Cafeography
Café de especialidad · Panama City

Specialty coffee cafés in Panama City

Geisha bars, house roasters and pour-over counters from Casco Viejo to San Francisco.

Photo: Israyosoy S., Pexels License

Panama City's specialty bars mostly pour Panamanian coffee, and some pour a single family's. Sisu Coffee Studio serves only Lamastus Family Estates lots; Café Unido buys from estates including Hacienda La Esmeralda, Elida, El Burro and Don Pachi in Boquete and Carmen in Volcán; and Leto's house espresso is a natural from Carmen Estate.123

The scene now judges itself at home. At World of Coffee Panamá in October 2026, Coffee Geeks Panamá picked its Best Coffee Shops from more than 85 nominations, weighting a professional jury at 70% and a public vote at 30%.4 The panel scored coffee quality, barista technique, service, innovation, sustainability, food and consistency.4

Local tip: For an early specialty cup, Leto's Obarrio bar on Calle 61 Este opens at 07:00 on weekdays and at 08:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Where these cafés are: San Francisco & Coco del Mar (3), Casco Viejo (2), Parque Lefevre (2), El Cangrejo & Vía Argentina (2), Obarrio & Marbella (1), El Dorado & Betania (1).

At a glance

11Cafés listed
5With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
18:30Latest closing

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What a specialty cup costs in Panama City

On Leto's October 2026 menu, an espresso is US$3.25, an americano US$3.75, a flat white US$5.00 and a latte US$5.50; house drinks such as a vanilla raf, espresso with light cream, cost US$7.3 Siete Granos charged from US$8 for a Geisha and US$4–15 for other drinks in Sugarbmd's guide, updated May 2026.5

To take Geisha home, Sisu, at Calle 9 and Avenida B in Casco Viejo, sells 120 g of beans for US$40 and 240 g of Catuaí for US$18.1

Roasters in the city

Unido Roastery is in SF69 Plaza on Calle Mario Rognoni in San Francisco. As of 2022, Café Unido roasted on two machines, a 15-kilo Giesen in the capital and a 10-kilo roaster in Boquete, and its staff visited harvests to source each lot directly.6

Leto says it has roasted on its own machine for more than five years, choosing lots from Panamanian farms, and shared the 2026 Best Coffee Roasters award with Nativo Lab.34 Pulpa has roasted since 2023 and buys straight from Panamanian producers.7

Where the specialty bars are

San Francisco has the most specialty cafés, with Casco Viejo, El Cangrejo and Parque Lefevre next. In the old town, Sisu is at Calle 9 and Avenida B and Geisha Terroir on Avenida Eloy Alfaro; in San Francisco, Unido Roastery is in SF69 Plaza on Calle Mario Rognoni.

El Cangrejo has Terroir Espresso Bar and Mentiritas Blancas on Avenida 2 B Norte, and Leto runs brew bars on Calle 61 Este and in Plaza 76. North of the center, wknd Specialty Coffee is in Plaza Mas Los Ángeles on Calle 64B Oeste in El Dorado, and Parque Lefevre has Cruce Coffee Company and Panama Ammunition Coffee, at calle 4ta, local 57, open Monday to Friday, 09:00–15:00.

Geisha, and what counts as specialty

In Panama, specialty means coffee that scores more than 80 points out of 100 when cupped.8 Geisha sits at the top of that range, and the bars serve it in different ways: Sisu offers its Geisha as filter or with milk, and Bungla on Calle 50 pours one from Finca Garrido.5

Café Unido puts it in cocktails too, with a Geisha Martini on its Casco Viejo list.9 Geisha Terroir on Avenida Eloy Alfaro won the 2026 award for coffee education and expertise.4

Sources

  1. Sisu Coffee Studio: Panama's coffee, told from its origin (locations, hours, shop), Sisu Coffee Studio, accessed October 2026
  2. Café Unido: riding the third wave in Panama City, The Way to Coffee (updated February 22, 2026), accessed October 2026
  3. Menú y precios, Leto Coffee (menu as of October 2026), accessed October 2026
  4. Las 12 mejores cafeterías de Panamá en 2026, La Prensa Panamá (Katiuska Hernández, October 24, 2026), accessed October 2026
  5. Las 11 mejores cafeterías de especialidad en Panamá 2026, Sugarbmd (November 11, 2025, updated May 2026), accessed October 2026
  6. Cafe Unido Puts Panama on a Pedestal in Washington D.C., Daily Coffee News (Howard Bryman, December 2, 2022), accessed October 2026
  7. Best specialty coffee shops in Panama City (2026 guide), FLTR Magazine (Andy Anderson, June 16, 2026), accessed October 2026
  8. Cafés de especialidad en Panamá, una guía de la oferta y su historia, La Estrella de Panamá (Astrid Chang, January 13, 2022), accessed October 2026
  9. Cafe Unido Casco Viejo is the Second Location of the Panamanian Coffee Chain, Panama Casco Viejo, accessed October 2026
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By area: Casco Viejo El Cangrejo & Vía Argentina Obarrio & Marbella San Francisco & Coco del Mar

FAQ

Specialty coffee in Panama City: questions

How much does a specialty coffee cost in Panama City?

At Leto in October 2026, an espresso cost US$3.25, an americano US$3.75, a flat white US$5.00 and a latte US$5.50. Siete Granos charged from US$8 for a cup of Geisha in 2026, with other drinks at US$4–15.

Where can you buy Geisha coffee beans in Panama City?

Sisu Coffee Studio, at Calle 9 and Avenida B in Casco Viejo, sells 120 g of Geisha beans for US$40 and 240 g of Catuaí for US$18 as of October 2026. It serves and sells only coffee from the Lamastus family's estates.

Which specialty coffee roasters are in Panama City?

Café Unido has Unido Roastery in SF69 Plaza on Calle Mario Rognoni, San Francisco, and in 2022 roasted on a 15-kilo Giesen in the city. Leto has roasted its own coffee for more than five years, Pulpa has roasted in El Cangrejo since 2023, and Leto and Nativo Lab shared the 2026 Best Coffee Roasters award.

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