RetroGusto Restaurant & Bar

Four different people recommended this place and they were correct. It has a great atmosphere, good food, generous portions and nice staff. Most are bilingual. My pizza and beer was great and they offered a free shot at the end of the meal. Recommend!

We had a delicious and relaxing meal here on a rainy night. We tried the passion fruit sour cocktail of the day (you won me over at sour and passion fruit) and it was fantastic. We split the foccaccia with rosemary and salt that came straight out of the wood fired oven. My partner loved his seafood spaghettoni and I cannot recommend the tagliatelle with homemade sausage enough. They did not skimp on the sausage and I had tons with every bite and it may have been the best sausage I've had in years. So good!

On a Saturday night in Boquete, it was hard to find a restaurant for 8 of us but RetroGusto squeezed us in despite being busy. We lucked out with the table right by the kitchen which allows you to see their artisan design of plating. The gnocchi was absolutely insane - melt in your mouth, maybe could even spread it like butter if we wanted to. The beef ravioli with mushrooms had a rave review, the tagliatelle loaded with chorizo was tasty and the mixed seafood was beautifully presented. They had a hiccup with service and missed a few appetizers but they graciously offered free dessert and overall had excellent service so we did not view this as a demerit. This seems like a top place to eat in Boquete to this traveler.

September 2024: We have been to Retrogusto several times and we are continually impressed. Our last meal there was as near to perfection as you can get - 100+ all around - service - atmosphere - and food, food, food. We like to sit at a table on the interior of the restaurant (there is outside seating on the street one table, and an exterior ‘garden like’ setting in the back). Our inside table of choice has an excellent view of the kitchen, where we are continually impressed with the attention to detail and the perfection of their plating! There is a wonderful menu, but you can also ask for a ‘tasting menu’ - smaller plates - more courses! Of course, we opted for the tasting menu. Tuna carpaccio, it was not just ‘food’ but a delightful experience in textures and flavors. The smoked tuna was cut expertly, wafer thin and there was a pesto sauce, ‘crumbs’ of very well toasted and flavored bread, sprinkled with sprouts. Cream of mushroom soup - so expertly done! The texture and flavors were impeccable. It did not appear to have cream in it - but it was a silky emulsion of mushroom, the flavor of the mushroom exploded in our mouths as we had the first taste .. mmm! Risotto, flavored with truffles and topped with juicy, perfectly cooked shrimp. Again, the flavors shone through - expertly balanced blend of truffle and shrimp. Filet Mignon, served over a bed of ‘creamed spinach’ - this was not the ‘normal’ creamed spinach - this was a light as air, concoction of spinach, that was not cream at all, but a wonderful puree that let the vegetable shine - and of course, their filet was cooked EXACTLY as we wished. There was a delicious balsamic reduction on the side that worked perfectly to blend the flavors on the spinach and the filet. Lastly! There was a tiny cup of Pana cotta perfection - topped with a puree of strawberries, perfectly flavored - I don’t think any sugar met these strawberries. My husband ordered a Negroni and Retrogusto have a special one that they top with Prosecco instead of soda - at the recommendation of our waiter - happy, happy husband. Service was impeccable and our waiter was Jake, who was both knowledgeable and engaging. In all Retrogusto has our custom, again and again - it’s difficult for us to go to Boquete and not visit our favorite restaurant! June 2024: We came here on the advice of Danny owner of Inn The Coffeepot in Boquete - a kindred European spirit who appreciates fine food and service. Retrogusto was totally unexpected in Boquete - I WAS in Italy! The food was, simply put - Italian. Not American or anyting else Italian. I has the best risotto I’d ever had (even in Italy) - uncutuous and delicious - creamy and flavorful. Risotto with Black Truffle, Asiago Cheese and Beef Stew - I cannot even write about this without drooling. And I cannot wait to go back to eat it again. When we read the description - both my husband and I ordered the same dish! We will definitely try their pizza next time - they looked amazing! If you’re in Boquete….. no need to think about where to go… I've already planned our next visit - they are having a Tuscan tasting menu that ends on June 7th - we will be there (husband's birthday treat). This place is so good that we're making the trip from Boca Chica!

Really enjoyed our meal and service. It's a nice atmosphere, lots of wood with both inside and more open seating options, which is nice on these cooler evenings. Both of us loved our meals, great salad and desert!

What more can I tell you about this restaurant? This is the place to be for a good piece of meat, chicken with great taste. And highly recommended!!! The nice thing was, as a Belgian, getting a glass of Hoegaarden with a Panamanian beer 👌🏼

In our 2,5 weeks traveling through Panama, this was the best restaurant so far! Top Italian food, nice decorated, friendly & stylish staff! We loved the tagliatelle & black truffle risotto. This restaurant is a must for fine dining in Boquete.

Restaurant recommended by an Italian friend definitely did not disappoint. It was absolutely packed on Sunday afternoon, so we had to wait but it was worth. We really enjoyed all different types of pasta and pizza. The kitchen is open so you can see the whole cooking process. I would advise to look around or ask the waiting person for daily specials, because we actually ordered outside of the regular menu, out of the blackboard and it was a great choice. Drinks were good as well. If I'll be around I'd happily pass by again.