RESTAURANTS, BARS AND NIGHTLIFE

Dining out in Siem Reap for a comparatively small town, Siem Reap offers an amazing range of cuisines and dining venues. The emphasis is, of course, on Khmer food, which can be found at restaurants across town, but European and other Asian cuisines are also well represented, including Italian, Thai, German, Vietnamese, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and, of course, French. Given Cambodia's long relationship with France and France's gastronomic traditions, it is no surprise some of the town’s finest venues offer French cuisine. Also of interest to the gastronome, some finer venues are offering Khmer fusion and contemporary cuisines quite unique to Cambodia. Restaurants are scattered across the town but none is more than a 10-minute walking away. Many restaurants, including several specializing in Khmer food, are concentrated in the Old market area, especially around ‘Pub Street.’ Listings in dark blue offer a bar/nightlife venue in addition to being a restaurant. Listings in maroon also offer a traditional performances. Listings in maroon offer traditional performance. See Traditional Performance in Sightseeing and Activities for more details.

Bars and Nightlife

Siem Reap’s nightlife stretches to near dawn these days with Pub Street coming to life around dusk and the last bars and clubs in town closing as late as 4:00AM. Nightlife venues are scattered across the town but many of the most popular bars and pubs are clustered in the Old Market area, especially along and around “Pub Street”. The bars in the area offer some great early evening happy hour deals and the street also has some of the latest running bars in town. But the action is not limited to Pub Street. Less crowded, less touristy, more individual places can be found in the Wat Bo and Old Market areas, along the river road and on Sivutha Blvd. And for something completely different, check out one of the Cambodian discos or clubs such as Zone One and Sok San - DJs, dancing and a unique and varied selection of international and local music. The clubs get going around 10:00PM and close by 2:00 or 3:00AM.

Shopping Siem Reap

Siem Reap is an excellent place to buy Cambodian souvenirs, silks, handicrafts, textiles and contemporary art. Only Phnom Penh offers a comparable selection. In addition to the tradition shopping venues, over the last few of years there has been an explosion of new shops, galleries and boutiques, offering a varied selection of quality handicrafts and silks as well as original artistic creations in a variety of media. 

Phsar Chas (the ‘Old Market’) is one of Siem Reap’s largest traditional covered markets and offers the largest selection of souvenirs under one roof in town. In fact, this market is really a ‘must visit’ in itself for the unique, colorful, local shopping experience. Of all the local markets, the Old Market offers the widest variety of souvenirs as well as the best selection of handicrafts and curios, including such items as traditional silverwork, silks, baskets, statuary, carvings and traditional musical instruments. See the Old Market area map. Also check out the just opened Angkor Night Market off Sivatha. The new night market promises an interesting after hours shopping venue. 

Individual little boutiques, art and photo galleries are scattered across the town, though there is a concentration of places in the Old Market area. The boutiques tend to offer higher quality, more unique and sophisticated selections of items than the Old Market - some focusing on Cambodian silks and tailoring, others on high quality handicrafts, NGO-based crafts, Asian-inspired photographic and artistic creations or specialty items such as local candles, spices and teas. Perhaps most interestingly, a new generation of Cambodian artists is making its mark and contemporary Cambodian art is coming to the fore after decades of silence. In addition to the listed galleries, check out The Arthouse Gallery at The Warehouse and the The Arts Lounge at Hotel de la Paix, both featuring regularly changing exhibits featuring the works of contemporary Cambodian artists.