I hadn't lived in Panama for nearly a year but when I did this was one of my absolutely favorite restaurants. I had dined there more than a dozen times and it was a "go to" restaurant for reliable food and service. I was meeting old friends on a Sunday night and it was a pleasure to find that not only was my old favorite open but that they offered a substantial discount for reserving online. Four of the five in our group had dined at La Strega before. When I arrived in my group of three, the other two were already waiting and studying the menu. After sitting for close to 15 minutes with no other menus and no offer of drinks, I asked a busboy to send the waiter. 5 minutes later he showed up, with an attitude, to take drink orders. The menus never came. In the past I had ordered the foccacia, which came like a fresh pizza from the oven without toppings. It had been perfect to pair with the provoletta and the carpaccio de manza (beef). We ordered two foccacias. When they came, instead of being hot and fresh, they were in ragged pieces which had clearly been pre-made, broken up and re toasted. The provoletta, which is a baked melty cheese, came lukewarm, again seeming to have been pre made and reheated. They brought the wrong carpaccio (fish instead of beef) which was eventually replaced. All of the appetizers except for the carpaccio where awful and the carpaccio was a very ungenerous portion. When I questioned the stale foccacia I was told that this was how it was served. The waiter then took the main course orders. I asked about my favorite dish, a beef and pasta that was typically offered as an off menu special for two people. The waiter said that they had it but since we had reserved online and were receiving the discount, I could not order it and cut off any further discussion. I asked about the so called "rack of pork" wondering if it could be ordered slightly pink in the center so as not to be over cooked. He said yes. I then asked if my side of pasta could be ordered with amatriciana sauce for an upcharge, which I had always ordered in the past. I was flatly told "no" with no further discussion. I cannot remember having a less helpful or more unpleasant waiter. The main courses were comically bad. Instead of a "rack" I got a single boneless rib, which had been braised so it could not possibly have been served a little pink, with a tiny side of pasta. My girlfriend had the cartoccio of chicken, a thin over cooked piece of breast which had seemingly been precooked (the cheese was congealed instead of melted) and was so thin that it only could have been from a single breast piece that was cut in half to make 2 portions. My friends chicken parm was rubbery and overcooked with congealed cheese. It almost seemed that the chef had precooked everything and left it warming in the oven all day. My friend's wife is a tiny woman who eats like a bird. In nine years of dining together, I had never seen her finish a main course. Her beef ravioli was such a stingy portion that not only did she finish it but she claimed that she was still hungry. When the hostess came with the bill, she asked if we wanted to include the tip. For the first time in memory, I said no. She never asked if there was anything wrong even though we were clearly unhappy. If fact no one ever checked on our table, despite the presence of the owner who had been very friendly in the past. Overall, this was a very unpleasant dinner with awful food and service. It was particularly disappointing since it had been such a favorite in the past. While the restaurant may have downgraded the food and service in order to offer the discount, we would have gladly paid full price for a decent meal instead of the pre cooked substandard food we received. The discount is a promotion offered by the restaurant and the customer should not be punished for accepting it. I will never return to this restaurant no will I recommend it to friends even though I had done so in the past with enthusiasm.
