Description: I would like to say "thank you", thank you to the girl who wrote the review on a website that I cannot remember who said that Plata Del Mar had the best patacones in all of Panama, because you were right!
You can almost always be assured that a restaurant is good, when you witness a truck full of locals descending upon it with an eager exuberance. That was exactly what I saw as I perused the menu at an outdoor table at Plata Del Mar in El Valle. Thanks to my anonymous reviewer, I already knew exactly what I was going to get, the bistec picado, patacones and in my now search to try as many flavors as possible, an orange bastidos. My husband, needing a little more time, decided on the pepper steak. We were very grateful for our waitress, who although spoke English, humored us by letting us practice our Spanish. I was very enthusiastic with my Spanish studies before our trip and just a tad disappointed that every server, shop owner and/or hotel worker approached us first, speaking perfect English.
Sometimes when you go to a fancy restaurant, the food looks so good that you don’t want to eat it. Well at this simple and inviting restaurant my food looked so good that it just screamed,
"Devour me, now!" My strips of beef were mingling in a delicious tomato sauce, with onions, and strips of red and green bell pepper. The bistec picado was accompanied by salad and the most perfectly thin, crispy salty patacones in all of Panama. My husband’s pepper steak, though it certainly looked like a big old mess, tasted scrumptious and was accompanied by rice, lentils and maduros. Our orange bastidos were creamy and sweet (although I like the pineapple flavored ones best I think). There was a mangy, gentle stray dog who sat politely by watching us eat. He wasn’t aggressively begging, but was merely sitting a few feet away sort of saying
"Hey I’m not trying to bother you folks, but if you have any food left over I sure would appreciate it." Although I guess since he lives in Panama he would probably say it in Spanish. I couldn’t resist those puppy dog eyes, so I gave him some food from my dinner (although, being so delicious it pained me to do so). I’m not sure if feeding strays is acceptable, but if you’re eating in El Valle and you don’t want to get suckered into feeding a stray dog, plan on eating inside. I didn’t mind, it was all part of the experience.
Sitting outside at Plata Del Mar gave us the opportunity to enjoy the cool night air and watch people as they rode bikes, walked and drove this way and that along the main road. My entrée was only $4.00 and my husband’s was $7.00, and with two bastidos the bill came to an affordable $15.50.
Plata Del Mar is located on the main street in El Valle. If you are standing with your back to the market, it would be on your left, before you reach the church. It’s simple, affordable and serves traditional Panamanian food, and please, try the patacones, they really are the best!
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