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Restaurant

Panama Dining Room

level 2/231 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC 3065, Australia

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Find Panama Dining Room

level 2/231 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC 3065, Australia

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+61 3 9417 7663
HoursMonday: Closed Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM Thursday: 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM Friday: 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM Saturday: 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM Sunday: 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

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About Panama Dining Room

Perched on level two above Smith Street, this loft pairs dramatic heritage arch windows with unpretentious European feasting. The room strips away typical banquet fuss—just natural light framing leafy street trees before transitioning into mellow evening glow. Event hosts breathe easy here; dedicated coordinators handle styling setups and vendor logistics so you simply show up. Back in the kitchen, chefs operate an active restaurant service, sending out plates like crisp croquettes, 16-hour short rib, and tender duck breast at genuine dining scale. Bartenders keep pace with barrel-aged negronis and regional pours until the 1:00 AM license wraps up the floor.

  • Heritage Arch Windows: Oversized heritage archways frame tree-lined street views, flooding the upstairs loft with daylight for ceremonies and photos.
  • Hands-Off Event Coordination: On-site coordinators manage table styling, vendor logistics, and schedule adjustments, keeping events hands-off for hosts.
  • Restaurant-Quality feasting: Dishes like 16-hour short rib, duck breast, and crisp croquettes are prepared to full restaurant standard across large gatherings.
  • 1:00 AM Late License: A 1:00 AM late license keeps the celebration and dance floor moving well past standard venue curfews.
RestaurantRestaurant

What's On at Panama Dining Room

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

No events or specials listed right now.

Why Choose Panama Dining Room

Turnkey wedding execution, restaurant-quality multi-course dining, and heritage loft architecture in Fitzroy.

  • Hands-Off Event Coordination

    Panama Dining Room's on-site event managers manage setup, schedules, and last-minute hitches so couples and event hosts never have to handle logistics.

    Alicia and her team took care of absolutely everything. All we had to do was show up.

    Jade Wirth

  • 1:00 AM Late Celebration License

    With a late 1:00 AM liquor license, Panama Dining Room allows celebrations and music to continue well past standard hospitality curfews.

    Our guests loved that the venue is licenced until 1am because they got to make the most of the dance floor.

    Brodie Percy

  • Total Peace of Mind for Hosts

    Hosts enjoy complete peace of mind knowing the on-site coordinators take complete ownership of vendor contact, styling, and emergencies without transferring pressure.

    Nothing was a problem. I didn't have to think about anything. She managed it so well.

    Nik Loukas

  • Reassuring Planning Support

    Dedicated wedding and event coordinators provide calm, reassuring support through every stage of planning and on-the-day delivery.

    Her knowledge and expertise is evident as it shines throughout the wedding planning and she made us feel reassured every step of the way.

    Rachel Ho

  • Restaurant-Standard Feasting at Scale

    Because Panama operates as an active full-service European restaurant, large gatherings receive freshly prepared dishes and crafted drinks rather than standard catered banquet meals.

    The food was just as amazing for 80 people as it was for 2, waiters were helpful and on the ball, and our event organiser kept everything running smoothly.

    Steve Ellul

  • Heritage Archway Windows and Natural Light

    Framed by oversized heritage arch windows, the second-floor loft captures lush tree views and abundant daylight for indoor ceremonies and photography.

    before the sun goes down, there is a lot of natural light from the enormous archway windows. Very easy to get a lot of great pictures here.

    Kaiwin Yeung

Signature dishes from our active restaurant kitchen

  • duck breast

    We already had a few guests commented that it was the best duck breast they've ever had.

    Rachel Ho

  • croquettes

    The croquettes had the perfect crunch and the beef short rib the waiter explained was cooked for 16 hrs , both dishes highlights.

    Melanie Aldred

  • beef short rib

    The croquettes had the perfect crunch and the beef short rib the waiter explained was cooked for 16 hrs , both dishes highlights.

    Melanie Aldred

  • lemon tart

    Not to be outdone by the lemon tart - best I’ve had.

    Melanie Aldred

Beyond the menu

Distinctive, above-and-beyond hospitality touches observed by guests and wedding hosts at Panama Dining Room.

  • Emergency Wardrobe Rescue

    When an unexpected wardrobe mishap occurred on a wedding day, venue coordinators rushed out to purchase a needle and thread to repair ripped trousers on the spot.

  • Adaptive Course Pacing During Speeches

    To accommodate reception schedule delays and unplanned speech timing, coordinators seamlessly paused service and delayed the next course so hosts never felt rushed.

  • Dedicated Drink-in-Hand Couple Hospitality

    Throughout wedding receptions, coordinators personally track the newlyweds across the room to ensure they continuously have full drinks in hand.

  • Curated Ambient Mood Lighting Adjustments

    Staff actively tune adjustable overhead lighting across the evening to transition the dining room from ceremony daylight into a warm, cozy evening mood.

Before you head over

Practical advice for planning your ceremony schedule, timeline, and setup at Panama Dining Room.

  • Time Your Ceremony for Natural Sunlight

    Plan your indoor ceremony and couple portrait sessions before sunset to take full advantage of the natural light streaming through the expansive arch windows.

  • Coordinate Speech Delays with Your Manager

    If dinner runs behind due to speech hiccups or timeline delays, alert your event manager early so the kitchen can adjust and delay course pacing without rushing speeches.

  • Delegate Table Styling and Setup to Staff

    Avoid late-night setup stress the day before your event by handing your décor, place cards, and styling briefs directly to the in-house coordination team.

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