Café Unido Casco Viejo image

Café Unido Casco Viejo

Cafe Coffee shop Coffee roasters

👍👍 A quick stop (actually, a 15-hour layover) in Panama City on my way back to NYC from São Paulo. Hailed an Uber to take me to Casco Viejo and Café Unido on the advice of a colleague for a geisha pour over. Guessing V60 given the Hario pitcher in the obligatory photo, attached. Geisha is hard to desc... People often mention coffee, Panama, great, shop, geisha, service, breakfast, cafe, delicious, staff,


Address

C. 9a Oeste, Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama

Website

www.cafeunido.com

Contact

+507 6781-0954

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (579 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Friday: (Mother's Day), 7 am to 7 pm, Hours might differ
  • Saturday: 7 am to 7 pm
  • Sunday: 8 am to 4 pm
  • Monday: 7 am to 7 pm
  • Tuesday: 7 am to 7 pm
  • Wednesday: 7 am to 7 pm
  • Thursday: 7 am to 7 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: coffee (59) Panama (11) great (11) shop (10) geisha (9) service (7) breakfast (7) cafe (7) delicious (7) staff (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Clay G. 1 year ago on Google
    A quick stop (actually, a 15-hour layover) in Panama City on my way back to NYC from São Paulo. Hailed an Uber to take me to Casco Viejo and Café Unido on the advice of a colleague for a geisha pour over. Guessing V60 given the Hario pitcher in the obligatory photo, attached. Geisha is hard to describe to someone who’s never had it. Distinctive. Delicate. Flavors not found in many other coffees. This one was well prepared and maybe just the perfect way to relax into the rest of the day here by concentrating on the unique flavor experience. The café itself is quite handsome with seating spread across two levels. Good service, bilingual, willing to engage and able to get and give a joke. So it was fun as well. There is a breakfast all day menu and so I partook of a pan Cubano (not shown). The Cubano is a simple grilled sandwich that is surprisingly hard to do well. This is not the place to go with a gourmet artisan bread - a basic white roll is called for, and better not overthink the cheese. Cheese, ham, pickle, mustard, pressed on the grill all enticingly melty crisp gooey yummy chewy tart & sharp in every bite all at the same time. Have a long layover in Panama City or vacationing? Add Café Unido Casco Viejo to your list of places to visit. Open early, too. Cocktails and more, too.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Luke G. 1 year ago on Google
    Charming, nice, clean. Gives a fancy vibe with the design, local coffee, and cafe bar to prep coffee drinks. Cozy, with ample tables and nooks to be productive on the upper level. I enjoyed a delicious latte and chicken empanada on my first visit and plan to return.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sofia S. 5 months ago on Google
    Very cute cafe! The service was quick and coffee and food were delicious. They have vegan and vegetarian options for food. Spacious seating area upstairs and fast wifi.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Matthew R. 6 months ago on Google
    By far the most comfortable coffee shop in Cosco Viejo… getting work done is easy to do in the comfortable seating with power outlets to charge. There’s great Wi-Fi and a water station upstairs. Highly recommended for quick business meetings or getting a few hours of writing done.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Matthew L. 8 months ago on Google
    TL;DR - Top choice in P. City Above average specialty coffee shop.  Decent equipment, staff is knowledgable, and they're roasters!  The space has a bright, clean, hipster-pub-meets-cafe feel.  There is split booth and casual seating in the upper loft-area, standard cafe seating on both the loft and main floor, and even a tasting room. Coffee was great.  Several varietals from different regions in Panama.  Some of the processing techniques were unique to this roastery in particular, which was interesting. The typica we had (done "CC", or "creative cherry"; a fermented process) was quite tasty, leaning toward nuts and stone fruit.  The SL28 (done "N", or natural) was wonderfully citrusy and sweet (for coffee...). The pumpkin soup was a little on the watery side, but the lemmon poppyseed loaf was good, and the GF chocolate cake was magical! You can actually find Unido coffee in certain grocery stores, but the product in the cafe itself seems to be higher quality. Of the coffee we have tried in Panama City, many aren't worth reviewing, some were quite good, but this place was the top of the list.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Elahe J. 7 months ago on Google
    Loved our vist there, perfect aa quick break stop when you're in Casco Viejo, generous serving of Geisha coffee ☕️! Friendly staff, they accept AMEX too ! Free WiFi. Got some coffee & chocolate to bring home!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Dylan A. 7 months ago on Google
    This is my number 2 favorite coffee shop in Panama! My wife and I travel the world trying good coffee and Panama is full of it! Unido is a great little shop with talented baristas and great quality coffee! Don’t miss it if you visit Panama City!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tyler M. 1 year ago on Google
    This was my favorite coffee shop in Casio Viejo! First off - it’s one of the only places open at 7am, so if you’re an early riser, it’s your best option. We went here pretty much every morning - and we had coffees as well as breakfast. If you’re a fan of pour overs, then the Pacamara is incredible. Probably one of my favorite coffees I have ever had. And it doesn’t have the price tag of the geisha coffee. As for food, the breakfast sandwich was really tasty - a bit on the heavy side… but delicious. And another thing that’s cool is that they roast coffee from the Bonita Springs farm in Boquete, which we went to visit and already knew we loved their coffee. That’s where the Pacamara comes from!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Scott S. 1 year ago on Google
    This is the best coffee chain in Panama for gourmet coffee. We have visited many of these and always order the geisha. Unfortunately today whoever was in charge of air conditioning had it way too cold. All three of us agree with this and we requested the temp raised. It never was and we left. I have reviewed over 100 coffee shops as you can see it this is never happened once before.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 JennRo19 2 years ago on Google
    Good coffee shop. A tiny place but with a good environment for remote work from ur laptop or just enjoy a cappuccino or in my case a matcha tea with almond milk
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Guy Z. 10 months ago on Google
    Great geisha filter coffee! There's also a choice between a few different (local) beans which is always appreciated.

  • 5/5 Bartosz B. 2 years ago on Google
    Very stylish coffee shop with plenty of local coffee on offer and various way to prepare it on top of decent menu of pastry. Our cold brew and drip coffee were really very good. Croissant and Nutella cookie went very well with both.

  • 5/5 Ori R. 2 years ago on Google
    Incredible breakfast! I had the Breakfast Sandwich and it was delicious. The coffee on the side just made everything better.

  • 5/5 Claris C. 7 months ago on Google
    I met my best coffee in here. The taste is nutty and without sugar, the coffee is pleasantly sweet. Sadly, I am leaving tomorrow and I am living in New Zealand.

  • 5/5 Dina M. 8 months ago on Google
    Best coffee in Panama- been to Panama twice and we keep coming back to unido. The coffee is smooth, the right milk to espresso ratio, great vibe and food is great. If you like smoked salmon get the salmon sandwich!

  • 5/5 Frank 2 years ago on Google
    Coffee is outstanding and their breakfast sandwich was very creative and delicious.

  • 5/5 Margie S. 2 years ago on Google
    Pleasant place to get your first taste of Geisha coffee.

  • 5/5 Jason H. 2 years ago on Google
    We had the geisha coffee and an iced coffee with oat milk, and both were excellent! I wouldn’t put the geisha coffee in my normal rotation, but to check the box, this was a great place to do so.

  • 5/5 K M. 8 months ago on Google
    The Breakfast Sandwich here was SO DELICIOUS! The bun, the cheese, the bacon... The whole combination is just perfection😘 On the other hand, the Veggie Quinoa Bowl was a little disappointing. I thought it'd be a warm bowl but turned out it was iced cold, plus the dressing was a little too citrusy. For drinks, I got the Cappuccino with Oat Milk. It was good but not extraordinary.

  • 5/5 Kenta O. 8 months ago on Google
    Local cafe with cool atmosphere. Staff was friendly and helpful in introducing the coffee. I tried the iced latte and it was tasty. Purchased the geisha coffee beans for gift to my friends. Recommend this place to coffee lovers.

  • 5/5 Alexandra B. 11 months ago on Google
    Tasty smoothie bowl and yummy coffee. Great ambiance and very friendly staff. Nice place to take a break while walking around Casco viejo. Take out is also available and they make sure to make it nicely so that nothing spills.

  • 5/5 Karl D. 10 months ago on Google
    Very neat and clean coffee shop and excellent coffee. I knew as soon as we walked in, it was going to be excellent. Ordered latte with almond milk and was very satisfied indeed. As an Australian who is used to great coffee culture, was a nice little gem

  • 5/5 Rita S O. 9 months ago on Google
    Good place to grab a quick breakfast at Casco. Small but cozy. Food delicious.

  • 5/5 Brett G. 9 months ago on Google
    Amazing coffee shop in casco viejo. They have geisha coffee pour overs that are priced well ($10) and are excellent. Great food and pastries as well. Ambiance is aesthetically pleasing, excellently designed. Would recommend for work or just spending time enjoying your excellent coffee.

  • 3/5 Taylor P. 1 year ago on Google
    Solid coffee, with prices on par with similar upscale cafes in the US. They have Modbar machines which are very high end. The service is very slow, even by local standards. I observed the barista make 4 espresso-based drinks (including mine) in the 15 minutes I waited for an iced latte.

  • 5/5 Russell M. 2 years ago on Google
    Amazing!! Fast service, great coffee and food. Bathrooms are tiny, but neat and clean.

  • 5/5 Diogo S. 10 months ago on Google
    Loved this cafe. Will most definitely come back again. Nice staff, great coffee, good atmosphere, prices were fair for what you re getting and had a really nice cookie there!

  • 1/5 DRKx 1 year ago on Google
    Horrible service right here, I ask for a double Espresso and the counter lady thought I don't know what is an Espresso. My order was delivered in four different coups and just a bad services. As what I encountered in many places in Panama, they pretend they know but something just simple as a double Espresso and they get it all wrong, lame tbh

  • 5/5 Joshua K. 4 years ago on Google
    Top notch. High quality coffee focus. Prepared excellently. Couldn't be happier. Kind service too. Love the cute shop design with classy design.

  • 4/5 Chris H. 1 year ago on Google
    A contemporary coffee house house that blends with the old this part of town. Coffee, chai and other food offerings were plentiful. The staff were not so friendly however on both occasions: perhaps a smile would help the experience of each and every client waking through the door? That would make a difference…thanks :)

  • 5/5 Michelle G. 4 years ago on Google
    Amazing coffee! You can really taste the nuanced flavours of the espresso and the space is very open and well designed! We’ll be going there again! The staff is really friendly and quick

  • 5/5 Yineyri F. 1 year ago on Google
    This place was very pleasing to have breakfast at. My cappuccino was delicious and so was my Avocado Toast. Definitely recommended. “Chefs kiss”

  • 5/5 Antonio G. 1 year ago on Google
    Very cool place and definitely earned its reputation as one of the best coffee houses. Try the local 75% cacao too.

  • 5/5 Karina K. 1 year ago on Google
    Cozy cafe with great coffee and food options. Wonderful Geisha blend. Tasty pumpkin soup. There are outlets and WiFi, so we worked for couple of hours from there. The staff is friendly. The only negative point was that it was freezing inside.

  • 5/5 Colin H. 2 years ago on Google
    Great coffee and vibe

  • 2/5 Doriane D. 2 years ago on Google
    The coffee taste super acid, I thought it was due to an issue but the owner said it was normal. It is nice fancy place with wifi, but I was very disappointed by the cappuccino taste and look.

  • 5/5 Erick S. 2 years ago on Google
    Great place for tourists to have a Cup of the world's acclaimed Geisha coffee from Panama. Request for a pour over coffee of Geisha Coffee at the counter. Enjoy it and try to identify the fruity, Sour and spicy flavors on it, such a sensorial trip to the Estate's where it is produced.

  • 2/5 Lucas Lorenzo P. 2 years ago on Google
    Nice interior and ok food but that’s about it. Everything is completely overpriced and service is the worst we’ve seen in the city. I love specialty coffee and really enjoy exploring different places everywhere I go. The coffee here was pretty disappointing especially for costing $4. They do have one vegan sandwich on the menu ($12), which is hard to find in this area.

  • 5/5 Avaas S. 2 years ago on Google
    Wanted to try geisha coffee. It's a worthy experience despite the price. Would go back.


Call +507 6781-0954 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Credit cards
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Small plates
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway

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