Review Panama Dining Room - Fitzroy

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!!

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.

Not overly impressed by the food... bland fish & prawn mousseline, strange flavour combinations such a fish with pasta and (undercooked) mushroom... However the fish was cooked excellently, as to was the gnocchi (although we thought there could’ve been a bit more of the sauce etc). Amazing cocktails and venue however - staff were very friendly although we did have to wait half an hour to be seated despite having booked (also during COVID when seats were reduced). Sadly can’t say I would rush to go back.

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 ❤️👌😍💋<br/><br/>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!!!<br/><br/>Pictured is the Market Fish (with cabbage, spinach and cider poached apple) and Prawn and Fish Raviolo (with pomelo, salmon roe and butter sauce)

Came here on date night only to have female staff address my partner with over-familiar terms of endearment. NOT cool. Given this place is listed as one of the go-to places for romantic date nights, please train your staff to act professionally at all times; this is not your house where your friends come around for some cozy house party, it’s a restaurant where customers pay to enjoy the ambience and food for whatever occasion they choose to want to celebrate so it is actually rude when wait staff overstep their boundaries and address romantic partners by inappropriate petnames!

I was rather underwhelmed by the whole experience. We came with a large party on a Saturday night, and the restaurant was really busy. We had a choice of 3 entrees, mains and dessert which was the usual practice and the options seemed nice. <br/><br/>Then when we came to be seated it seemed at the end of one of the two long tables there was a single table of two, which we had wanted to join the main table so that the people who knew each other could be seated next to each other. But no, we were told there was another booking. I couldn’t possibly imagine why they would want to seat a table of two having possibly a romantic dinner next to a large party, but fair enough. It was only annoying later in the evening when nobody was seated there all night, which I thought was rather disingenuous.<br/><br/>The food was a bit variable, the beef tartare was nice and the artichoke entree was tasty. The pork belly was a total disappointment. Nothing like the soft melt in your mouth pork belly one usually get. It was dry and a bit tough. The gnocchi was also not right; the texture was really doughy and just a bit dry. The dessert was enjoyable though.<br/><br/>The service (apart from the table incident) also was fine. <br/><br/>I guess I won’t be back, in a market such as Smith Street, where you have wall to wall restaurants, such a performance along with the prices means one would been keen to explore alternatives. <br/>

Beautiful interior and comfortable seating - I really enjoyed grabbing a drink here.<br/><br/>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.

We hiked up a flight of stairs and came upon a spacious restaurant with large arched windows. The venue was surprisingly quite, I'd say around 20% capacity so I thought they'd seat us more towards the rest of the diners near the windows but we were instead placed near the entrance. Awkward and it did effect our enjoyment of the venue's ambiance.<br/>The premise for this visit was "mother shucker oyster's hour" in which from 6-7pm, you can get freshly shucked oysters for $1. To my dismay they said there was only half a dozen oysters left. Shock. Horror. Dazed. I wasn't going to say no to them, they were of a small variety and had a rather rusty characteristic, went well with some lemon juice. Still, how can they be out when they weren't even that busy?<br/><br/>We were also served with some complimentary bread and butter, one of the highlights. Thick cuts of bread with a crusty shell, the quenelle of butter was very creamy with a sprinkle of coarse salt. For alcohol we got a few cocktails, I got their espresso martini which had a nice kick to it.<br/><br/>We also got some starters to share, they are a bit on the pricier end of the spectrum especially for what you get. The quail (2 halves) was served with almond shanklish cheese as well as a parsley salad. The quail was well cooked, not much meat but tasty. My friends did not appreciate it as much as it was rather fiddly.<br/><br/>The roast Jerusalem artichokes with pine mushrooms and macadamia I thought the textures were inconsistent, ranging from firm to soft. Mixed reviews at the table. The fish and nori terrine on the other hand was a let down, I aliken it to a fish finger only really dry. It sat on top of celeriac and witlof remoulade and I particularly liked the pickled zucchini on the side.<br/><br/>For something more substantial we got the lamb shoulder to share which was accompanied with flatbread as well as a charred eggplant, chermoula and yoghurt dip. We enjoyed the sides, it had a nice smokey flavour to it and went well with the soft flatbread. We also got some roast potatoes in chicken fat which were deliciously buttery, not sure if I can taste anything other than potato however. The larger potatoes were under cooked to my disappointment. The lamb was fall apart tender with a nice bulgur and walnut crust, it was quite substantial. As a result it need more harissa as that was depleted half way through and the gaminess made it difficult to palate at times. My friends had no issue with that and said lamb gaminess is a genetic thing. Interesting.<br/><br/>The night had picked up its pace and there were quite a few people having a drink at the bar. We were a bit underwhelmed by the food and disappointed at the availability of oysters we chose to forgo dessert and grab an ice cream downstairs instead. Seriously, I was about to devour a dozen oysters or two.

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.

Worse experience ever. Poor service and extremely disappointed with the quality of food. The portions were small and not any where near to what the menu said. The entrees were under seasoned. The most disappointing was the dessert. It was my husband’s birthday and I regret that I booked with them. Other than the impressive venue ambience nothing was special at they claim.

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.<br/>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.

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.

Very overpriced, paid 55 for 2 small pieces of undercooked chicken with a few raw bits, and a tiny salad, a saganaki that had to be shared with 8 ppl. And a basic home made mousse with strawberry sorbet.<br/>My wife had the worlds most expensive gnocchi that was barely enough to feed a small child.<br/>Beers on tap were pretty average and again wayyyyyy overpriced, $16 for a schooner? Like really?

Started off well with a grilled octopus starter that was tender and had a good charred flavour to it. Unfortunately went downhill from there. Pork belly was dry and tough. Gnocchi was incredibly dense - was like eating damper. Panama gin and tonic was tasty and a welcome change from a normal gin and tonic. Would return for drinks but not the food.

4.3<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.

We had some high expectations upon our arrival for a Sunday dinner for six. The interior has an eclectic urban feel to it with a mix of old fittings and fixtures, although some of the finished do need a little touch up to bring them up to scratch for the prices charged here. The service was hot and cold during our visit and getting coffees and the bill both proved to be difficult. We settle for the feasting menu, a sharing affair... but this proved to be a mistake as the serving portions were smallish and really lacked any wow factor to them in both flavour and visual aspects. The deserts were much better visually and provided some relief from what was a bland meal. Would I recommend? Hard to say but probably no as there are so many better places to enjoy a meal. The owners need to look at their so called feasting options.

Food was spot on. Absolutely loved it. Staff were super friendly and incredibly nice and welcoming. <br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>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). <br/><br/>The most impressive part of it all was the well curated drinks menu. Particular favourites were the Imperial Pilsner and the Imperial Porter.<br/><br/>The porter went very well with the chocolate and hazelnut dessert. <br/><br/>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. <br/>Cocktails are yum and they have a good selection of wines. I’ll be back again for sure! Thank for a great dining experience.

Christmas work party two times running and maybe our last. Last year panama was on point, Food was delicious, good quantity and on time. This year it took two hours to get entree when it had been preordered before we arrived. Meals seemed smaller where you felt rude trying to eat a little more, having to check everyone had a little bit. The food was still of good quality with the main course being the highlight however the timing of the meals was shocking with people leaving the function before the mains arriving. Not very good options for vegetarians either as most dishes had meat in them and the alternative for vegetarian was a very small salad. Drinks are incredibly expensive. However, the atmosphere at Panama is very nice! I wish the pool table stayed for entertainment purposes!

Nothing particularly stood out as being excellent here. We had the feasting menu which was plenty of food. The desserts were probably the highlight. Service was quite defensive and not accommodating.

I booked for a table of 8 for a birthday dinner. The setting is fabulous, the ambiance is beautiful and the staff were excellent. They were patient and let us set the pace. I was underwhelmed by the food however. A number of the people at our table said they had an 'ok' dish, I would expect better quality for the price point. Excellent customer service but sadly, disappointing meals.

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. <br/>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! <br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>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. <br/>

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:<br/><br/>Starters (sorry I forgot to take a snap of these- I was starving!)<br/>-Roasted cauliflower, with caramelised yoghurt, preserved lemons and za'atar<br/>-House-made hummus with pine nuts<br/><br/>Mains<br/>-Lamb rump, pistachio, olive, broccoli,onion<br/>- Red mullet and octopus with karkalla<br/><br/>Dessert<br/>-White chocolate and candied lemon ganache, rose water, Davidson plum, raspberry<br/><br/>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 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.

Been here a few days back. Do not have much to write as it was a very missable dining experience. We ordered a the feed me menu expecting some outstanding dishes and were disappointed with almost all of them as lacked some basic seasoning and didn't have that punch of flavour you would expect in a good dish . There was a beetroot salad which was very yummy! But that was about it . The pork belly wasn't done well. The kingfish was just too fishy in flavour. <br/>Especiallly for the bomb that they charge in your bill, this place let's you down big time! For the first time we did not feel like paying 80$ a head at a restaurant coz the food was sadly not worthy of it .

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! <br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.

Went on Friday night and ordered Feed me option trusting the chef would put up a good mix. Very disappointed - overall many carb loading dishes to fill you up - bread, dips, potatoes, etc. entree comprised of 5 dishes that came out pretty much all together that there's not enough space on the table to put them and by the time we got to our third, the rest was already cold. Main was chicken breast which was nicely cooked with a side of roasted potatoes and beetroot salad. Will not rush back.

Good friendly service, food is good but very rich, a bit heavy, but maybe I made poor choices. Nice selection of gins.<br/>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.

Awkward arrival as left standing at entrance only to be referred from the bar to the desk (where the waiter had since appeared) and then back to the bar 'to wait until our table was ready'. After sitting at the bar for over half an hour I went to check if our table was ready. Low and behold - it had been ready the entire time, it was early and the place half empty still. Waiter then banged the water jug on our table as leaving, spilling water everywhere - Welcome to you to! Entrees were really tasty, we had the eclairs and saganaki. Pork belly main had that crispy crackling you want and the duck was ok but a little rare and gamey-tasting. Desserts were Cheesecake and Chocolate Terrine. Cheesecake was a single quinelle of cheesecake which was delicious but was overpowered by the rhubarb and sorbet. So purely for the food, I would say 3/5. It was difficult flagging a waiter down to get a drink - one even took one drink order but didn't bother to ask for the other - despite empty glass. The bartender we had was really good and recommended a great drink. I think the Panama could do with some professional waitstaff and better systems for looking after guests.

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.

Attended a friends birthday last night. Had the banquet, which was $65 a head. What utter crap that was, don't bother wasting your money on it. There was not even enough portions for everyone at the table. The food was cold, tasteless and service was average. I would not recommend this place to my worst enemy. Total waste of money to say the least. My $2 cheeseburger on the way home was the highlight of the evening.

We visited The Panama Dining Room expecting a great meal, which we had experienced a few years ago. Mostly our experience was pleasant but not to the standard we would expect. The food was only moderately above average. The meat was dry and for the price, i would've expected more. Service pretty good.

Came here for drinks on a Friday night, no wonder the place was 3/4 empty, the drinks prices are crazy! A house Pinot Noir was $13, a glass of Sapporo that was slightly larger than a pot was $10 and a pint of Coopers Pale Ale was $13.50. What a rip-off

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.

The place is nice but extremely noisy that we had difficulty hearing each other at dinner. <br/><br/>The food took an hour and 15 minutes to come. I got the duck but it was pretty rare which wasn't what I wanted. Overall experience, unfortunately not that great.

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!

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.

We went on a Wed night. They insisted on 6 or 8 pm sittings when the place was less than half empty. Service was haughty & insincere. Ingredients were of low quality, oversalted & certainly not prepared with much care. We were billed for an extra main course that we did not order. When they did come back with the correct bill, it was practically thrown at us with zero apology. Guys - just remember that you are in the service industry! With this sort of attitude, you won't last long regardless of what Epicure writes.

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. <br/><br/>First impression is the decor-- beautiful setting and color . Divided into two sections :dinning and bar .<br/><br/>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 . <br/><br/>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 .<br/><br/>This review is based on my personal experience at the time of visit.

Looking forward all week to catch up with friends for my wife's birthday, first impression on entering was wow, wow, wow...and that's were it stops..Front of house reception greeting none existent no air-con on our side of the room so humid,staff could not work out how to turn on the ceiling fans, Waitress was very helpful though, the menu is limited in selection ( basic) although the presentation was up to standard but unfortunately we all agreed just very bland no taste, ordering cocktails took a while, so we decided to go straight to the bar 4 x old fashioned scotches took 20 minutes. We order ice cream based desserts and were told fridge is not working ice cream has melted. Between food and drinks it cost the best part of $1000 I don't mind spending the money but unfortunately when you don't get the experience especially the food bit right it seems to me that know one cares at Panama we'll just take there money for half hear-ted effort. You can use my money to fix your fans and the fridge, guys seriously look at what your competitors are doing in your area.

Saturday evening dining experience. While the food looked amazing the taste wasnt there.... by all at our table of eight people. The waitress messed up my order and then proceeded to try to negotiate with me in eating something I didn't want. Maybe our 1000 dollar food and drink bill could be used to fix the aircon and fridges !!! No ice cream either. Unfortunately we won't be back. The bill wasn't the only bad taste in my mouth.

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!<br/>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.' <br/><br/>Pros<br/>- Unique dining room style vibe, something different and feels a bit more social than a restaurant... Like you can get up and walk around<br/>- Not a bad menu- a number of fancy sounding mains to choose from, good range of sides<br/>- Great place for a drink<br/><br/>Cons<br/>- Food was quite expensive, and I personally was underwhelmed<br/>- To me, the style of the menu and food didn't suit the style of the place. <br/>- Some of the tables are located in areas which would kill the vibe a bit. Eg right near the stairs and middle of walkway <br/><br/>Overall I feel like this place has a lot of potential, but needs a bit of an upheaval

The food was good. Really good. As good as food I've had at great Melbourne restaurants such as the Noble Experiment, Longhorn and Fall From Grace. Taken as a whole the food was as good as any of them. As good as, not better. Which is why I won't be going back. Yes the food was good but it did not compensate for the fact that they had obviously overbooked the venue and shoved us into what should have been redundant space next to a storeroom. Just under the fuse box. The table was horrible and when I asked to be moved I was told they were fully booked and nothing could be done. If you're going to use views and spacious loft dining as your unique selling point you can't put people in a meter wide corridor looking at a wall. In the end we ate and left with a bill of just $200 dollars. Had the table been better there'd have been a 3rd course, more cocktails and probably return visits. As it is I really hope they enjoy my two hundred dollars, it's the cost of my repeat business and recommendation. <br/><br/>

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!<br/><br/>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.<br/>We had some glasses of lovely shiraz, which were unfortunately a bit expensive by the bottle.<br/>All and all the mains definitely convinced us, and therefor we would go back. But definitely would not take a dessert again.

I was at Panama on a Saturday night with 10 friends.<br/>The atmosphere and ambiance are great.<br/>Being able to move into casual booth setting after dinner, is another great feature.<br/>The presentation of food was great, except 8 of the 10 dishes were overcooked.<br/>Lamb was overdone and Tuna was overdone. Please forward feedback to your chefs.

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.

Another highlight (sorry, it felt like just one after the other!) was definitely the cheese plate- we decided we would each pick one- and each of us wanted a different cheese, so we just got all 4- served at room temperature they w

We had high expectations after reading the reviews but we were very disappointed. The evening started with us being placed next to a group table of 20-30 people as the table we had booked was not ready. Within 2 minutes we wanted to move due to the noise and carrying on. We thought a drink or two might dull our displeasure so we ordered some sparkling wine, which the waitress opened at our table. Unfortunately this resulted in us being sprayed with a decent amount of wine when the cork was popped. Lots of apologies but the damage was done. <br/><br/>We asked to be moved several times and had decided to get up, leave and go somewhere else but at last we were moved away from the big groups to another area. We were seated next to some other couples who also looked quite annoyed/angry as they had clearly been waiting a long time for their food or for their plates to be cleared. We should have read the signs and abandoned ship but foolishly we stayed. We ordered our food - it took about 30 mins for the bread to show up and then our entrees soon afterward. The duck pie was amazing and the marinated prawns were very good too. So we started to enjoy ourselves. <br/><br/>Then we waited for our mains. And waited. And waited. And waited. We were told that the kitchen was flat out trying to serve the big groups. Finally at 10pm our main courses arrived (we arrived at the "restaurant" at 8pm!) by which time we had had enough. The mains were disappointing but I'm not sure whether that was due to the food or our mood or a combination of the two. We half ate our mains and quickly left. $190 for an unpleasant evening out. <br/><br/>The real attraction of the Panama is that it is next door to Gelato Messina so we were able to get ourselves back into a good mood after some wonderful gelati followed by a nightcap at The Everleigh.<br/><br/>The Panama seriously needs to work out what it is and who its customers are. If they want to be a proper restaurant then they need to forget the large groups, the night club atmosphere and the vomit all over the bathroom floors. If they want to be party central then why bother hiring all these good chefs as your patrons are far too pi**ed to notice?<br/><br/>If you are having a large group function this place might be alright. If you want a nice dinner for two or four then find somewhere else. We won't be back.

Restaurant or night club?. Booked Panama for dinner on Saturday night for a group of friends as we wanted to have a nice dinner before heading out for a few drinks. When we arrived the bar area was packed with people so a pre-dinner drink was out of question, luckily the dining area was quiet so our table was ready. After we sat down and began to discuss what we wanted to order we found we could barely hear each other over the pumping 90s/00s music (which we would have happily enjoyed after dinner). When we asked if the music could be turned down a bit we were told there was an Engagement party on and the music was for them. Panama has always been a place where you can go for a nice meal on Smith St and the food it serves and the prices positions it the higher end (we spent $90 p/h) unfortunately as much as we enjoyed the food conversations were difficult and by the end of the meal we couldn't wait to get out for a change of scenery. I'm not sure why they couldn't have cordened off an area for the engagement so it didn't take over the place or given us a heads up when we booked and why it was necessary to have the music so load so early in the evening. Panama seems to have lost it's way between fine dining and retro night club.

Only wished...... The night started well with the $1 oysters and a glass of prosecco - fresh oysters, beautifully presented and balance of salt from the sea and sweetness of the meat (you can only get that from fresh oysters). We then moved over to a large table. The night continued blissfully within a great venue, a drink specialist named Lucy was fantastic, she had a great knowledge of their wines and I was confident with her recommendations from the beginning to the end. However and sadly this is where the disappointment begins. The Panama Dining Room is a $$$ restaurant according to urban spoon . Now from a person who eats out reasonably frequently, you would expect at the least the absolute basic, a friendly customer service. Is it too much to ask for your waiter to be friendly??? Absolutely not because you are paying for the bloody service in your over priced meal. The food was good but nothing to rave about. The balance of the texture from the meat (lamb) with the veg and the puree was acceptable but the flavours were a bit dull. The portion size was questionable, although I felt it was enough for me the rest of the people at the table wanted to proceed to McDonalds, that is considered to be bad for the dinners in general. We had an ice cream birthday cake for dessert. It was well presented however given the serving size were so small I had to ask what had happened to the rest of the cake. It was later given to the birthday girl in a takeaway paper container to take home. It was about 27 degrees that night. It beats me why an experienced team of kitchen staff from $$$ restaurant could not portion the ice cream cake so that there was nothing left...I am left rubbing my chin wondering. Overall I am disappointed with the restaurant part. The service could have been carried out with a smile (happy to accept a fake one) and the food could be improved. Melbourne is considered to be one of the best cities to eat out in in the world, please don't think that customers are stupid. Would love to see an improvement in your menu and your customer service.

Great Night Out!. Had a ball celebrating my 25th at The Panama Bar on a Saturday night. I had reserved and area at the bar for about 20 people and was pleased to see that a decent space had been reserved for us. Some had meals and some of us just drank the night away. Had a ball, great service at a pretty reasonable price. Would recommend it highly!!

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.

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. <br/>I now know why they get so busy & it comes highly recommended. It was agreed..."we'll be back!"<br/>Thanks Michael & staff for looking after us so well.<br/><br/><br/>-----29 Mar, 2015-----<br/><br/>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!!!

Terrible food service. Sat down at 7:30pm, mains were not served untill after 10:30pm. Sides arrived after the mains had been finished. Speaker with very loud music played directly above table, so we could barely hear one another. <br/><br/>We did end up getting a discount on our bill but I will not be eating here again.

Disappointing. We ordered drinks at the same time we ordered food. By the time we had received bread, then our main meal, finished our main meal, our drinks had not arrived yet. When querying where our drinks were, we didn't even receive an apology for why it was taking so long.

Get yourself to Panama Dining Room for your next event!!. I had been searching and searching for a place to hold my birthday drinks/bites do. I was calling around to various venues and they all had a minimum on the bar from $3500 - $5000. That would all have been fine but they were also very limited in what they would offer and didn't have the atmosphere I was after either.<br/><br/>I have always loved Panama Dining Room and heard it had just changed hands. I called a few weeks before my event (I hadn't yet booked anywhere at this stage) and spoke with the new owner, Luke. He was so friendly and accommodating and got someone to email me immediately about what I was after for my drinks do. They also didn't have a minimum spend - which seemed pretty incredible to me.<br/><br/>I then went to visit Panama Dining Room to check it out once more - and bumped into Michael C - the venue manager there. Michael was so lovely and also accommodating with what I was hoping for and had such a generosity of spirit - and that sealed the deal that I would have it there.<br/><br/>I booked out the corner spot near the 2 big arched windows - and the space and lovely views from there were perfect. The finger food I ordered was delicious (people called me to comment on this in the days after - get the sliders for sure - and everything else was yummy too). I ordered some jugs of Sangria, Moscow Mule and Pimm's Cup as well as some bottles of Prosecco - and it was all perfect. They even spoke to the DJ to weave in a few tunes that my guests would love. <br/><br/>Anyway, everybody who attended really loved the event and the food, drinks, music and space were just perfect for what I wanted. Thank you to Luke who got the ball rolling with the emails and also Michael for being so accommodating in achieving all that I was after for my event - and all the staff for being so friendly and helpful.<br/><br/>If you're after a cool spot to have an event, with great food, drinks - and staff who actually want to help you achieve what you want rather than what will fit into a rigid list of what they offer - speak to the team at Panama Dining Room. I couldn't recommend them more highly. KF :)

Clean flavours that work. Went there with some friends and the vibe was crazy, everybody was buzzing . The food was great I had the pork burger with kettle crips and it was out of this world. I would highly recomend this place. Think there is a new chef which really shows!

Melbourne needs to step it's Game up and this Restaurant is Leading the way. Now I wouldn't call myself a connoisseur, I'm merely a well-travelled food lover who has epicurious tastes. I've been to almost every notable restaurant from The Fat Duck in the UK to Lumiere in Canada to our very own Quay and Tetsuya's. Originally I had thought Melbourne had no game in the fine dining industry (Vue de Monde comes close yet I am put off by it's lack of menu evolution and the inconsistent ever-changing staff members who do not deliver the same standard of service)<br/>However, when my local friend convinced me to give The Panama Dining Room a shot, I may need to reassess my premature perception of what Melbourne had to offer. <br/>From the moment I set foot into the Panama Dining Room- the lofty new-york style bar/restaurant had a chilled and relaxed atmosphere with quirky and eccentric decor which lulled me into thinking this was a place for after work cocktails and a major watering hole for the socially elite. Initially we started off with some drinks by the floor-to-ceiling arched window overlooking the trees and streetlights of Melbourne (The espresso Martini is a must-try!) Which was shortly followed by some appetizers (I would highly recommend the 'Faux eclair' of chicken liver parfait with vanilla, apricot & sauternes jam which was delightfully creamy with a well-balance fruity marriage of sweetness) and the scallop with truffle and porcini butter was the best I've ever had!! <br/>Feeling impressed by the quality of the mere starters, I was curious as to what else the Panama Dining Room also had to offer. We had ordered the twice-cooked duck (Cooked to crispy perfection on the outside yet soft and delicately flavoured on the inside on a bed of roasted kale leaves) and the wagyu steak (which had just the right amount of marbling to balance texture and flavour). <br/>To finish off this perfect experience on a sweet note, we had a difficult time deciding on just choosing 1 dessert each and ended up ordering 3; caramelized poached pear anglaise, vanilla crème brulee with blackberry, apple & burnt butter pastry and whipped cheesecake with peach, lychee & raspberry sorbet (All at only $15 a pop!!) <br/>The Panama Dining Room is a marvelous fine dining starter experience without the hefty price tag. I cannot explain how heaven feels like - one must simply experience this to understand and I will be flying down to Melbourne's Panama Dining Room countless times over to fall in love again.

Phenomenal!!. I visited the Panama Dining Room on a solo trip to Melbourne, and although I was dining alone on a gloomy and stormy day, the friendly staff and cosy atmosphere made me feel so comfortable... right at home. <br/><br/>I ordered the John Dory dish as a main and it was delicious, the fish was perfectly cooked with each component well executed and flavoursome. Not to mention the excellent wine selection, I had the Pino Grigio, which only enhanced the flavours. <br/><br/>As I had seen and heard rave reviews of the desserts here I tried both the whipped cheesecake and the chocolate caramel... And Oh my God! They looked beautiful and tasted even better than I imagined. The flavours, textures and temperatures where so perfectly balanced. As I dug in I found little surprises that all came together as a glorious mouthful, transporting me to days of childhood treats. <br/><br/>Needless to say, I 100% recommend it!

A must try of melbourne!!. Wow.....what more can I say but wow! A group of friends and I decided to try panama after walking past one night. We shared the duck, prawns and tuna for entree. Every one of our entrees was done well and they were all bursting with flavour. I had the wasabi and sea urchin butter beef and it was extremely tasty, my friends both had the John Dory and said it was melt in the mouth delicious. Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, we tried the whipped cheesecake and chocolate caramel for dessert, they looked beautiful when they arrived at the table and tasted amazing. Service was great as wait staff were very attentive. I would definatly be back for dinner at the panama dining room in the future. 10/10!

Panama has been one of our favorite finds this Summer.

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!

If you manage to survive the arduous journey up two very steep flights of stairs, you will encounter an unobtrusive grey fire exit door with a small blue ‘Panama Dining Room and Bar’ sign above it. Enter these doors and you will find a funky bar, a pool table, lots of casual seating and a formal dining area. We went on a busy Saturday night and the bustling atmosphere made it very difficult to talk (I found myself yelling throughout the whole night and left with a sore throat). Service was friendly however the food took a little while to come out. I think I would prefer coming here for drinks as opposed to dining here in the future.

Overall our experience at the Panama, despite its few hiccups, was a good one. Definitely worth a visit with a few friends, do a second round of oysters and asparagus tart, and voila, an evening well spent.

Panama Dining Room is great for the young professionals with disposable income at hand. Sleek, busy and cool. Maybe a place to be seen but its still good for a drink to catch up with friends.

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.

<br/>What would have been an incredibly pleasant dining experience was unfortunately undone by a level of care that could only be described as “service with contempt”.

Smart but casual, with pretty surroundings and enthusiastic waiters.

The venue was gorgeous! It had a New York loft feel to it.

It had been awhile since I last saw my friend Joanne, so we organized to catch up over dinner at the relaxed loft-style Panama Dining Room on Smith St, Fitzroy. We were lucky to get the only table left for Saturday night at 9pm when I called that evening.

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 Panama Dining Room is located on Smith Street Fitzroy. It's actually in an apartment type thing with a small sign on the stairwell that indicated the restaurant was upstairs. Upon walking up two flights of stairs, you get to this rather bland entrance

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.

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.  View + good food = I Love Melbourne. For starters, the three of us decided to share our orders.  We had the following (apologies in advance for the photos, it was very dimly lit inside. But that's not to say this was a negative in anyway - it was very atmospheric). 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! This is the fried baby calamari salad with harissa.  This would have to be my pick of the starters.  Imagine eating a salad with bits of crispy spicy calamari with every bite...if only every salad tasted this good... Zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese filling.  This was one of their specials.  I normally love a stuffed zucchini flower particularly if it is deep fried.  However the calamari salad stole the show. For mains I ordered the slow roasted Western Plains pork scotch fillet with Jerusalem artichokes, grilled pine mushrooms, parsley puree and buttermilk.  It was so tender, I had had dentures, I could have left them at home.  The pork fillet had a lovely smokey bacony taste.  Mmm... Don't let that white buttermilk froth put you off....very delicious. My friends ordered the balsamic glazed organic lamb rump with barley, carrot and brown butter puree, caperberries and fromage frais.   And my other dining buddy ordered the chargrilled wagyu (marble score +7), with porcini, truffle and confit garlic butter, duck fat chips and waterscress salad. I had a little taste of everyone else's dish.  Whilst the lamb was very well executed, the chargrilled wagyu was the winner of the mains.  It was so succulen

When I first dreamt of living in Collingwood, I dreamt of living in a huge warehouse apartment with lofty ceilings and huge windows like those in the Panama Dining Room. This dimly lit and palm-fronded dining room was buzzy on a Sunday night as we settled

I write with some feedback following a recent function dinner-dining experience at the Panama Dining Room (07/02/15). <br/><br/>I feel that fair and honest feedback is required given that our dining experience was far from adequate. In a city that prides itself with fabulous dining experiences, mediocrity just won't cut it...<br/><br/>Weeks before my scheduled birthday event I contacted the Panama Dining Room. <br/>I called requesting that the functions manager call me back; I had hoped to discuss the meal and drink options that are heavily advertised on the Panama Dining Room Website. <br/>After three unreturned calls I finally got onto the Functions Manager. In the conversation that followed I was given a series of vague, non committal options. I was told that I would be contacted the following day with more details. <br/>Despite the advertised drinks-packages, I was told that this was not available as "the owner had been previously burned..."<br/>5 days later after hearing no feedback, I again called the Functions Manager. I was told "I didnt call you back as I had no news to tell you". (I'm sure I don't need to explain why this comment is not okay...) <br/>On the night of my event:<br/>On arrival the booking was listed incorrectly; as 20 guests rather than 25. The girl at the front desk seemed to have no idea of what was going on.<br/>We arrived as arranged at 745pm. We had been told that there would be a reserved area for the guests to have welcome drink, until the 815pm dinner sitting. There was no reserved area. <br/>At 815pm we were told that the table wasnt ready. A staff member said "we cant get the existing guests to leave, we've tried. <br/>8:55pm we were seated. 2 small baskets of bread were provided for guests. We asked for more at 915pm, as entrees were yet to arrive. We were told that the kitchen had run out of bread. <br/>Guests were given two different menus - neither was the previously agreed upon menu. <br/>Main meals took 60mins after the entree was served. The portion sizes were significantly varied. My partners Pork Belly was less than an inch square; my mother-in-law had the same meal and it was three times the size. The same occurred for guests who ordered the Wagyu. <br/>Overall the meals were lovely.<br/>The Side dishes however came out 15mins after the mains arrived. <br/>Given that it was after 11pm, we asked for the cheese boards to arrive with the dessert. We were served two plates of cheese (6 pieces) for 25 people... <br/>Some guests didn't receive their desserts at all. <br/>No dessert wine was offered despite the request. <br/>We had brought in a birthday cake. We asked for it to be brought out 5 times. One of the waitresses literally shrugged her shoulders when asked how far off the cake was....<br/>When the birthday cake was finally brought out by staff it was already sliced!!! The candles which we had brought along went missing; though used on a neighboring table!! By this stage we all just wanted to go home....<br/>Whilst I appreciate that Michael (off his own back) suggested a reduction in cost per person, the overall booking and dining experience was poor to say the least. <br/><br/>Our main waitress was redeeming. She acknowledged that things had not gone smoothly and did her best. <br/><br/>For a restaurant that advertises that it caters for functions or more than 30+ people; the customer service, the portion sizes and the ability to cater to a large group needs to be seriously reviewed. <br/><br/>I've always enjoyed dining at the Panama Dining Room, though following our recent experience I would struggle to recommend it to others. <br/><br/>I had called and spoken with the GM regarding my feedback. I was told that a response would be given...nothing to date has occurred.

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!!<br/>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.<br/>A-plus PDR!! Xx

Started well ended disappointed. First time at this restaurant and had heard great things,<br/>Service at the start was slow but that happens, ordered some starters that I thought were avantgard but lacked support from my fellow dinners.<br/>Service was 3/10 and made my myself and guests angry and desperate for food.<br/>I want to come back but don't want to risk the disappointment of falalure..

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!! <br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>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.<br/>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.<br/>Overall, a most memorable and pleasant dining experience, befitting a special occasion. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Worst experience in a long time - pass on Panama. Booked a table at Panama for my partners birthday and a few friends. The food took forever to arrive, and when we did we were extremely disappointed to find that what we ordered was no longer available. The chef kept changing his story on what was available, the poor wait staff left to tell us the news. The chef was waltzing around the restaurant like an egomaniac .... guess what buddy .... you have nothing to be proud of. <br/>One 'bad' oyster and steak with NO flavour. Recommend you pass on Panama.

So bad I'm writing this as I walk down the stairs.. In a word - disgraceful. Upon ordering it took 2.5 hours for food to be served. The food was at best average and certainly does not warrant the prices charged. We couldn't even drown our sorrows as the wine list was incomprehensibly over priced. The only positive was the pleasant servers who appeared mortified by our deplorable dining experience. Do yourself a favour and keep walking.

Another disappointed customer. The restaurant was buzzing when we arrived. First glance at the menu showed quite pricey selections but hey, you only live once, right? I chose the wagyu beef steak. Our group of 8 ordered at 8pm. The floor staff are efficient and attentive. Problems started when our cocktails arrived with our wine which was poured at the same time. Strange. Our meals arrived at 10pm and I could've eaten my left arm be that stage. My medium steak arrived blue and mooing and cold. I sent it back to the kitchen but it was now a bloody seared mess when it returned. Disappointing at $35 for a 200g piece of meat with no accompaniments...........Any how, by this stage the manager came and offered a complimentary bottle of wine and free dessert. Good truce, we thought. At 11 pm, 3 desserts arrived at the table (for 8 people). Very disappointing experience. The apology was welcome but I won't be back.

Disappointing dining. Kitchen couldn't manage 4 dishes (2x grill, 2x pork, 2x gnocchi, 1x lamb) to come out at once, so half our table was served over 20 minutes before the rest. The second round of plates were poorly presented: food slapped down with no concern. Scant regard given by the front of house, either.<br/><br/>Stick to the bar area, which is great: the kitchen just doesn't care.

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.

A bday dinner full of disappointment. Disappointed!!!! Disappointed!!!!! Disappointed!!!!!!<br/>When we arrived, we loved the seating, the place looked stunning. The place is spacious and service was welcoming. However, when the drink and food came, it was a big disappointment for us. We ordered 6 drinks for 5 people but then 7 drinks were charged. Entree scallop is hard, even though sauce is okay. Main course duck was way too tender to cut, no flavour at all :( Salad vegetable still has dirt on it :(((( very upsetting!!! <br/>At the end, because of my bday, my husband bought me a suprise cake, they charge me $3/pp to cut up the cake for us which sounds reasonable. However, it takes them literally 15 minutes to cut up the cake to 5 pieces and I understand if the place was full of people then 15 minutes is not too long of a wait. But then waiting 15 minutes with only 5-6 tables (max. 4 people per table) dining.. cutting a cake without topping with a knife should not take that long!!!! Honestly, for extra 15 dollars to wait 15 mins for the cake to be cut is a long time when you have a baby wanting to leave and sleep at 10pm. Also, when we wanted to take the remaining of the cake away, they lost our box. They just put the open unwrapped cake into the bag and gave it back to us. Honestly, food was not worth the money I have paid. Not talking about the size of the food, just the quality. Charged like fine dining but just can't deliver what it supposed to :( Upsetting bday dinner!!!

Beautiful atmosphere but the food? oh no. I dined at the Panama Dining Room recently for my mother's 50th. When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised with the beautiful decor and inviting atmosphere. The service throughout was great. They knew exactly when to be attentive and when to drift away. However, for a fine dining experience, the food was pretty average. I thought I was the only one who thought that, but we were a family of four and none of us liked our meals. Thought I could get a better lamb at a pub to be honest. And if you're charged with $18 for some prawn tortellini in some crab bisque, can we have maybe something more on the plate? Anyway, the service and atmosphere was great.

Beautiful atmosphere and very tasty food. <br/>Some complaints though - booked a big table as a 2 hour booking, didn't get our main meals for an hour and a half. <br/>One friend found a piece of metal in her food - but the manager handled it well - she got a free meal and some drinks. <br/><br/>Word to the wise - "melbournes best cocktail" is actually disgusting and melbourne apparently has a drinking problem.

We went for dinner last night there. We had booked a table long time ago. The table was hidden the staff couldn't see us we run out of wine no staff to refill our glasses. They done wrong the order no apologises and they charges for something that we didn't order.<br/><br/>Definitely very bad experience

Birthday Party. We were a group of 12 celebrating my nieces 21st birthday on a quiet Tuesday night. Drinks before dinner at the bar was lovely, the atmosphere casual but smart and friendly. When we sat down to order we found the female wait staff to be rude, indifferent and slow. It wasn't a busy night however we waited over an hour for our mains and then some of the dishes were warm. The birthday cake was brought out to blow out the candles and then disappeared for another half hour...? we had to remind them to bring it back for our dessert, and with no apologies.... I have been here a couple of times before and enjoyed the food, atmosphere, friendly staff, however i would recommend NOT going there early in the week when the care factor appears missing.

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.

Ridiculously overprice. I was very disappointed at how Panama charge its customers. We ordered the Citrus cured king fish with fennel cream, grapefruit and caviar, which comes at the price of $18, and were quite taken back by how small the portion was. We thought the chef forgot to put the fish on the plate and what on was just the decoration. There were 4 tiny pieces of king fish. That is not right.

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 :)

The whole package. Went here to celebrate my birthday with family, including two kids and one teenager. First time we took the kids along and they were made to feel welcome and treated respectfully. Service was professional and attentive without being intrusive. Started off with oysters and gin cocktails at the bar and then dinner in the dining room. Oysters were freshly shucked and had great flavour - an absolute bargain at $12/doz. There are some advantages to having an early dinner! Gnocchi and crab was superb as was wagyu steak, lamb dish and the tortellini. Our kids loved the calamari and salumi platter with cornichons as well. Kids enjoyed a game of pool while the adults had dessert - tarte tartin had lovely crisp base and good caramelisation and our favourite dessert, the coconut sorbet with mandarin and meringue did not disappoint. A great laid back atmosphere with professional service and amazing food and cocktails. We'll be back again soon.

Great food and incredibly rude. Even food this good isn't worth returning for when the staff are so rude. It started off well when we arrived without a booking and were greeted by friendly and attentive members of staff and we were quickly given a table. However the two young women who served us had manners between them that I have never encountered in a restaurant of such a high standard in such a wonderful venue. Although offered complimentary cocktails and desert in the end, we left without accepting, in shock at such rude and dismissive attitudes. I have since discovered that we were not alone in our experience, which would almost be consoling if the whole experience had not been so disappointing.

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!

Can't stop going back. Love the atmosphere, great service and the food has been consistently good.

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.

Very bland - sadly. Superb friendly service, lovely setting and ambience but sadly the food was really bland (surprisingly so) - almost without exception across all courses. We will definitely return for drinks in the bar but will give the restaurant a miss.

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. <br/>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!

Average. A great place for a few drinks but unfortunately we weren't impressed with our selections from the menu.

Stunning!. My my my, the food here really is spectacular! I ordered the fricassee of root vegetables, and it was simply delicious. The waiting staff were attentive and pleasant, the only issue was that we waited a little over an hour for our mains - but we were happy chatting away with our complimentary bread!

Drop standarts. I've been here a few times but the last visit was awful, food was tasteless the steak was so thin for 33 bucks, my partner ordered the Salmon and it was awful too

The food is lovely and the cocktails are great, but the service is horrendous and all of their hipster staff look completely miserable to have to actually serve people. You work in hospitality, get over yourself.

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!!

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.<br/>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.<br/>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!<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>It being a special occasion,we opted for dessert to share and chose the sheeps milk pannacotta, it was divine!<br/><br/>Thanks to the Panama dining room for such a special evening!

Food sounds alot better on paper, food is very basic, small portions and expensive

Great food, shame you can't say the same about the staff.

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.<br/><br/>Serving up a tasty tapas menu and impressive wine list, this is a great venue for small parties, gatherings and intimate dinners.

I'll come back for a drink but not to eat. Portions are tiny and price is expensive for quality and service that is good but not excellent.

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. <br/>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.

Messed up our table booking, had to wait an hour for our food and when it finally arrived, the sides were cold. Very disappointing.

After a lovely dinner on a rainy Friday night at panama with my partner we asked the maitre d for my umbrella and she accidentally gave it to some other customer. If you can't manage umbrellas, don't. It turned a lovely meal out into a disappointment and I don't plan to return.

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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.

Atrocious customer service by walking up 3 flights of stairs only to be told that the guest list has expired (10.30pm) and we will have to wait by providing a name and number and waiting elsewhere. Meanwhile people are leaving yet no one can go in. What a disgraceful and embarrassing way to experience Melbourne "the world's most liveable city".

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!

Have been here previously and had a pleasant experience. Booked for a special occasion two weeks in advance having notified the restaurant of my food intolerances and found it was a hassle to explain everything despite a huge notice period, were still unable to provide appropriate food. Very disappointing. I won't be back. If you have intolerances other that gluten then panama is best avoided.

Delicious food. The atmosphere of this place just sets you up for a great start. The food was delicious and special, the cocktails were a bit small and over priced but still delicious. The pool table there was a bonus :)

Tuesday night. Read a few odd reviews that were not good,but have been before so found them a little strange.We went for a special occasion our business had its 10th birthday,so because we love the atmosphere here along we went.We had..beautiful food..considered in every way..well priced..both food and drinks..and great understated service.I was pleased because it was my recommendation.Thanks guys for giving us a lovely night and memory of an important occasion.

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.<br/>The snitzel came out a little dark but taste wise it was really good and juicy!<br/>Drink price was on the steep side and the Watermelon Caprioska that I ordered was quite bland...<br/><br/>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!

Service was horrible and food was not that good. According to the price the food portions are very tiny and not even delicious.

What a delight!. Went to the Panama Dining Room for dinner on Tuesday night and was delighted at the place. The food was fantastic; chicken parfait was to die for. Beautiful space, with a lovely feel to the place and great views over Fitzroy. And was delighted by the great service, very friendly and knowledgeable. Drinks were great, food was great and staff were lovely to deal with. I'll be back.

After coming here for several years I have to say the food and service has slipped. Like the previous reviews state you wait a long time for simple service like drink refills and orders. The food is no where near the standard it used to be. Gunna say goodbye to this restaurant which saddens me.

First of many visits. New to Melbourne and already have a favorite venue.<br/><br/>Ate dinner in the restaurant on Thursday night. Our waitress was friendly and efficient. The manager was pleasant and very helpful with the wine list. The food was good value for money.<br/><br/>An awesome space that I am sure will be even better when the scaffolding comes down.<br/><br/>I'll be back

Just went back to give this place a second go. The room is beautiful and the food is really good but the service is woeful, you shouldn't have to wait for an hour to order! Also if you need anything you shouldn't have to desperately try and catch a waiter (If there are any) and ask for it every time. <br/>It turns out it doesn't matter if its a Saturday or a Wednesday night the service will be terrible all the same. <br/>Shame thought, the flourless chocolate cake is to die for.

Nice food, pity about the service. Disappointing to say the least. <br/><br/>After being served one drink in the first hour, decided to the best option would be to get a bottle. Maybe I'm expecting a little too much, but should you really have to ask for your glass to be refilled for a $60 bottle of wine? The quickest service was when they tried to clear away the cheese platter, before it was finished. Sat waiting for someone to ask for a bill, and did not see a single wait staff for 5 minutes.<br/><br/>Not only will we not be going back here again, but we probably would have had another 4 drinks between us at least if anyone had of bothered to ask.

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.

I've not been here for what seems like many years now, so many new places opening that you forget about little gems like this place. We turned up for our dinner reservation a little early so thought it would be a great idea to have a drink at one of the tables by the window, the Manager who greeted us was very polite and knowledgable helping us select a cocktail to drink. We could see they were very busy and thought we would take our time before going through to restaurant. The manager who had both the restaurant and bar working together on this busy night took us through after our delicious cocktails. Sazerac the pick of the cocktails. With the restaurant still full we knew the food wasn't going to come out straight away but myself and girlfriend were in no rush. Terrine and charcuterie to start as we love sharing with a tasty glass if Riesling who could complain. The sign of a good chef is their terrine and this was a good start. Gnocchi with spanner crab, what a bargain was the highlight of the mains. Of course we had to finish with a dessert because that's what we do and the pannacotta was amazing. We will definitely be back again, even if only for a drink. Well done Panama

I was really looking forward to going to panama because I had heard good things.but it was one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. We waited about 20 mins for our table to be ready and were offered drinks which only arrived after we were seated. The initial service was okay but it took 45 mins for our tiny entrees to arrive and more than half an hour after this for our mains. We were interrupted several times during our meal as our waiter tried to take away our plates, then forgot us completely! One of the bar staff eventually took over our table and was clearly angry at having to do someone elses job. The food was overpriced and average and several of the staff completely useless. We were horrified and wont be back.

Terrible experience. Went on busy Saturday night - 6 people with booking at 8.30pm. Didn't sit until 9.15 and we were all starving. Wait staff were v rude about it. Wish we'd gone somewhere else. It's really not worth the wait. My advice - GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!

Tues night. So I was here on a Tuesday night the atmosphere and food was great however the guy with the dreddies behind the bar needs an attitude adjustment. If you dont want to be polite or speak to customers in a nice way dont work in hospitality.

Went here for a mates bday in August for dinner and then drinks. The Pies and other items we all ordered, each one wasn't good in flavour & didnt taste fresh. I wouldn't go here again, definately not a memorable experience...

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.

The service is disgusting. I went for dinner here last night with a friend who is 8 months pregnant, only to be moved table numerous times, treated like we shouldn't have been there, eventually having to walk up to the bar to order food because our waiter failed to ever return even though we'd ordered drinks. We waited about an hour for a lemonade. Food was average, deserts were nice but none of it worth the terrible service.

Slow service and pretty expensive drinks for what they are. Well stocked bar and nice space but bar staff don't seem to know their cocktails very well and under poured most of the spirits I watched them make, put way too much bitters in my old fashioned (couldn't drink it) also putting only three ice cubes in a scotch on the rocks? I expected more from this place and probably won't return.

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.<br/><br/>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!

Bad start, happy ending. I like the food, but the chic on the door one night really needs to work on her interpersonal skills or her ability to hold a conversation. <br/>She either seemed stoned or just didn't want to be there.<br/>All she did was look at us and say "sorry we are at full capacity" and returned to staring blankly at the wall. I told her we had a booking but she didn't get anyone to take us to the table. After getting a drink from the bar we returned 2 minutes later and asked if we should wait there or head through to the restaurant. She looked at me and couldn't remember who we were or that we had a booking. <br/>The waiter at the table was lovely though! And the food is nice and consistent. Loved the duck leg! But when a person is rude from the get go it puts a bit of a dampener on the rest of the 'experience'- which should be good at a place like this.

Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.... I came here with a big gang of friends to try out the bar menu which certainly sounded exciting and out of the ordinary, there was a tantalising line-up of really tasty sounding things and as we were in a large group I got to sample lots of different dishes. The chips were lovely, stringy, salty and perfectly cooked, we also tried out the fabulous range of cocktails which were delicious and really hit the spot. <br/>I had the zucchini flowers which were stuffed with cheese and tasted more like a pizza ball than anything else (not subtle) I had mini lamb ribs which were 90% fat and bone and a small sliver of meat on each. Nothing very impressive. But what was almost bordering on incompetent were the schnitzels. (Their apparent specialty) Ordered by more than 6 or so people each one came out blacker than the last. They were so stiff and dark they resembled bike seats, greasy chickeny bike seats. 'Is anyone else getting one of these?' one of my fellow diners said after a single bite' Cause it sux, dont!' and with that pushed it to one side. They were (unsurprisingly) dry, tasteless and hard. I can't imagine what circumstances would inspire me to try the restaurant after this truly disappointing experience. How could a chef with any credibility send out a schnitzel (which should be served golden brown) blacker than a coal mine?

Great food, dissappointing service. This is the third time that I have been to Panama dining room this year. It is always the inventive and succulent menu and rustic ambience that draws me here but each time I am let down by the poor service. Last night, despite us being one of the only groups in the dining area, a one course meal required 3.5 hours for us to be given a menu, served and then the bill to finally be delivered (which I had to ask for after waiting for an hour). The staff although plesant and relaxed were too relaxed for my liking making me feel as though we had been forgotten about. This was sadly just not a once off, on our last vist the waiter poored a new bottle of wine into our half full glasses of a different wine and didn't seem to care when we pointed it out. Despite the great food and setting I will not return here due to the poor service.

It's been a while since I've been back to Panama and I was a bit disappointed this time around. <br/>Every dish we had was bland and under seasoned especially the beef short rib and kingfish. <br/>The only tasty dish was the oysters and the pork belly was just okay. <br/>We had dinner on Sat night after the grand final so that may have played a factor in the lacklustre food because it was very busy.

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

Consistently poor service. About a year ago we ate at Panama with a number of friends. Our booking was at 8.15pm for 9 people. We were told that we would have to have a set menu because of the numbers. This was understandable as presumably the purpose of this arrangement was to ensure adequate and timely service to ‘large’ groups.<br/><br/>The menu we were on did not have any choice in the entrée so the kitchen would have been aware that at 8.15pm 9 people would be sitting down and eating 2 cold and 1 hot entrée to share. It would be reasonable to expect that the menu restrictions were intended to speed up service.<br/><br/>We sat down just before the time of our booking and were not served entrees until approximately 9.30pm, an hour and 15 minutes after our booking. We made 2 enquiries as to the whereabouts of the entrees. The first time was after approximately 40 minutes and we were told they would be ‘soon’. The second time was at about 9pm and we were told they were just being plated up.<br/><br/>Our main courses were not served for nearly an hour after the entrees, at approximately 10.30pm. No explanation was given as to this timing either.<br/><br/>Drinks services was equally as slow and reluctantly given.<br/><br/>A few days after the function I emailed Panama Dining Room with an email nearly the same as this review and said I did not wish to complain publicly and that I thought it more helpful to send it directly to you in the hope it will not occur to other patrons. I did not receive a response to that email.<br/><br/>I recently visited again received similarly poor service.

The place generally has a sophisticated vibe, but occasionally the skanks get a little territorial over the furniture, especially on weekends.

What a place!. Love the windows, free pool, nice drinks list, and friendly service! Albeit food a bit over priced. <br/>Over all, a good time always at Panama!

Surprisingly good food. Love the atmosphere, love the good food...<br/>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!

Yummy food, but entree sized meals for main course prices. We had to add a few sides to fill us up! Service was lovely & attentive. Good service a bit slow, but it was a busy Fri night. This place is great for drinks, but I'd eat dinner somewhere that's gonna fill me up first!

Great food - small size, high cost, crappy service. Context: I used to manage restaurants, spent 10 years in hospitality and worked in events, so I tend to have quite high expectations, but am able to be relatively objective as I understand the behind the scenes challenges of hospitality.<br/>I was at Panama last night (Wednesday - not very busy) for the first time with a couple of friends after hearing some good things. The venue is very funky and the chairs super comfy. I met with friends for a drink first, and then we moved to the restaurant. Wines by the glass were $12 - $15. When we ordered, we ordered the Cod and Potato Croquettes (you order them individually) and Zucchini Flowers (2 in a serve). During the entrée we had more glasses of wine, however the empties were not cleared away so our tiny table was littered with wine glasses!<br/>For the main,we chose the Pork Belly and the other friend chose the Slow Roasted Lamb. These dishes were about $30 each. We waited for an hour for our mains after the entrée. When they realised the waiter mumbled out an apology and gave free wine. We waited a further half hour for the meals. During this time, they didn't give us any additional bread or anything considering that it was about 9.30pm by this time and we were hungry!<br/>Once our mains arrived, my friend didn't realise that she got the Lentils instead of the Lamb, started eating and then realised there was no lamb anywhere on her plate! We had to call back the waiter who again looked too cool for school (dude you work as a waiter - and a particularly crappy one), mumbled an apology and went back to the kitchen. While <br/>The pork belly was delicious, but TINY, if I'm being expected to pay $30 for a main the size of my palm, I would like to think that the service would be in line. It wasn't.<br/>By the time I finished my meal (albeit slowly) my friend's Lamb STILL hadn't come out. When it did come out, it was spectacular. A bit more substantial than our Pork Belly as well.<br/>As SOON as we finished our mains, they came back to ask about coffee, when we said no, they came back with the bill in record time.<br/>So for a bottle of wine the girls had earlier, some olives etc and bread, 6 wines, three starters and three mains, it cost us $210 (and that was with a free main). Now normally I don't mind paying but I do mind paying when the service is below standard. <br/>I won't be coming back here again.

Great space with tasty decent food. A wee bit overpriced but still very good.

Wednesday night, slow and bad service from the bearded guy. When we ordered our cocktails the waiter let out a big sigh, as if our choice had annoyed him. They took 40 minutes to make the cocktails. When asked where they were we were told "they'll probably just come out at the same time as the food". On the menu it says you get 3 croquettes when ordered - we asked for one serve of the croquettes, thinking we would get 3 and literally got one croquette.

Perhaps the bar meals are good but the proper restaurant meals are a disappointment. Interesting venue, but very noisy ( on a Friday night). Table we were put at for our booking was way too small for 4 people despite the restaurant being almost empty. Service was very good - fast and friendly. Wine list (by glass) was very limited. And the food ... Pretty awful. My barramundi dish was dull. Nothing on the plate had a nice flavours. Pork loin was reportedly the same. And the green salad - a bowl with a few pieces of lecture and some flavorless dressing for $8. The prices and descriptions of the meals suggest something far more impressive than what our taste buds experienced. What a shame.

Dinner. I dined at PDR&B the night before a public holiday recently. We were a large group of 12, I thought this could be risky going to such a busy place. We were pleasantly surprised from the start. Very attentive service (thank you Antony - our waiter), without being pushy. We dined on the 2 course set menu, with shared entrees and a choice of main each. I thought was very good value for money, everything was very tasty. Excellent atmosphere, interesting wine list, great cocktails. I would definitely recommend, and would return on future visits to Melbourne.

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.

Downhill. Last visited the Panama about 4 years ago, great experience great venue! Was terribly disappointed on this visit. Wine selection ( white) was very limited, expensive, poor quality, and poorly selected. Tried all 3 Sauvignon Blancs, none were worthy of the label, and one was closer to a Chardonnay, and way over priced. Starters and main course arrived together, then only to have the main course served later but cold. Out of 6 guests, only one was pleased with their meal. Service was poor, little sincerity. Was surprised to see both the bar and restaurant half empty on a Saturday night, but understand now from friends that this venue has been heading south for the past three years, which is a great pity as it has the potential to be a great venue. Let's hope they get new management in and restore it to its frormer glory.

Bitter NOT so sweet. Having dined at panama a few times before loving the atmosphere and spectacular views and delicious food I was super excited to spend my birthday with a crew of over 20 people selecting the $55 per head set menu only to be EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED!!!! <br/><br/>With the arrogant and rude attitude of the waiters and the incredible slow service (over and hr for entree) guests got up and left, over all everyone was really disappointed in the standard of service after I had spoken so highly of Panama. I provided feedback to the manager on the night and they could have cared less I didn't even receive an apology!! I defiantly wont be returning!!

Had a bit of a mixed experience. One dish was quite good - chicken with sweetcorn puree and guacamole. The other - roasted lamb with filo and vineleaves which was unfortunately quite disappointing. The wait staff asked after the quality of our meal, so we were honest. Their response was extremely professional and they did everything possible to make up for it. Definitely will go back to try again given their horror at our feelings towards the dish. I really can't say enough about the sincerity of the team and look forward to visiting another day.

Meh, was OK. The setting is great and would be a fab place to go just for drinks.... but was a little disappointed in extremely rude and slow service, only to receive "OK" food for our pain. However, will go back to enjoy some of their great cocktails.

Too long and coplacent service. Drinks in the bar were great and we were looking forward to dinner in the dining room however after ordering our main it took 90 mins to arrive. When it did one of the sides never turned up and the wrong meal was put in front of one of us then removed. If the food was amazing we wouldn't have been so disappointed but it was......ok.

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.

Unimpressed. The pound cake dessert was gorgeous but everything else was quite average and overpriced. I wouldn't come back.

Disinterested waiters. The food was OK but the waiters left a lot to be desired. I should not have to call them over to order the wine, the main course, the dessert and then the bill ... unacceptable.

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!

Not what i expected.... Great venue, awesome music & views. <br/>Waiting staff were really slow & at times in their own world. Food was average! Gruyere balls were bland, mussels didnt have the best flavour. Wagyu steak tough.

It's pretty AVERAGE!!! The venure is kind of cool and the staff are friendly enough.... But the service is SLOW!!! And the food just didn't hit the mark it sounded great on the menu, but the odd combinations, weird presentation really didn't meet my expectations!!! I wouldn't eat here ever again!!!

Great place. Have been there a few times. Love the atmosphere. Food and service is always great. Will go again.

Just a tweak.. I've been to Panama Dining Room numerous times for drinks, and have been pleasantly impressed by several very knowledgeable and experienced bar staff. This was my first time here for dinner. <br/><br/>Our waitress provided impeccable service throughout the evening. She was friendly and always available, but never intrusive. Our water was always full without having to lift a finger. <br/><br/>The food was actually very promising. I was impressed by some of the flavour combinations in the entrees, with blood orange and scallops as a standout. However, we could feel the chef's lighthandedness, being served scallop pieces instead of whole scallops, My wagyu steak was tasty, but was burnt in parts, and was served with a tasteless hash brown, bigger in size than the meat itself! <br/><br/>There were some great elements to our meal, but I felt the dishes still needed a little smoothing around the edges. Although I won't be returning for the food, I do highly recommend Panama Dining Room for casual drinks served by some experienced bar staff.

Divine taste. I went to Panama Dining Room on Saturday night and my taste buds went to foodie heaven!<br/><br/>For entree we had the three cheese stuffed Zucchini Flowers. Presentation was exquisite and the chesse oozing out with each bite was heavenly.<br/><br/>For the main I had the warm lentil salad. The sauce/foam was full of flavour and perfectly complimented the salad.<br/><br/>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!<br/><br/>For Entree we had the three cheese stuffed zucchini flowers. YUM! The flowers were stuffed with parmesan, creme fresh and gorgonzola. <br/>I had the special of whiting with pepperonta for main. The whiting was fresh and was wonderfully accompanied by the smoky peppers. <br/>The wait staff were very intuitive and came over when needed. We were left alone throughout the meal, allowing us to enjoy our meals. <br/><br/>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?

OK, but you won't miss anything amazing if you don't come. I think panama dining room is a good place to try, but not necessarily somewhere you would want to return to regularly. The restaurant has been designed beautifully and the views of the city through the ceiling-high arch windows gives the place a lofty and relaxed feel. On wine and food, I was disappointed that only a few of their wines were sourced locally from Victoria, with a greater emphasis placed on international (and not necessarily better) wines. The food was tasty but not exceptional and I think more effort needed to be placed on the presentation of the food given the price. <br/><br/>Overall, given the huge number of places to dine in Melbourne, I would not make a special effort to send a friend or a visitor to this restaurant.

Average. It was difficult to get the attention of the waiters, so the service was disappointing. The food was average. I enjoyed the entrees we had, but the mains were disappointing. I love mussels, but the ones I had were quite bland and boring. The scotch fillet was average too.

Panama Dining Room and Bar - a little bit of sophisticated on Smith. A trek down Smith St, and up two flights of grungy looking stairs didn't bode well for this part-restaurant, part counter meal bar. My initial thought was of dingy Flinders Lane bars, frequented by the drunk and the poor student. I could not have been more wrong. The dingy staircase opens to a spacious, colourful and cosy atmosphere, which feels a bit like a cross between a fancy European restaurant and your local pub. Tricky to explain, obviously. <br/>Ok so, location - surprising, but perfect. Nothing, two floors up, could have felt less like Smith Street. And the service, given that we were a bunch of students highly unlikely to be generous tippers, was very impressive. But that's not what you care about! Food! <br/>Everything was delicious. Sauce in the pasta not too creamy, fresh bread, freshly cooked everything. Between the twelve of us there, the only comments were that the drinks list was about twenty times as long as the (tiny bit limited) menu, and that for what we paid, there actually wasn't that much food. Plenty of room for dessert though, and the general experience of the place meant that those things didn't worry us much. Definitely going back - especially for the Tuesday and Wednesday $10 counter meals- yay!

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.

Classy Dining Experience. I love the laid-back mood at the Panama and the food and wine lists are pretty serious. The cuisine is contemporary, where tasty classic dishes have been given lively modern twists with delicious results. I loved the zucchini flowers with mascarpone and the roasted loin and leg of rabbit with spelt and olives.

Treat Yourself. The Panama had great service with that typical Melbournian ambience. The food is quite good and you can play pool among the decked out retro décor, which is a pretty cool touch.

Fine Dining. What I enjoyed most about this restaurant was that it felt like a 20s colonial club, and the euro inspired menu, huge wine list and great service all deliver. Big windows give big city views and a relaxed ambience overall.

Didn't enjoy it. Whilst some of the dishes were reasonably tasty, the whole experience just doesn't come together. 3 out of 5 dishes were below par, the wine list is expensive and lacks imagination. The service is clueless. And its expensive.

Great place for a drink, not for a meal. Unless of course you enjoy tiny servings that are way too overpriced! We had a roast pork dish which came with a 2 square inch piece of pork belly and a slice of meat for about $30! Now c'mon really? Taste 6/10 Price 3/10 Service 5/10

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.<br/>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.

Bad Food Great Venue. Wow what a venue - Good atmosphere great fitout.<br/><br/>Reccomend for a drink - Dont book for dinner.<br/><br/>Wait staff slow and unresponsive, Food beyond average.<br/><br/>Theyhave tried to overdo it with rediculous names and dishes. Yet they can't get it right. We ordered two dishes both were very average. Lamb was super overcooked and flavourless. The special wass pheasant pie, yet their were bones to choke on and the pheasant was chewy and in huge chunks. The side of potatoes were just a cold salad smothered in masses of some mayonaise sauce.

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.