Bars with a view in Phnom Penh

Long gone are the days when 27-metre tall Wat Phnom was the pinnacle of Phnom Penh and today the city boasts a whole range of view point bars that you can avail yourself of. Here is the wrap on a few of our favourites—note this list is far from exhaustive!

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Perched on the 37th floor, within the luxurious Rosewood Hotel, at the time of research (January 2019) Sora Bar was the highest altitude bar in Phnom Penh, and OMG the views are amazing. At some 184.7m tall, Vattanac Capital (the official name of the tower) is the tallest skyscraper in Cambodia and the bar includes an open air deck that allows simply magnificent 180º degrees out to the west, north and south (or wider depending on how much you can crane your neck), while the other (mostly east-facing) half of the bar in enclosed and includes a whiskey bar and cigar lounge among others.

From Sora the views are not shabby. Photo taken in or around Bars with a view in Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia by Stuart McDonald.

From Sora the views are not shabby. Photo: Stuart McDonald

Without wanting to overstate the views, if you have time for just one viewpoint bar in Phnom Penh, this absolutely should be it. Prices are high, at $9 or $10 a pop these were the most expensive cocktails we had across our entire stay in Phnom Penh, but the IPA and other beers are more affordable (though still more than what you would pay back down on the ground). And do keep in mind that aside from being atop the tallest skyscraper in the country, you are also in a luxurious hotel (when we checked on their website, rates for a Premier River Room start at a mere US$272) which also adds a bit to the bar tab.

But then, there are the views. Or did we mention them already? Dress code is smart casual. No flip flops not beach wear. Also no “professional” cameras, which means if you have a DSLR you’ll be asked to check it at the ground floor. Smart phones were no ... please log in to read the rest of this story.