What Its Like To Eat At One Of The Top 50 Best Restaurants In The World

Behind an unidentified door in the Casco Viejo section of Panama City lies one of the top 50 restaurants in the world, according to The World's 50 Best Restaurants. A panel of 1,000 culinary experts votes to come up with the annual list. 

So what is it like to dine at one of these exclusive top dining spots? We wanted to find out on our recent trip to Panama City. Donde Jose has two seatings, an early one at 7pm and a late seating at 9:30pm.  We were able to make a reservation about two months ahead of time. The restaurant only has 16 seats so you need to reserve early. It is a set menu, but you are able to let them know in advance about any dietary restrictions. Be very specific because if you say no red meat, they will still serve you pork. 

Since there is no sign or address, it's a bit tricky to find the restaurant. But once you find it, you are welcomed into a small dining room with tall ceilings. It is cold inside so bring a sweater. 

Your set menu price does not include alcohol and the drinks are pricey. The menu price is approximately $100 per person with a $100 deposit. 

The 10-course menu features unique and innovative dishes that use fresh ingredients. Check out the menu from our meal. Obviously, the menu changes depending on what is in season. And to be totally honest, the menu doesn't really tell you what the dish is and some listed dishes actually include several plates. But the server explains the meaning behind each dish, the ingredients and what the chef was trying to do. 

 Each dish is supposed to tell a story about Panama. Some I understood, others not so much. Check out some of the dishes below. Most notable, the one on the far right. Since we do not eat pork or red meat, they created this dish with fish and edible sand. 

The main dish was actually quite unimpressive. It was a very small bony half chicken with a sauce. But the chef redeemed himself with dessert. The courses were equally as creative with a delicious shaved ice and a course called Coffee With My Grandpa. It was made with the famous and super expensive Geisha coffee, chocolate and cake or brownie. It was delicious! 

So was it worth the high price tag? Maybe. Yes, we can say we ate at a top 50 restaurant. The food was creative. Was it the best meal I've ever had? Probably not. Would I go back? Probably not, but I'm pretty frugal. Would I recommend it to my friends? Yes.