Eat and meet

Siem Reap

The vast majority of places to eat and drink are clustered near the centre of old Siem Reap, on and around the aptly named Bar Street. A plethora of choices await, and looking at the construction in this area a lot more places are on the way. Expect a very western-orientated experience. If you want cheap Khmer food, head to the old market.

Cafes & bakeries
Blue Pumpkin remains arguably the best cafe baking house in Siem Reap with a slick, air-con interior and fine food the day through. Anyone familiar with Bangkok with be struck just how Bed Supper Clubish the place looks. Wireless internet access available, though the acoustics upstairs are poor. Very white.

Boosters has a focus on health food and energising drinks and a comfortable terrace to enjoy both on -- a perfect escape to shake off a late night on Bar Street.

Over in Wat Bo, you'll find the Singing Tree Cafe with comfortable indoor and outdoor seating, free WiFi and a healthy menu with a fine range of fruit shakes. There's also loads of information available of tours and activities -- everything from Buddhism talks and yoga to environmental awareness trips out into the hinterland.

Out Angkor way, the Angkor Cafe enjoys a choice location directly across the road from Angkor Wat. There's an outdoor seating area, filled with flowers and manicured shrubs. Food and drink are supplied by Blue Pumpkin and the sleek wooden ambiance by Artisans d'Angkor.

Angkor Cafe- Opposite Angkor Wat, Siem Reap. T: (012) 946 227. Daily: 06:00-20:00.
Blue Pumpkin- Near Old Market, Siem Reap. T: (012) 946 227. Daily: 06:00-22:00.
Boosters- Bar St, Siem Reap. T: (012) 726 758. Open: Mon-Sat 06:00-late, closes Fri 18:00.
Singing Tree- Wat Bo, Siem Reap. T: (092) 635 500. http://www.singingtreecafe.com/

Western and International
Set in the centre of Bar Street, Kamasutra delivers very good Indian cuisine in a slick setting, at, for Bar Street, pretty high prices. Service can be a bit on the snobby side, but the food is very food. Maharajah, a block north of Kamasutra does equally good food, without the fancy setting -- nor the fancy prices.

FCC Angkor has a superb setting overlooking the Siem Reap river, with a menu that will be very familiar to any who eat at the more famous sister restaurant in Phnom Penh. Excellent service and a fine place to hang out. Red Piano is another western-owned establishment with friendly staff delivering good western and Khmer food.

For pub grub try either Ivy Guesthouse and Bar or Molly Malone's with the latter in particular dishing up some excellent food (and ice cold drinks to boot), while if you're in the market for a BBQ, the Villa Siem Reap has BBQs in their garden restaurant every Tuesday and Friday.

The Warehouse is a reasonably new addition to the Siem Reap scene. It has bar and restaurant, with the upstairs area doubling as a gallery. When we were in town, they were offering a free beer to all who could show their Angkor Wat pass -- there's yet another reason to get out and see the ruins.

FCC Angkor- Pokambor Ave, Siem Reap. T: (063) 760 283. http://www.fcccambodia.com Daily: 07:00-late.
Ivy Guesthouse and Bar- Old Market area, Siem Reap. T: (012) 800 860. Daily: 06:00-late.
Kamasutra- Bar St, Siem Reap. Daily 11:00 - late.
Maharajah- Block north of Bar St, Siem Reap. T: (092) 506 622. Daily 11:00 - late.
Red Piano- Bar St, Siem Reap. T:(063) 963 240. http://www.redpianocambodia.com/. Daily: 07:00-24:00.
The Warehouse- Near Old Market, Siem Reap. T: (063) 965 204. Daily 11:00 - late.

Khmer and Asian
Khmer Kitchen is one of the best spots in Siem Reap to really have a go at Khmer food in an accessible, English-speaking environment. Nearby neighbours include Amok and Champey -- in all three cases prices are a good deal more expensive than the offerings in the market, but the setting is far more pleasant -- even if the beggars and postcard sellers can be painfully persistent. For back to basic Khmer food, look no further than the Old Market -- they've even got English menus, so you've got no excuse but to check it out.

 

For upmarket Khmer, look no further than Viroth's over in Wat Bo. Fine Khmer cuisine in a well-serviced modern setting. Prices are moderate -- consider it a splurge to sample some fine Khmer offerings.

Away from the market, Cafe Indochine does Khmer and other Asian food in a great old house which unfortunately sites right on busy Sivatha Rd -- food is good, though the place often packs out with tour groups.

One of the wackier places in town, the Dead Fish does Thai and other Asian food, but their Thai swings between excellent and very ordinary, so choose with care. Walking over a crocodile pit to reach the bathroom has a certain novelty value. Another Thai place worth considering is Chilli Si Dang, on the east side of the Siem Reap river in Wat Bo. A little out of town, on the Airport Rd, Madame Butterfly offers Thai and Khmer cuisine toned down for a foreign palate. The ambience is seductive, but its popularity with tour groups and relatively high prices takes away some of the charm.

Back in town, the Soup Dragon is known for its Vietnamese and Chinese food, and if you like playing with your food check out the beef or shrimp fondues. A mastery of chopstickmanship is required as you boil your meat in a vinegar hot-pot before wrapping it in a soft spring-roll pancake laced with coconut juice and green banana. Packed most evenings.

Amok- The Passage, behind Bar St, Siem Reap. T:(063) 965 407. Daily: 10:00-22:00.
Cafe Indochine- Sivatha Blvd, Siem Reap. T: (012) 804 952. Open: 10:30-14:30 & 17:00-23:00.
Champey- The Passage, behind Bar St, through to old market, Siem Reap. T:(063) 964 713. Daily: 10:00-22:00.
Chilli Si Dang- Wat Bo, Siem Reap. Daily: 10:00-22:00.
Dead Fish- Sivatha Blvd, Siem Reap. T: (063) 963 060. Daily: 07:00-late.
Khmer Kitchen- The Passage, behind Bar St, Siem Reap. T:(063) 964 154. Daily: 10:00-22:00.
Old Market- Siem Riep.
Madame Butterfly- Airport Rd, Siem Reap. T: (016) 909 607. Daily: 18:00-23:30.
The Soup Dragon- Near Old Market, Siem Reap. T: (063) 964 933. Daily: 06:00-late.
Viroth's- Wat Bo, Siem Reap. Daily: 11:00-23:00.


Bars
Certainly no shortage of bars when it comes to Siem Reap -- it's not called Bar St for nothing!

Molly Malone's is Siem Reap's sole Irish Pub and it's a good one at that. Excellent food and drinks at not too expensive prices, with Ivy Bar being another standout example of a western style pub.

If you're content in a shop-front pretending to be a bar, you'll be right at home on Bar St, with Temple Bar, Angkor What?, Goody Saurus, Banana Leaf and Le Tigre de Papier amongst others to choose from. Angkor What? is one of the longest running bars on the strip, but that doesn't mean it's the best. There's precious little to separate one from another.

A block behind Bar St, on what's referred to as "The Passage" is Linga Bar -- Siem Reap's first gay bar, and it's a great spot - gay or not. Night-owls will be right at home at Laundry, a short walk from Bar St, with fine tunes, a pool table and a good atmosphere.

Angkor What?- Bar St, Siem Reap. T:(012) 490 755. Open: 18:00-late.
Banana Leaf- Bar St, Siem Reap. T:(012) 800 309. Open: 17:00-late.
Goody Saurus- Bar St, Siem Reap. Open: 10:00-late.
Laundry Bar- Bar St, Siem Reap. T:(016) 962 026. Open: 19:00-late.
Linga Bar- Bar St, Siem Reap. T:(012) 246 912. http://www.lingabar.com Open: 17:00-late.
Molly Malones- Bar St, Siem Reap. T:(063) 963 533. http://www.mollymalonescambodia.com/ Open: 07:00-late.