All photos this page: ©2007 Scott Doggett, Special to WhozHereNow.com

Some people come from as far away as Costa Rica to enjoy seafood soup at El Pirate. On days when you’ve been really active or otherwise deserve a treat, consider ordering a bowl of the soup and a big red snapper. It’ll arrive with a heap of patacones (plantain slices fried in vegetable oil and salt) and a little salad. Toss it back with a beer and you’re still out the door for less than $15. And now you can put it on your credit card, so it’s practically free!

As for The Pirate’s ambiance, it’s totally casual: a bar that doesn’t try too hard to maintain appearances, behind which is a broad platform built over the water that serves as the restaurant’s main floor. About half of it is covered. From any of the eight to ten tables on the platform it’s possible to gaze upon water taxis ferrying tourists and locals to and fro and watch grown men handle their dinghies (en route to or from their sailboats).
Location

Calle 3

Bocas Town, Isla Colón

Bocas del Toro

Panama