Volcan Baru, Chiriqui, Panama, Central America
Tours & Attractions

Volcan, Panama Recommendations:

Restaurante Acropolis:

Frommer's Review:  This place is the definition of "no frills," but it serves some of the best food in the area. As a Greek restaurant, the Acropolis is a rather incongruous establishment in the Panamanian highlands, and George, the Greek owner, admits that his cuisine was a tough sell at first to a suspicious local clientele -- now he has them coming back as frequent customers. Part of the reason is that George can't find the ingredients he needs, like eggplant, zucchini, and herbs, so he grows his own produce and even raises rabbits to create authentic, and absolutely delicious, Greek dishes. You'll find moussaka (lamb-and-eggplant casserole), dolmades (ground beef wrapped in rice), and souvlaki (roast chicken in pita bread), as well as hummus and tabbouleh. His moussaka is so good that people from as far away as Boquete buy trays of the stuff to bring home. Service is fast, and George, a bit of a character, will engage you in a lengthy conversation if you want to know more about the Volcán area. Knock on the door if the restaurant looks closed.

 

Tue Jan 8, 2008 7:12 pm (PST)

We agree whole-heartedly with your recommendation, Dennis and Casey.

George and his wife Elizabeth serve up some of the best greek food we
have had anywhere in the world, right in Volcan. Very authentic,
lightly spiced (not overpowered by garlic or oregano like some greek
food can be).

His pastisio, hummus with pita bread and greek salad are also
wonderful. George uses only the freshest ingredients so sometimes
the menu is limited, but he will certainly provide a recommendation
from the chef (Elizabeth).

He also operates a few casitas, for folks looking for lodging.

We vote for George as Ambassador of Volcan -- he has a genuine love
of the town and is very knowledgeable about the areas attractions.

Well worth a drive.

Terry y Chris

"Dennis & Casey wrote:

> I have been meaning to let people know about a wonderful Greek
> restaurant called Restaurante Acropolis in Volcan. The owner Gorge
> Babos uses family recipes that have been handed down for 150 years.
> The house special is "Stifatho de Conejo" which is rabbit with
spices
> in a secret house sauce. My favorite was the "Mousaka" with a
> bechamel sauce to die for. The "Souvlaki" is a fresh pita sandwich
> stuffed to overflowing with roasted chicken, tomatoes, onions and
> lettuce in a cool tzatziki sauce. You can contact the owner at
> 771-5184 or cell phone: 6624-9687

 

Restaurant Polineth:

We had a late lunch at on Tuesday of this week.
It serves Thai food along with rotisserie chicken and breakfast all day.

With regard to the Thai, most important and unusual is that Paul
serves food that is fresh (he grows a lot of the herbs used and uses
locally grown vegetables when available), is cooked to order (so it
takes a bit of time but well worth it), plates the food attractively,
and manages to balance the flavors well (hard in Asian cooking, since
the spices used are all quite redolent and can overwhelm other
flavors). He has specials that are not on the menu and will talk you
through all the ingredients, manner of cooking and preparation time,
if you like.

Thai food is usually spicy on the picante side, but his is mild in
comparison (owing as he says to the Panamanian palate which prefers
food on the non-spicy side). However, for true Thai afficionados like
us, he makes a home-made Sriracha sauce with Thai, habanero and
jalapeno peppers which is killer — and he should bottle it!! Really,
really good if you want to kick it up a notch.

He does not serve alcohol but welcomes you if you bring your own (and
will serve you chilled cerveza glasses to boot). We picked some up at
the Romero’s at the corner (which, by the way, is much cleaner than
the Boquete store - and with no odor…….) while the food
preparation was underway.

The restaurant itself is done nicely with a volcanic rock wall of
plants, orchids, etc., open to the breezes (imagine it gets a bit
chilly at night), light and airy. He’s planning to put in an aquarium
in the future at the base of the rock wall. Knowing his background
with marine life, it should be a beauty.

We also like the fact that the Jubilado prices are posted (for small
and large portions) so there’s no hassle if you want to use or not.
What a revelation!!

We can’t wait to go back to try the coconut lemon grass soup!

posted by Yahoo Group member

Annual Ngäbe Buglé Cultural Balceria at Sitio Barriles:

Edna Landau, the owner of Sitio Barriles located just outside of Volcan,  would like to invite the community to the annual Ngobe Buglé ceremonial dances on January 20th.  She is really excited about the event because it gives people a chance to learn about their culture and see a truly special ceremony not normally seen in Panama.   There are 4 traditional dances performed by competing teams involving whistles, conch shells, horns and the courtship of women from neighboring tribes. There will be snacks of fresh cheese, marmalade and wine that are made on the farm.   The festivities start about 12:30 p.m. Admission cost is $5 per person.

Driving Directions: You drive straight through Volcan on the  main road  pass the  turn off to Cerro Punta .  Keep a sharp eye out for a sign on the left indicating  the turn to "Sitio Barriles".  Once you make that left turn just keep going about 6 kilometers, 3.6  miles, and you will cross a small creek and shortly after see the sign  on the right at the entrance to Sitio Barriles. 

 

 

 

Contact Information:
Claudia Flores
Volcan, Panama, Central America
Office Panama:  011-507-6-457-6080
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