Phnom Penh Restaurants, Food & Drinks

ASIAN RESTAURANTS

CAMBODIAN RESTAURANTS


Malis
Add: 136 Norodom Blvd, Phnom Penh
Tel: +855 15 814 888 
Web: www.malis-restaurant.com
Price: mains US$6-12
Opening hours: 7am-11pm
The leading Khmer restaurant in the Cambodian capital, Malis is a chic place to dine alfresco. The original menu includes beef in bamboo, goby with Kampot peppercorns, and traditional soups and salads. It's popular for a boutique breakfast: the breakfast sets are a good deal at US$3 to US$4. Book ahead for dinner.

Sleuk Chark
Add: 165 St 51, Phnom Penh
Tel: +855 12 979 199
Price: mains US$3-10
Opening hours: 10.30am-3pm & 5-10pm
This place doesn’t look like much from the street, but venture inside for a dining experience that includes a zesty frogs legs and quails eggs in a sugar-palm and black-pepper clay pot, or a fish egg soup. Or test your taste buds with fried spiders or beef with red ants.

Romdeng
Add: 74 St 174
Tel: +855 92 219 565
Price: mains US$5-8
Opening hours: 11am-9pm
Set in a gorgeous colonial villa with a small pool, Romdeng specialises in Cambodian country fare, including a famous fish amok , two-toned pomelo salad and tiger-prawn curry. Sample deep-fried tarantulas or stir-fried tree ants with beef and holy basil if you dare. Part of the Friends’ extended family, it is staffed by former street youth and their teachers.

Boston
Add: 54 St 172
Tel: +855 23 676 7792
Price: US$3-10
Opening hours: 7.30am-11pm
This is a sophisticated backpacker cafe, popular with expats and serving a range of Cambodian and international dishes. With enjoyable music, a wine list and some care given to presentation, it's a step above most dining options on the busy St 172 strip. Try the signature beef Wellington.

Bopha Phnom Penh - Titanic

Add: Sisowath Quay, Riverside
Price: US$5-10
Opening hour: 6am-11pm
Also known as Titanic, it’s right on the river and designed to impress, with Angkorian-style carvings and elegant wicker furniture. The menu is punctuated with exotic flavours – especially water buffalo – but there’s a European menu for the less adventurous.

The Vegetarian
Add: 158 St 19
Tel: +855 12 905 766
Price: US$1.75-2.50
Opening hours: 10.30am-8.30pm Mon-Sat
This is one of the best-value spots in Phnom Penh. All dishes are US$2.50 or under – and it doesn’t skimp on portions either. Noodles and fried rice are the specialities. The leafy setting in a quiet nook off central Sihanouk Blvd is yet another plus.

Psar Kabco
Add: 5 St 9
Tel: +855 12 702 708
Price: US$1.50-4
Opening hours: 6am-9pm
Located opposite the very local Psar Kabco (Kabco Market), this is great Cambodian-Chinese restaurant serving a panoply of street flavours, including noodle soups, point-and-eat curries and stews, and Khmer desserts.

Kravanh
Add: 112 Sothearos Blvd
TeL: +855 12 792088
Price: US$3-8
Opening hours: 11.30am-10pm
A stylish Khmer restaurant under the stewardship of a Franco-Khmer, the linen and decor set this place apart from its neighbours. The menu includes traditional salads, scented soups and regional specialities.


THAI RESTAURANTS

Boat Noodle
Add: 57 Sothearos Blvd
Tel: +855 12 774287
Price: US$3-7
Opening hours: 7am-9pm
Relocated to Sothearos Blvd, this long-running Thai-Khmer restaurant has some of the best-value regional dishes in town. Choose from the contemporary but traditionally decorated space at the front or a traditional wooden house behind. Delicious noodle soups and lots of local specialities.

Lemongrass
Add: 14 St 130, Phsa Kandal 1
Tel: +855 12 996 707
Price: US$4.50-9
Opening hours: 9am-11pm
A higher-class Thai restaurant with a fair selection of Khmer classics. The prices are pretty reasonable given the look of the place. Splurge for the choo chee goong (ocean tiger prawns in red curry).


INDIAN RESTAURANTS

Taste Budz
Add: 13E St 282
Tel: +855 17 913 812
Price: US$3-6
Opening hours: 10am-2.30pm & 5-10pm
This pint-sized outfit with the curious moniker is one of the best of Phnom Penh’s many Indian restaurants. The speciality is Kerala (South Indian) cuisine, including spicy kedai dishes, which are divine. Order porotta (flat bread) on the side and dig in with your hands.
 
 
Dosa Corner
Add: 5E St 51, House 5
Price: US$1.50-5
Opening hours: 8.30am-2pm & 5-10pm
Fans of Indian dosas will be pleased to discover this place does just what it says on the label – namely, a generous variety of savoury pancakes from the south. Vegetarian thalis are US$4.


JAPANESE FOOD

Jidaiya
Add: 79A St 63
Tel: +855 97 230 6301
Price: US$1-7
Opening hours: 5pm-midnight
Set in the heart of 'Little Tokyo' at the southern end of St 63, this feels like a little piece of Japan transported to Cambodia when the staff shout irasshaimase (welcome) as you walk in. Barbecued skewers are cheap and plentiful and a mix of soba and ramen dishes is available. Sapporo beer is just US$2 a bottle.

Origami
Add: 88 Sothearos Blvd
Tel: +855 12 968095
Price: sushi sets from US$25
Opening hours: 11.30am-2pm & 6-10pm
This outstanding Japanese eatery takes the art of Japanese food to another level. It's expensive, but real sushi connoisseurs wouldn't settle for anything less. Set menus include beautifully presented sushi, sashimi and tempura boxes.

Sushi Bar

Add: The Park, Lot A03, National Road 1, Sangkat Niroth, Khan Chba Am Pov
Tel: +855 23 215041
Web: www.sushibar-kh.com
Price: sushi sets from US$6
Opening hours: 11am-10pm
Purists will scoff at the low sushi prices, but it's always packed for a reason. Definitely the best place in town for quick-and-easy raw fish. Sit downstairs at the bar, outside on the patio or in private rooms upstairs.

Master Suki Soup
Add: 7th floor, Sorya Shopping Centre
Price: soup from US$5
Opening hours: 9am-10pm
It may be a Japanese concept, but it has a very Khmer touch and is a great way to try chhnang dei soup (cook-your-own hotpot), with photos to help choose the ingredients. Great views as well. Additional outlets all over the city.


CHINESE FOOD


Yi Sang

Add: Sisowath Quay
Tel: N/A
Price: US$6-20
Opening hours: 6am-11pm
The riverfront location is one of the only places in the city where you can dine right on the riverside, perfect for a relaxing sunset cocktail. The menu here includes a mix of well-presented Cambodian street flavours like nam ben choc (rice noodles with curry), plus plenty of dim sum and some international flavours.

Chinese House
Add: 45 Sisowath Quay
Tel: +855 92 553 330
Price: US$ 12-20
Opening hours: 5-10.30pm Mon-Sat
Housed in one of the city’s true colonial-era masterpieces, Chinese House is worth a visit for the ambience alone. The relaunched menu promises contemporary Asian flavours. A 3-course lunch is available for US$12.50. Doubles as a chic cocktail bar downstairs, with regular music events..

Sam Doo

Add: 56-58 Kampachea Krom Blvd
Tel: +855 17 427 688
Price: US$2.50-15
Opening hours: 7am-2am
Many Chinese Khmers swear that this upstairs eatery near Central Market has the best Middle Kingdom food in town. Choose from their signature Sam Doo fried rice, trey chamhoy (steamed fish with soy sauce and ginger), fresh seafood, hot pots and dim sum.

Mama Wong’s

Add: 41 St 308
Tel: +855 97 850 8383
Price: US$3-8
Opening hours: 10am-10pm
This brings a contemporary touch to the Chinese dining scene in the city, serving up traditional noodle soups, steamed buns and congee, but with mini burgers, sliders and more that mix Asian and European flavours. Good value, good fun.


VIETNAMESE RESTAURANTS

Ngon Restaurant
Add: 60 Preah Sihanouk Blvd
Tel: +855 23 987 151
Web: www.ngonpnh.com
Prices: dishes US$3-9
Opening hours: 6.30am-10pm
A Cambodian outpost of the popular Quan An Ngon in Saigon, this place brings street food to a sophisticated setting. The concept is simple: just wander around the hawkers with their wares and choose the tastiest looking dishes – although it's also fine to order straight from the menu.

Special Pho
Add: 11 St 178
Price: US$2.50-4.50
Opening hours: 8am-9pm
Boasting a great location near the riverfront for good pho – the noodle soup that keeps Vietnam driving forward – plus dirt-cheap fried rice and fried noodles.


VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS

K’nyay
Add: 43 St 95
Tel: +855 93 665 225
Price: US$4-7
Opening hours: noon-10pm Tue-Fri, 8am-10pm Sat-Sun
A handsome restaurant upstairs at the Terrace on 95 boutique hotel, K'nyay complements meat-infused traditional Cambodian fare with a vegan menu and prepares vegan lunch boxes for day-trippers. Try the tasty banana or pumpkin curry or drop by for an original health shake after visiting sweltering Tuol Sleng nearby.

Backyard Cafe
Add: No 11b St 246
Tel: +855 78 751 715
Web: www.backyardeats.com
Price: US$4-7
A cool and contemporary superfoods cafe, this is the place to check the pulse(s) of the vegetarian dining scene in the capital. Raw foods include stuffed avocado and a vegan abundance bowl. The mouthwatering desserts are also vegan.

Café Soleil
Add: 22D St 278
Tel: +855 12 293 371
Price: US$2-4
Opening hours: 7am-10pm
Cheap-as-chips vego dishes like fried noodles, pumpkin curry, hummus and salads.


WESTERN FOOD RESTAURANTS

FRENCH RESTAURANTS

Van’s Restaurant
Add: No.5, St 13
Tel: +855 23 722 067
Web: www.vans-restaurant.com
Price: mains US$16-43
Opening hours: 11.30am-2.30pm & 5-10.30pm
Located in one of the city’s grandest buildings, the former Banque Indochine, you can still see the old vault doors en route to the refined dining room upstairs. Dishes are presented with decorative flourish; menu highlights include langoustine ravioli, tender veal and boneless quail. Business lunches (US$15) include a glass of wine and a coffee.

Deco
Add: 46 St 352, corner of St 352 & St 57
Tel: +855 17 577 327
Web: www.decophnompenh.com
Price: mains US$7-15
Opening hours: noon-2pm & 5-10pm
With an enviable setting in an impeccably restored '60s modernist house and a rotating menu of progressive European cuisine, Deco is one of Phnom Penh's most sophisticated restaurants. The menu might include duck breast or Kampot crab cakes at any given time, and the creative cocktails are legendary. Also serves craft beer.

La Residence
Add: 22-24 St 214
Tel: +855 23 224 582
Price: US$15-100, set lunches US$15-30
Opening hours: 11.30am-2pm & 6.30-10pm Mon-Fri, 6.30-10pm Sat & Sun
Princess Marie’s daughter Ratana has converted part of the family home into this elegant French restaurant. Pass through the immense wooden doors and enjoy fine French food, including braised lamb shanks with raisin couscous, superb seafood, and steaks in Café de Paris sauce.

Topaz
Add: 162 Preah Norodom Blvd
Tel: +855 23 221 622
Web: www.topaz-restaurant.com
Price: US$5-25
Opening hour: 11am-2pm & 6-11pm
One of Phnom Penh’s original designer restaurants, Topaz is housed in an elegant villa with reflective pools and a walk-in wine cellar. The menu is classic Paris, including delicate Bourgogne snails drizzled in garlic, and steak tartare for those with rare tastes.

Comme à la Maison
Add: 13 St 57
Tel: +855 23 360 801
Web: www.commealamaison-delicatessen.com
Prices: US$5-9
Opening hours: 6am-10.30pm
This attractive open-air restaurant under a thatched Balinese-style roof has an extensive menu of provincial French fare, plus pizza and pasta and enticing weekly specials. An on-site bakery makes this a good spot for delicious pastries.


SPANISH RESTAURANTS

La Plaza
Add: 22B St 278
Price: US$2.50-10
Opening hours: 11am-2pm & 5-10pm
An authentic Spanish tapas bar in a snug shophouse on Golden St, La Plaza's wide-ranging menu covers the basics (garlic shrimp, Spanish meatballs) and adds Cambodia-inspired creations like boquerones del Mekong (small Mekong fish in vinegar).


ITALIAN RESTAURANTS

Piccola Italia da Luigi
Add: 36 St 308
Tel: +855 17 323 273
Price: pizzas US$4.50-9
Opening hours: 11am-2pm & 6-10pm
This is the place that kick-started the St 308 scene. A bustling curbside eatery just like in Italy, Luigi's certainly has a claim to making some of the best pizza in Phnom Penh. Also has a small deli attached if you're in the mood for some zingy antipasti. After dark, reservations recommended.

Genova
Add: Angkor St 5, Sangat Phsarkandal 1
Price: US$2.50-7
Opening hour: 10.30am-10.30pm
An authentic Italian streetside trattoria in the heart of Phnom Penh? You betcha. Friendly proprietor Roberto puts plenty of TLC into his pint-sized eatery, and the delicious food is fine value. Linguini in the ‘best pesto in Cambodia’ is the house speciality.


MEXICAN FOOD

Alma Cocina Mexicana

Add: 43A St 454
Tel: (+84 4) 38 266 288
Price: US$3-5
Opening hours: 7am-2pm
How real, home-cooked Mexican cuisine made its way here we'll never know, but we're glad it did. The scrumptious rotating menu might include chorizo quesadillas one day, bistec encebollado (steak and onions) the next. The huevos rancheros breakfasts are legendary. Note the limited opening hours.

Iviva
Add: 139 Sisowath Quay
Price: US$4-6
Opening hours: 10am-11pm
It doesn’t look like much, but this riverfront place has raised the bar for Mexican food in Phnom Penh. A bucket of margaritas costs US$5. It’s on the same strip as a potpourri of international restaurants if you'd rather window shop.


INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANTS


Brooklyn Bistro
Add: 20 St 123
Tel: +855 89 925 926
Price: dishes US$3-17
Opening hours: 11am-10pm
A stylish American diner that points where the Russian Market area is heading, this is incredibly popular with Phnom Penh expats in the know. The 16in pizzas are the largest in town, plus there's a dedicated menu of wings – as well as great deli sandwiches and the best New York cheesecake we've tasted in this part of the world.

Dine in the Dark
Add: 126 St 19
Tel: +855 77 589 458
Web: www.didexperience.com
Price: set menu US$18
Opening hours: 6-11pm
It's the Tea Garden by day (from 8am), with a verdant hidden courtyard and speciality loose-leaf teas, but by night the lights go out and the upstairs is transformed into Dine in the Dark. Choose from a set menu of Khmer, Western or vegetarian dishes and eat them in darkness with the help of your sight-impaired guide. A meaningful experience.

Exchange
Add: 28 St 47
Tel: +855 23 992 865
Price: US$5-15
Opening hours: 10am-midnight
One of the grandest old French houses in the city is home to this stylish bistro and bar. The menu takes diners on a global tour and includes some excellent sharing platters with Mediterranean and ocean themes, plus some top imported steaks.

Aussie XL
Add: 205A St 51
Web: www.aussiexl.com
Price: US$7-14
Opening hour: 9am-11pm
The name says it all: this is a place for serious stuffing. Super-sized fish, lamb, chicken, steak and about every type of burger imaginable is available. Weekends sometimes see pigs roasted on spits. Also the place for Aussie sports on the telly.

Lost Room
Add: 43 St 21
Tel: +855 78 700 001
Web: www.thelostroom.asia
Price: US$4-12
Opening hours: 5pm-late Mon-Sat
Located in the back streets of Bassac, look out for the symbolic key and you have found a hidden gem. The menu is all about small plates and sharing, so bring along some friends. Try the signature seared kangaroo steak or sea bass with goat-cheese tartare.

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