The Wine Bar is part of a group of restaurants all started by the same Swiss Chef who moved to Panama a long time ago. The wine bar serves up a large variety of wines (as 
expected), and casual gourmet food.
Let’s start with the good points: the wine selection is incredible. There are over 200 varieties from Europe, Chile and California, to name a few. Most of the wine is mid-range, but there are a few special bottles on the menu. The Wine Bar is decorated like a little Italian tavern, with vine and trellis ceilings, making it a nice relaxing place to enjoy a cup of wine, chat with friends, and listen to some live music. They also have an appetizer menu with several cheese platters.
So, if we were to leave it at the wine, this place gets decent reviews. I mean, it isn’t a bodega in Argentina, but… we’re in Panama City, I’m not going to compare the two.
If you are hungry, you have the option of ordering from a pretty extensive full menu of Caffè Pomodoro. This is where I’m not incredibly pleased. The food selection is pretty much limited to Italian, which is fine with me, it goes well with the ambiance and the wine, but the dishes all seemed to be lacking something.
First, we were served bread with olive oil and balsamic vineager. The bread was warm, but didn’t taste quite fresh, and was dry, although the oil and balsamic helped that.
The appetizer, Funghi Aglio cost $8 and had a good flavor, but something wasn’t quite right. Maybe it was the button mushrooms. After that, the main dishes were brought (about a half hour later, which is typical in Panama), and both were just okay.
Overall, nothing was terribly wrong with the meal from start to finish, but nothing was particularly outstanding. For the price, $7–$15 for an entree, you would expect more. I would definitely go back for the wine, but I would probably skip the full menu and snack on the cheese, which compliments the wine quite nicely.
Oh, and try and get a seat by the window, or if you come in the evening try the patio.
The Wine Bar is located on Calle 55 and Av Eusebio A. Morales, Hotel Las Vegas, Panama City. Phone number is 507–265–4701.
Click here for more information on The Wine Bar in Panama City.
