This Brand-New Speakeasy in Panama City Uses Tarot Cards to Read Your Cocktail Future

Earlier this year, Sofitel Legend cut the ribbon on its first-ever property in North and Central America. The charming 159-room luxury hotel sits against the aquatic edge of Casco Viejo — Panama City’s historic district and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Refurbished from a legendary, century-old social club, it was already an attractive destination for fans of the country’s ornate architectural past. Now it promises to beckon cocktail enthusiasts just the same, with the opening of Arcano, a rum-centric speakeasy hidden on the top floor.

Before you can even find the entrance to the intimate space — tucked behind a library shelf — you’ll need to have a special passcode obtained exclusively by messaging the hotel’s WhatsApp (6436-3438). Awaiting you on the other side is a bar boasting more than 50 specialty rums, including rare offerings from right here in Panama and as far afield as Fiji. Rum lovers will go gaga trying to assemble the perfect flight of liquids. 

But it’s the drinks list that will likely be the star of the show here — a menu as innovative as it is concise. Signatures include Le Diable, a mixture of Saril syrup and vermouth with Ron Abuelo Oloroso—a sherry-cask-aged local rum. Le Bateleur combines blended scotch with a color-changing butterfly pea syrup. It’s hard to go wrong with any of these selections. If making decisions isn’t your thing, however, you’ve come to the right speakeasy. Arcano’s talented team of mixologists moonlight as tarot card readers. So when you’re in need of a drink recommendation, they will see what is written in your stars and provide astrological assistance accordingly. 

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Arcano to our special property,” says David Kianni, general manager for Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo. “It’s a truly unique experience that will allow guests to disconnect from the outside world. We have handcrafted perfect classic cocktails for the enthusiast, bespoke creations for the adventurous, or rare spirits served neat for the connoisseur.”

It all collides stylishly in an Art Deco-inspired space, with copper lighting sconces along the walls and geometric patterns throughout. We’d love to show you more details, but the folks at Arcano enforce a strict no-photo policy. They’re actually pretty adamant about keeping things hush-hush. Because, speakeasy, remember?

There are plenty of pictures of the spacious hotel rooms downstairs, though. Suites come equipped with balconies looking out over the Gulf of Panama, backdropped by the impressive city skyline. Rates start at $300 per night. 

“Casco Viejo is one of the few locations in the world where you can witness such a striking overlap of French and Spanish colonial architecture,” adds Kianni of the area’s kaleidoscopic array of influences. “During a stay at Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, you can experience it all: world-class gastronomy, the finest in French hospitality, and the cultural modernity of the area; layered on top of Casco Viejo’s rich and important history.”

You don’t need a tarot reading to see the value in any of that.