I loved a lot about Pescao. I had a great dinner there. Breakfast and coffee were a bit less than great, but certainly decent. The staff at Pescao were so nice and very tolerant of our almost nonexistent Spanish. The seating was a bit awkward, whether at a table or at the bar. But great views of a surf point and a lovely infinity pool made up for it. Overall I would visit again.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Other
Price per person
PAB 15–20
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 4
Stayed for several nights in December at the hotel. Pescao is delicious with a view that can't be beat. Every member of staff was personable and friendly, as well as patient. We ate at Pescao every day we were at Hotel Santa Catalina because it was so outstanding and delicious everytime.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
PAB 10–15
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Red Snapper
Probably one of the best views in town but my food was horrible and the drinks were bad. The only edible part of my meal was the salad. I couldn’t even it the French fries because they were cold and the curry shrimp was disgusting. My husband ate the snapper, he said it wasn’t bad but he would it anything.
Food: 1
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 5
This place was just absolutely amazing, the food was really good breakfast, lunch and dinner. Spectacular staff, super friendly! Yarius was my server many time in the week I was there, she has the two braids and she’s just the sweetest. Taking out her translator to make sure the food is exactly how I want it!
They have some amazing frozen drinks which are my favorite of course beer, and almost any liquor.
They have a pool table, ping pong table for the kids or adults of course and the tables overlook the pool, and the pool over looks the ocean it is just a beautiful scenery to eat at❤️
Everything I ate was a 10/10❤️
Yesterday's visit to this restaurant was pleasant overall. The food was delicious, the view impressive and the staff mostly nice. Unfortunately, one unpleasant situation clouded my impression. After we paid, and gave 9% tip, the waiter was very disapointed. When we wanted to return the next day, the waiter seemed to remember us and was extremely unfriendly, presumably because of the supposedly low tip from the previous evening. Despite a generous 9% tip, we were disappointed and the waiter was unnecessarily rude. It was a shame that this incident detracted from an otherwise positive impression and we decided to leave the restaurant. It's a shame that some people only like to do their job for the tip.
Food: 5
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 5
The restaurant Pescao serves the Hotel Santa Catalina guests but is also open to the public. On google maps, it appears FAR away from the hotel itself. But the hotel and Pescao are all together on the same property. The restaurant is closest to the ocean and overlooks the pool as well. So, it makes it a lovely spot to gather for breakfast each morning or for cocktails at the end of an adventurous tropical day.
The restaurant is run separately by different owners than the hotel. The vibe is very tropical and open air with a roof cover. The restaurant will run a tab for you during your stay and give you the bill separately at the end if you prefer to pay all at once. We tried to tip the waiters cash each time though.
Pescao is very clean and the staff are very professional. Some speak English fluently, but that is more rare in this part of Panama. We found that some knowledge of Spanish is helpful here. And some of the wait staff were more friendly than others. (It's been a rough pandemic lockdown for the hospitality industry here with nearly a year long on and off again shutdown in this country, so patience and kindness is a good reminder.)
We ate there almost every day for breakfast because of the convienance of needing to get to scheduled tours, etc. We ended up there twice for dinner due to rainstorms and the ease. We found the food to be good and consistent but not over the top amazing. The fish was fresh and prepared as promised. But never overly flavorful. This is a general theme in Panama of bland food so it may not be directed towards the restaurant specifically.
I would say that if you are staying at the Hotel Santa Catalina, the ease of eating here, especially when it is downpouring rain, makes Pescao perfect. It's also a perfect spot to grab a cocktail and just lounge on the banana leaf cushions and enjoy this spectacular view. (One that is not present every where in Santa Catalina at such a nice establishment.) But I would also note that there are lots of great food destinations for such a small town like Santa Catalina. So, don't pass up other places that might be on your list with maybe less of a view...and less of a bill.
We had a great dinner here! I had the tuna filet with passion fruit sauce on top and plantain chips, and my boyfriend the white fish with garlic and coconut rice. It was fresh, decent portions, and the prices were fair (about $15 a plate). Plus, you have a wonderful view of La Punta surf break!
View of water was nice but that's about it. There is no table service for ordering. No individual menu. Just one on the blackboard and you have to go to the bar to order.
Food was not good either. Maybe other dishes are better but what we ordered were less than average. Wrong dish was served but no apology. They used ieberg lettuce for ceasar salad. We had the salad without chicken. Usually it comes with it but the price was still same $12 USD.
The staff is very nice and friendly.
The view and infinity pool are amazing.
The food quality: very inconsistent. First time we had dinner and it was really good. We came back but the ceviche mixto was made with surimi and tasted awful! Just remove it from the menu if you don’t have fresh seafood!
Staff is not so friendly. Forgot to serve food, and kept us waiting for one hour. Overpriced food and drinks. Heavily fried. There a better options in town. It is a pity, because the place looks nice and the associated hotel is ok. I will also have to rate the hotel lower because of the sloppy service in the restaurant.
Price per person
PAB 30–35
Food: 1
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 1
