“ The service and the food was exceptional. Every dish was delicious and presentation was exquisite. Farm to table. Very homey and personal feel. Friendly hostess. I am a fan and will be returning back to the restaurant on my next visit to Panama City. ”

“ Riesen is a wood-fire based, farm-to-table, Panamanian restaurant. The restaurant is run by the chef and his mother. My husband and I let them know before hand that we were celebrating our anniversary. We were greeted so kindly with a complimentary welcome drink. Not only did they have two dozen long stem red roses waiting for us at the table, they had a personalized menu printed for us with a special anniversary message. The food was absolutely divine, truly a gastronomic experience of artistry and we enjoyed every bit of it. At the end of the dinner they offered to give us a ride back to our hotel because it was late and we were the only people left in the restaurant. During the drive the chef shared his story and how passionate he is about community outreach and youth education. The money you pay for food is reaching far beyond the restaurant itself. I will never forget this experience and will certainly be back one day. Thank you Riesen!! ”

“ I have been to more than my fair share of incredible restaurants, including many with Michelin stars. I can’t think of any that offered a better experience than Reisen. Each course was more like a beautiful sunrise or sunset than a bombastic fireworks display… the flavors incredibly complex, layered, and nuanced. And not just the food… the entire experience was perfect. Friendly, warm, and attentive service. Beautifully simple dining room. And probably the best wine pairings I’ve had anywhere. I can’t wait to come back to Panama and have another dinner at Reisen. Please do yourself a favor and GO. ”

“ So my love found this restaurant online & booked for my birthday dinner . Let me say this, it did not disappoint! The space being as it was , created an intimate dining experience where we got to experience the chef and sous chefs create every dish. I opted for the wine pairing and every drink was better than the last lol. Dinner experience was bar none , and I’ve eaten at very good restaurants every time I travel and this is one of my favorites. It was like a symphony of food curated just for us . We were even give a tour of the chefs creative lab where he explained a few techniques in his creation process , unforgettable.When in Panama, go to riesen and expect to be wowed ! Thank you chef hernan and your team , and give your mom my love , again thank you. ”

“ Great dining experience. I loved the food and the fact that you get the informations around what is in your plate. The accord between plates and drink was an absolute hit. Quality products and an experienced and passionate teams make a unique culinary journey. Loved the local aspect of the food, would have loved to drink local water rather than imported italian water. A small suggestion, you should heat the plate to have the food served hot and kept warm during the degustation. I can only recommend and encourage everyone to visit the place and enjoy their excellent cuisine. ”

“ EXQUISITE!! This is a SPECIAL OCCASION EXPERIENCE!! So, yes.. it is pricy in Panamanian terms. BUT - this is a world class chef and menu … NOT world class prices … To have this experience and quality elsewhere would cost triple, at least! So, I think Panama is blessed to have such a talented chef (and his sweet and dedicated mother) here to share such a special opportunity. I write this review a couple of weeks after the event.. so details are hazy, but the outcome is the same - AMAZING! Admittedly, we were one of 2 tables.. total of 3 people for the night. In a lovely room full of tables, it felt a little strange. We took the paired tasting and there was an amazing selection of very different wines, cocktails and beer. All great accompaniments! The food was all fresh, local and every dish was personally delivered with a story of origin and detail. The short tour after dinner was great and gave an amazing insight into the origin and story of Riesen. This is a must! Special occasion ”

“ My girlfriend and I had an absolutely amazing and memorable tasting experience at Riesen. Each dish was a thoughtful mix of european-style dishes, with a local twist/personality, and the chef (Hernan) and staff were extremely welcoming, and very proud to share their craft, and quality of their products. The restaurant is family-owned, and made us feel like part of it. A highlight is that everything comes from either their own farm, or a known friend's, or is made in-house in their upstairs food lab, or baked in their own wood oven (like the sourdough bread, and other goodies). They were able to accomodate our tight schedule and confirmed the details with me over whatsapp which was super convenient and fast, and all worked super hard. Every dish was perfectly introduced by the chef as it was being served, he was happy to answer our questions, and the tableware and service was impeccable. We also got a cocktail which was made with in-house strawberry liqueur and other local fruit which had novel flavors that we both enjoyed and was perfectly balanced. Food-wise, there are a lot of things to rave about, but I'll be short. We absolutely loved the brioche+pancetta, the aged duck dish with its bread and cultured butter, and the various ice-cream desserts were really fantastic and getting better. As cooking nerds, we were delighted at the end to get a tour of the food lab and see the high-tech lab-quality kitchen equipment that was used for our meal, and actually witness (and taste) a demo using some of the tools, for a wonderful shaken cocktail using local cacao and coffee beans and seco sugarcane liquor. Riesen was one of the best dining experiences either of us has had so far, due to both the quality and local-ness of the dishes, and the interactions and discussions we had throughout our visit. We really felt welcomed, by all the little touches and attention to detail and would definitely come back in a future trip to Panama, and recommend to anyone to go there and share this experience. ”

“ In a country where most restaurants have had to dumb down their menu to burgers, fried food and sweets in order to survive the pandemic, Riesen has stayed true to its vision to showcase the best Panama has to offer: working with local farmers and vendors or even growing their own produce. I understand they commit to the 90/10 rule of using 90% local products, thereby not only delivering the freshest, in-season ingredients, but also lowering their carbon footprint and supporting and encouraging home-grown producers. Where they do use the 10% imports is usually the most exquisite olive oils and a great selection of wines. We had the multi-course tasting menu at $60 with the $40 drink pairing and it was phenomenal. It helps if you're lived in Panama for a while and have such points of reference as cacao from Bocas del Toro and wild strawberries from Chiriquí, but if you just focus on the flavor and the care and thought that has gone into each dish, you will truly appreciate the experience. This is my third time visiting the restaurant, and I was impressed with the radical update Chef Hernan had made to the dining room, open kitchen and menu since I visited when I last lived in Panama in 2014. From his IG profile, I understand that he had gone on a research trip through Europe a few years back to eat and speak with some of the most interesting chefs in Northern Europe, not the ones you will find on a docuseries in Netflix, but more the emerging ones in places like Germany, Belgium and Denmark. The impact of what he learned is evident in the presentation (dinnerware commissioned from La Arena potters), narrative (sourcing an endemic corn species for his corn cake), flavor (salad dressed in egg yolks from hens fed with local sweet peppers) and attention (each dish delivered with a careful explanation by the sous chef or the chef himself). If the Michelin Guide ever makes it to Panama, I think Riesen has a strong chance of earning at least one star as long as Chef Hernan keeps at it. ”