Dining in a garden of Eden

I eat at restaurants all around Panama, I write a lot about restaurants in Boquete. With the exception of a great location for fried chicken in a broken down truck I have never had an exceptional meal in Bocas del Toro; until now.

Heather, Gumby, Rae and I had the opportunity to have dinner at the Garden of Eden in Bocas del Toro, twice. Not everyone has that opportunity, the meals are only available to guests. The resort is wonderful, dinner was better.

Served in a palm frond covered ramada by Helena and her staff everything about the meal was fantastic. Mood, drinks and above all food.

Our first evening was seared tuna, it was perfect. Seared on the outside and succulently raw on the interior. The second night was lobster, fresh caught by local indigenous and brought to the dock. My lobster was prepared by rolling in fresh shredded coconut and fried. I have never has this preperation before and it was hot, crunchy and the lobster was moist, most incredible.

The rest of the group received not one but two lobster tails steamed and bathed in butter. My daughter who has eaten lobster in every restaurant she could in Panama proclaimed it the best. Once again moist and succulent, not achieved in the normal Panamanian tendency to overcook.



It is worth staying at the Garden of Eden to relax or even just for the food and drink and not having to call a water taxi to take you home.