Bardot by Jorge Rausch — Restaurant in San Felipe

Following my previous visit, the restaurant reached out and graciously invited me back for a complimentary dinner, and I'm delighted to say they exceeded all expectations. While my first experience left room for improvement, this return visit was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we stepped through the door, the service was impeccable, with staff who genuinely went above and beyond to ensure we felt valued and welcome.

Every dish arrived beautifully plated and bursting with flavor, finally delivering on the high standards I'd anticipated from the start. But what truly stood out was the sincerity behind their efforts to make things right. In a particularly thoughtful gesture, they sent me home with a crème brûlée, ceramic dish and all, knowing it's my daughter's favorite dessert. That personal touch spoke volumes about their commitment to genuine hospitality.

It's evident that management not only listened to my feedback but acted on it meaningfully. This second visit was outstanding in every respect, and they've absolutely earned their five stars. I wholeheartedly recommend Bardot to anyone seeking the complete package: refined cuisine, welcoming ambiance, and service that...

The menu is a nice spin on classic French fare, which is what made me try Bardot on a whim. The menu was in English but the servers didn’t speak any English, which isn’t completely unexpected in Panama, but they got my order wrong in multiple ways which is kind of a problem at a restaurant that costs $150+pp. I did do my best to use Spanish but again I was ordering from an English menu so I used the verbiage from the menu itself.

I asked if the entrecôte was a ribeye and they said yes. However the meat I was served had NO fat and NO flavor so I have no idea what cut I ate. It was an $80 steak but I’m positive this wasn’t an aged ribeye… or any ribeye for that matter. It tasted like a very cheap cut. I feel like they pulled a fast one on me.

They sent a wine sauce instead of the bernaise I asked for, and it was cooked rare instead of medium rare.

Maybe none of these are major problems but for almost $200 for a dinner for one, I do expect better. And especially when I order an $80 cut of beef it should taste like it. An aged bone-in ribeye in America from Del Frisco costs less and...

What was already a special location for us (the hotel that was once here was the first place we ever stayed in Panama’) has become even more special with the addition of Bardot. Now that we live here, we get to see how things change and grow over time and Bardot is a new favorite restaurant in an old favorite place. The food was otro nivel…classic French. We enjoyed Boeuf Bourguignon and Riesling Salmon, espárragos cooked to perfection, Brie topped with jam and berries served with crusty french bread, a glass of champagne and a bottle of Beaujolais wine (goes with everything). The champagne wound up being comped as was a special dessert when they found out it was our 21st Anniversary. And by they I mean Diego, our amazing camarero and new friend. He made the experience even more special than the food and ambience. And in a country where service is so prized, Diego also took things to the next level. They are opening a new hotel here, as well, in Villa Palma and we can’t wait for the next wonders to emerge in this...