly arranged, wine glasses all in a row.
Whoa! Amazing!. Holy cow, what happened to Panama?! Just had the most amazing dessert I've ever had! Brilliant meal all round, just brilliant! God I wished we hadn't booked elsewhere for Valentines Day cause my hubby would love this place!!
There's so much going on along Smith Street these days, new bars, new apartments, so much change. And Panama seems to be growing right along with it. Highly recommend a visit, especially the $1 oysters!! My girlfriends love going in with a large group and making a night of it in the bar.
A-plus PDR!! Xx
Great food & service. A group of 7 of us dined here last night. The service was quick and attentive, and the food was delicious. As entree I had the crab and prawn tortellini with crayfish bisque, and a friend and I shared the Roasted crown of Aylesbury duck with pommes puree, apple & walnut salad. The duck was my favourite of the two. The venue itself is beautiful (big fan of the arch windows) but the noise did become an issue as the place filled up. Will definitely be back again.
I ate here with my husband last night for our anniversary. Food was delicious and service was great our waitress was very nice. Dessert was the highlight for me - the lemongrass brûlée was amazing!!
It was very noisy though, I was repeating everything I was saying all night, I have no idea why it has 'romantic' as a feature of the restaurant on here.
All up we had a very pleasant experience here.
Highly recommended. We booked for dinner on recommendation by a family member, not having been there before or knowing much about it. In fact we were visiting Melbourne for a few days for the tennis, and so asked for some restaurant suggestions.
Our experience was a wonderful one, the food was interesting and delicious, reasonably priced. The service was exceptional, and in fact on mentioning to the waitress that we were celebrating a wedding anniversary, she brought complimentary champagne. The wine list is international but not extensive, but we tasted red and white and both were fine.
Overall, a most memorable and pleasant dining experience, befitting a special occasion. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Lovely!. My friend and I ate here on Saturday night and everything was great! Food was amazing, service was great and in a lovely setting. We didn't have to wait long for our drinks or our sides and mains. It did get a little noisy as the restaurant is in the same space as the bar, but this wouldn't stop me coming back again. A really enjoyable meal.
Delicious. I dined with a companion a few weeks ago at the Panama Dining Room & have only positive things to say. The staff were present (but not too present, if you get my drift) & very well informed. We ordered a lot of food...a lot - and it was all delicious. The oysters were fresh & shucked to perfection. The raw courgette & salt cod fritter dish was something I'm still dreaming about to this day & the rillette was divine - just as you would expect to be served up in France. Our mains were awesome - Fish for me & Chicken for the boy. The Fish so perfectly cooked with the skin crisped up to perfection & the chicken was divine and moist, with not a hint of dryness. Dessert was out of this world good - apple Tarte Tatin with Calvados Ice Cream...I mean, what's not to like? I had a cocktail that paired perfectly with the dessert too. All in all a wonderful dining experience! We will definitely be back.
Love love love!. This place is my all time favourite!! They recently changed their bar menu. Pickled olives is the best quality I ever had!! Lots of other yummy items on the menu too, great for snack nights with some cocktails or random nights to eat in after work :)
Group of 11 on grand final night? No problem. One missing when we turn up?no problem. One vegetarian, one vegan? No problem. And the lovely can-do customer service pales into insignificance next to the cheerful, friendly, efficient wait staff, excellent drinks list - and most importantly, superb food. Just a wonderful experience. Thank you and we'll be back!
Nice place for a drink. Came here for a late night drink with friends, nice ambience with large arching windows. Creative drinks menu too. Would love to return for some food!
Cool but not Too Pretentious. A fun night out. The cocktails are great with the Whisky Sour just right. $1 Oysters while waiting for our guests were a treat. Dinner was very good.The steak was"smokey" and just as expected. Not fine dining but definably enjoyable. The wine list obviously put together with some knowledge(at least I liked their choices)...A great find in Collingwood. The stairs may deter some but the climb is worth it. We loved the view.....
Yum.. I have been here a few times over the years, service is always good and the food is always fresh, tasty and well presented. I really can't fault this place.
Thumbs Up!. Had a really nice night here! The staff were so friendly and obliged when we asked them to take a couple group photos of us. The food was so flavoursome and the plating up was so pretty. Oysters were very fresh and at $1 each, such a bargain. The Gnocchi with Spanner Crab was absolutely delicious! Overall, fantastic experience here.
Last night we had an amazing dinner at Panama. Every meal we have ordered was just delicious. The best thing was a view - we had a great city panorama. Staff was really nice. I'll definitely come back for another diner .
Hidden quality. Entering off smith st into a stairwell there was no idea that Panama would be a bright, huge open space that is so inviting. Walking up the stairs we thought we must have had the wrong venue as it was dead quiet and no one was around. However when we entered on the third floor we knew we had struck gold. Plenty of casual seating near the bar, a pool table (free to play) and a more formal dining area take up the expansive floor plan. There is also booth seating which I love that could cater for up to 10 people.
The food menu looked impressive however we only came along for a drink and some pool. The drinks menu is huge and I would not hesitate to venture back to try some of their signature cocktails. This is a place that everyone needs to spend some time at!
Fantastic venue. Panama is a favourite of ours. we really love the open style bar restaurant. there is always a great atmosphere will large windows over looking smith street. food has always been top notch. The quality of the meats and the rich French like sauces brings us back. however on our last visit I was not satisfied with the steak. a little grizzlely and not enough sauce. hopefully this was just a small error on their part. we will still be back! the waiters are all lovely people. they even provided a free bottle of wine when they accidentally spilt one of our glasses!!
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Great night and great food 29th Dec. The Panama is on the third floor, so from the outside you would not notice unless looking for it, we booked a table for the 29th Sunday which turned out to be very busy. The dining area is quite large and full of atmosphere, plenty of room between tables and has bar section with a pool table which is just the thing after a long dinner. Cocktails were good partner had a Kir and I a Vesper Martini, best one I have had since London. Although busy and staff working hard, always very attentive and courses delivered promptly. For starters my son had the duck liver parfait - which was fantastic, I shared the Charcuterie board with my partner which had a great selection and was very good.
Main courses were all very accomplished Port cutlet, Lamb rump and salmon with great taste and again accompanied with great service along with the Pinot Noir-Gamay was light fruity and unpretentious. The Vanilla crème brûlée was also a great ending to the meal.
Great atmosphere and good food will be back next time I am in Melbourne - highly recommend.
Panama Dining Room is cool - it actually looks and feels much like its name and has nice big arched windows that look out over Fitzroy and Melbourne. The food is also very tasty with a small, but very good menu. Had the prawn and octopus salad for starter and gnocchi for main - both were great. The cocktail list is also excellent.
Panama delight. We came here last weekend for my birthday and it was such a treat!
The staff were lovely and despite how busy the place was on a Saturday night, the service was excellent, we were never left waiting long for anything.
We started with the chicken liverparfait and toast which was unreal, espcially with the tasty port wine jelly on top. This was the perfect dish to share as an entree.
For mains, himself got the steak (devoured it, of course) and I got the gnocchi with crab. The gnocchi was delish but after paying $7 to have the crab added to it, I hardly got any, maybe 4-5 little bits so that was very disappointing.
It being a special occasion,we opted for dessert to share and chose the sheeps milk pannacotta, it was divine!
Thanks to the Panama dining room for such a special evening!
Old school cool. Panama Dining Room has been around a long time but not many people seem to know about it. Located on the 3rd floor of an old warehouse-style building with beautiful arched floor-to-ceiling windows, this restaurant/bar is super cool and unique. There are booths for smaller groups, pool tables, vintage furniture & jazz music playing in the background.
Serving up a tasty tapas menu and impressive wine list, this is a great venue for small parties, gatherings and intimate dinners.
Great meal. I hadn't had dinner here in years, but was in on a quiet Thursday night with some friends. Although the space feels pretty cavernous on a quiet night, the atmosphere was good and service was friendly. The food was actually better than I remembered - a couple of friends had the pork belly dish and I had a bit of food envy, I must admit. I had a taste of my boyfriend's and it was truly delicious. One of the best pork belly dishes I've tried. A bit rich for me perhaps to have the whole thing, but he loved it. I had beef rump with a porcini glaze and it was really lovely. Perfectly cooked and the flavours were perfect.
Also snuck in a cheeky ginger creme brulee which was wonderful. Didn;t get to try much with the competitive eating of dessert sharing, but it was great.
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Impressive menu, great service. I've been to Panama a few times now and have to say: I love the food, love the service and love the decor. Sure, the climb up the stark stairway is a bit unusual and tiring, but then you open the doors and walk into an atmospheric room, like a hidden gem that has amazing arch windows looking onto Smith St, cool lighting, and eclectic furniture.
Food highlights - we shared some starters and entrees, and hit the jackpot with our choices. The chicken liver parfait was THE BEST pâté I have ever tasted, and I'm not usually so keen. The Achoiade dip was like nothing I've ever tasted - that's one thing I like about their menu is that they have some out-of-the-ordinary elements and different flavour combinations. The Baked Goats Cheese also a winner because of the combination of textures (ooozey cheese, beetroot purée, candied walnuts, apple, etc). Pork Terrine was delicious and the Prawn and Octopus Salad was fresh. For mains, I had a special which was Toothfish (hope I got that right!) - I asked about that type of fish and the kitchen were able to tell me in detail all about it so I reckon they care about the ingredients they use, and I think they follow seasonal veg as the sides have varied on the menu over time (that's a positive). The other mains on the table looked delicious, and I've tried the Lamb Shoulder before - melts in your mouth. The sides: winners are the cinnamon parsnip and the brussel sprouts. Seriously. Overall, amazing menu and I would say: fine dining level of food without the high-end price tag and without the pretentious diners.
Service highlights: I just have to say that the floor manager was so attentive with my parents (in their 70s) when he overheard they were looking for a more suitable chair or were feeling a bit hot. Straight away he brought a different chair and turned the heating off for them. The beverage service was the style where they keep your bottle of wine / mineral water to the side and come top you up. I don't usually go for that, but the guy looking after us was spot on in reading whether you wanted more or less or needed something else - swift and unintrusive. A seriously great dining experience thanks to the staff. I'll be going back again.
First impression scruffy exterior great location, worthwhile bar and restaurant. Food was elegant tasty adequate serves.
We arrived on a Thursday night early. The decor and feel of the room is warm and inviting, the staff where helpful and efficient all night. Started with oysters for $1 an oyster, can't argue with that value. Entree of charcuterie plate was a little uninspired with lack of condiments. The pork terrine was a winner, big flavor. The waiter helped us with a wine choice and that was nice. For mains the barramundi was very tasty but a little measly in its portion with 5 pieces of gnocchi. The pork was cooked to perfection and the best dish of the night. Cheese to finish could have been refined a little more. Overall we really enjoyed our night here and would recommend
Atmosphere is nice although the music is pretty loud due to the fact that there is no real physical division between the restaurant side and the bar. Little hard to talk to eachother (i sound old and whingy i know but it was honestly annoying to sit at a small table if four and literally have to shout at each other to hear) Service was great and they are very helpful. The food presentation was a standout but to be honest it was a bit lacklustre and flavourless. Ho hum....
My new found love! I absolutely loved the atmosphere. Service was prompt even for a Friday night. The entree was a little unusual, it was an experiences. I shared the mains with my gf. We had steam barramundi, baby carrots and baby chicken! Stunning main, full of flavour and plenty of sauce for the chicken. The fish was so fresh, you could still smell the sea. I can't believe I just discovered this place. Can't wait to go back!
I attended Panama's Thursday night wine tasting last night, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!! It was by far the best wine tasting I've attended. A wine maker from Crittendens Estate spoke to a small group of us for over an hour about the many wines we tasted. It was relaxed, informative and delicious. The staff were extremely generous with wine servings and there were lots of canapés to go around. Don't miss it!!
Although the food is on the expensive side for the portion size, the quality is fantastic and the flavours amazing. I had the moreton bay bug stuffed barramundi with saffron gnocchi... A taste sensation! Lovely, attentive service that wasn't overbearing. Will be back!
Love the atmosphere, great staff, not a problem with service. However main courses are very small.
Lovely decor!. The price for the food was great even without any offer (eg. $12 for 5 lamb meatballs) and they have a $1 oyster offer between 6-7pm on certain weekdays.
The snitzel came out a little dark but taste wise it was really good and juicy!
Drink price was on the steep side and the Watermelon Caprioska that I ordered was quite bland...
The decor of this place was just amazing and the highlight for me! Up onto the 3rd floor via narrow staircases and you'll be blown away when you opened that heavy, black doors. I wish I could have that arch window at home!
Great food, great atmosphere and great service. You guys just need to improve the air con! Dam!, it was hot in there tonight!
Great place for any occasion. Been here for a casual drink, a dinner for 2 and an engagement party. Suited to any occasion and can't get over the views. A true melbourne experience.
Great place!. Great atmosphere. Awesome cocktails. Amazing space. Speedy service. And lovely, lovely staff. Best pork belly I've ever had. Will definitely be back.
Great food, service and atmosphere. Had a fantastic dinner for 3 here on Friday night. Service was really friendly and all food was fantastic. This included the rump steak, gnocchi special and the lamb. The pricing is appropriate and the atmosphere in the restaurant is interesting, cool and fun. There is so much to like about this place. Our mains took quite a while, but staff and manager made up for it with a Digestif. Highly recommended.
Hit and miss. Really lovely and amazing place to hang out, the big booths and couches and the pool table.. and the restaurant menu is amazing. I had the porchini gnocchi and it was so delicious and tasty and amazing. I could eat it over and over again. And the fried chick peas are super tasty and morish and a brilliant bar snack.
HOWEVER, I agree with people when they say that the parmas are wayyy too dry, and I've tasted stuff there that's less than amazing. I think it's one of those places where you have to know what to get, and if you get the right things you will be super satisfied with happy taste buds.
Great food. Had the best lamb ive evert tasted!
I went on Friday night and my buds went to dining heaven!Presentation was exquisite and the chesse sueper out with each bite was heavenly.Hope to see this place soon again!
Incredible... My lamb fell apart with the slightest touch. Friends said the calamari entree special was amazing... Zucchini flowers weren't the best but after my main, I didn't mind. Got too busy to stay after dinner to enjoy the long cocktail list though
Surprisingly good food. Love the atmosphere, love the good food...
The food here is just as good as most of the 1 and 2 hatted restaurant if not better..having been to many hatted restaurants in Melbourne... Cheaper too :) Love the Waygu steak ... one of the tastier ones I have had (better than the one at The Point or Charcoal on the Hill in Kew.. the wagyu there are a waste of money)... As for the atmosphere, reminds me of this really nice Venezuelan restaurant/pub in Madrid, brings back nice memories :) But here, it is more pub than restuarany... so not a great place if u are nice place for a good convo ... but fantastic for a Friday/Saturday night out!
Absolutely fantastic!!!!! Had the best steak I have EVER had!!! Service amazing....highly recommend
Great spot for cocktails, funky setting, fabulous views of the sparkling lights of Melbourne & a cocktail list from heaven. I tried the Clockwork Orange special, wow!! Really great place!
Great space with tasty decent food. A wee bit overpriced but still very good.
Really great venue. Been here several times - for drinks and dinner. Three cheese stuffed zucchini flowers are divine and gruyere cheese fritters are a heart attacks best friend but when they are so good you want more who cares! (guess who loves cheese?) the team here are great, laid back but still very proffesional they have a great menu knowledge and there is a nice drinks list - we got through quite a few interesting cocktails! It ha s something to suit most people it seems and by the crowds on a Friday night, it's popular too. Last time we went we sat in the bar, enjoying looking down onto Smith St which seems a world away.
The food and décor were fantastic. The service, though attentive when there, was a bit slow even for a busy [Valentine's] night. Definitely going back.
Amazing restaurant, great set up & a nice relaxed feeling. The food was beautiful & well priced. The only fault is the extremely slow service. All the staff were lovely but you wait just that bit too long for service, food, drinks & the bill.
Loved it. Thoroughly enjoyed my experience at The Panama Dining Room. The food was amazing and reasonably priced. The service was fantastic. The two ladies who looked after us were friendly and knowledgeable. I will be highly recommending The Panama Dining Room to my friends. Thanks for a great night!
Nice atmosphere, in a really original space. Great food and great for groups. The staff are really relaxed an friendly.
Sensational night out with fabulous food. The staff are absolutley terrific.
Similar as other reviews - great venue, mixed service some staff attentive others unhelpful and rude. Wouldnt go back for dinner - for these prices I expect decent service. Also dessert complete let down.
Our table shared entrees of zuchini flowers, braised goat pastry, vodka dill oysters, prawns with lentils all which were Devine. For main a gippsland lamb in pastry, venison, pea gnocchi, wagyu beef with rosti- all of which was exceptionally good value & quality. Atmosphere terrific & vibrant. Service by an enthusiastic waitress was great- convinced us we needed the banana bread with caramelised popcorn. Yum!
Great place. Have been there a few times. Love the atmosphere. Food and service is always great. Will go again.
Divine taste. I went to Panama Dining Room on Saturday night and my taste buds went to foodie heaven!
For entree we had the three cheese stuffed Zucchini Flowers. Presentation was exquisite and the chesse oozing out with each bite was heavenly.
For the main I had the warm lentil salad. The sauce/foam was full of flavour and perfectly complimented the salad.
The only criticism I had with Panama was the very loud background noise from the bar crowd. It would be better if they separated the restaurant from the bar with some sort of noise buffer.
Go to the Panama.. My partner took me to the Panama last night for dinner. It was the second time I have had dinner at the Panama, and again I was delighted!
For Entree we had the three cheese stuffed zucchini flowers. YUM! The flowers were stuffed with parmesan, creme fresh and gorgonzola.
I had the special of whiting with pepperonta for main. The whiting was fresh and was wonderfully accompanied by the smoky peppers.
The wait staff were very intuitive and came over when needed. We were left alone throughout the meal, allowing us to enjoy our meals.
I really like the Panama and recommend you go!
Delicious, but oh the noise. We love Panama Dining, but don't go as often as we might ... the food is glorious (yes it can be a bit off every now and then but usually fab), the wine list has some great by the glass options and the place makes you feel young and funky (again), but oh the noise. Thursday night is just about OK, though we did have trouble hearing the specials and got a wine list when we'd asked for the dessert menu ... but Friday and Saturday can be so stupendously loud, esp when the bar and billiard table are in full flight. A few acoustic baffles on the ceiling wouldn't go amiss. Please?
Take the stairs. Go up the stairs and take a look - then eat the wagu and beef cheek if it's on the menu. You'll be delighted with both the ambiance and the food. I've read some of the user reviews about the service here and couldn't disagree more. I've always found the staff professional but not gushy - just as I like it.
I'm home?. I love NY and this made me feel like I was there! Thankfully there is a bar there, you will need it after the major trek up the stairs - but it is worth it! From the beautiful exposed brick interior to the gorgeous arch windows the place oozes style.
Service is prompt and happy and the food is great - you won't go hungry here at all. After dinner you can even schmooze over at the bar.
Cool ambience. A great big secret room at the top of some flights of stairs, the menu is short but the place is big on friendly style. There's lovely old arch shaped windows all round with views over the city and eastern suburbs, a pool table and even a table-tennis table sometimes. We were there on a busy Sunday night (book ahead) and enjoyed it a lot with a mixture of families and Smith St stylists. I had the rabbit (tasty but small), but should have had the steak, which looked great. A great place to sit at the bar and contemplate the world it's a little noisy and a bit dark, but has atmosphere without being too happy with itself.
Came here for ma boys bday even though it was #AboutAMonthAgo, and it was so good. Haven’t had food this good in so long but I got the potatoes, pork belly, lamb, duck and beef tartare. The pork belly melts in your mouth, the duck was cooked in 2 different ways, the beef tartare was so yummy yummy and you already know that potatoes never disappoints.
Organised my execs end of year dinner here, staff were super lovely and helpful (especially given how hard it is to get a group booking anywhere right now), and easily accommodated the dietary requirements. They gave my group the best table (lots of natural light, not too noisy!) and everyone raved about the food, drinks and service. Thanks again team and merry Christmas!
We had our wedding at Panama Dining Room in Feb 2022 and we cannot speak more highly of the team & our experience. Dan, Amber and the wider team made our experience so seamless, nothing was ever too hard & throughout the journey made us feel like absolute rock stars. Our guests have been raving about the food and the beautiful venue for weeks. We absolutely loved having our wedding here, the night went so well & we knew we were in such good hands. Panama runs weddings like a well oiled machine, the team are so professional & we already miss working with them. Thank you again for making our day so special!
Had a wonderful experience with my partner, great service by the floor staff..
The meals were delicious...
One of a few places that take me back to how restaurants used to be ...
Panama is the BEST venue to have your wedding. The pictures speak for themselves. The place is already decked out beautifully which saves on you paying for decorations. Best of all, the staff are so organized that you don't have to stress about a thing. You just have fun, whilst Panama integrates seamlessly with your vendors!
Thank you Panama for hosting our perfect wedding
I was a bridesmaid at one of my closest friends’ wedding at Panama Dining Room on Sunday, and I was blown away. Amber went above and beyond for all of us, and helped ensure our Bride and Groom, and all the guests had an incredible time. I can’t wait to go back. The staff were fantastic, and the food was delicious and, as someone with intolerances, they looked after me well. 100% would recommend!
Thankyou so Panama Dining Room for such a beautiful night at my engagement dinner. The staff were so professional and provided such amazing service . The team went over and above putting special touches on the table for our night which was much appreciated . 5 STAR all the way ! x
Beautiful place. Lovely staff members. Excellent food and drinks (we were at a wedding). Only problem was all the stairs to get into the place!!
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