Phnom Penh Food Guide

The canonical Cambodian fine-dining restaurant on Norodom Boulevard, BKK1. Chef Luu Meng leads the modern Cambodian cuisine scene — Fish Amok (coconut curry fish in banana leaf, Cambodia's national dish), Lok Lak (stir-fried beef with pepper-lime), Beef Salad, Khmer curry full set in 5-star atmosphere with garden seating. Asia's 50 Best nominee and Michelin recommended. Honeymoon + anniversary + Cambodian-traditional canonical pick.

Chef Joannès Rivière's Phnom Penh outpost — formerly Siem Reap's most-awarded modern Cambodian restaurant (Asia's 50 Best for years), now also in BKK1. The 6-course tasting menu uses Cambodian regional ingredients (Mondulkiri highland pepper, Kampot pepper, Battambang heirloom rice, Tonlé Sap River fish) in modern French-Cambodian technique. The canonical honeymoon + special-occasion + Michelin-quality dinner in Phnom Penh.

Modern Cambodian inside a restored colonial villa in BKK1 — garden dining + traditional Cambodian recipes interpreted with modern technique. The atmospheric alternative to Malis. Garden cocktails before dinner, traditional Cambodian set menus inside the colonial dining rooms. Honeymoon + anniversary + first-night-dinner pick.

BKK1 casual Cambodian home-cooking restaurant — Fish Amok, Lok Lak, Beef Salad, Khmer curry sets all at value pricing. Locals + expats + tourists in equal mix. English menu, air-conditioned, 80-seat semi-outdoor patio. The canonical first-day-lunch Cambodian introduction at gentle prices. The Fish Amok at Khmer Surin is a more home-style version than Malis (less refined, more comfort).

Casual Cambodian grill house in BKK1 — Cambodian-style charcoal-grilled beef, chicken, and pork served with pepper-lime dipping sauce and jasmine rice. The Lok Lak here is one of the city's better versions. Locals' favorite for casual evening meals at value pricing. Air-conditioned, 60-seat interior + sidewalk seating.

Inside Raffles Hotel Le Royal (1929, the only true colonial grand hotel in Cambodia), Restaurant Le Royal serves Cambodian-French heritage cuisine in the dining room where Jackie Kennedy, Charlie Chaplin, Jacques Chirac, and the foreign press corps of the 1970s all dined. The companion Elephant Bar with its original 1929 mahogany counter is the single most-recommended colonial cocktail experience in Cambodia. Non-guests welcome. Smart casual dress code (no shorts or sandals after 18:00).

The 1900 colonial villa on the Mekong riverside that hosted foreign journalists through the Khmer Rouge era and beyond — featured in the 1984 film 'The Killing Fields.' Ground-floor restaurant and bar, upstairs 9-room boutique hotel. Cambodian-Western fusion menu + colonial atmosphere + Mekong River balcony seating. The canonical accessible-luxury colonial dinner in Phnom Penh. 80-seat interior + 50-seat balcony.

Inside the restored 1890 Phnom Penh General Post Office building — French-Cambodian fine dining in a colonial heritage setting. House-made charcuterie, Cambodian-pepper-crusted steak (using Kampot pepper, the world's most prized peppercorn), and a strong French wine list. The architectural setting + the food quality together make this the city's most distinctive colonial-heritage dinner outside Raffles. 90-seat interior + small outdoor terrace.

Friends International social enterprise restaurant — Cambodian classics + traditional edible-insect dishes (Cambodia's historic insect-eating tradition) inside a restored colonial villa with garden seating. Your meal funds Friends International's program training at-risk Cambodian youth in cooking and hospitality. The Michelin-recommended NGO restaurant. 100-seat interior + 60-seat garden.

Friends International's flagship restaurant near Royal Palace — Cambodian tapas + traditional curry sets + house cocktails in a casual atmosphere. All staff are at-risk Cambodian youth in vocational training. The original Friends International restaurant (Romdeng was the second). Casual atmosphere with social impact. 80-seat interior.

Third Friends International restaurant — Cambodian-Asian fusion small plates and tapas in a casual BKK1 setting. Same vocational-training mission as Romdeng and Friends. The most casual of the three Friends International restaurants. 70-seat interior + small patio.

The canonical French fine dining in Phnom Penh — classical French technique, deep wine list (the city's deepest), and special-occasion atmosphere. Chef Alain Darc has run Topaz for two decades. Honeymoon + anniversary + business-expense dinner. The expat embassy and diplomatic community gather here. 80-seat interior with traditional French dining-room layout.

BKK1 French bakery + bistro by a French baker — croissants, pain au chocolat, French baguettes, quiches, and pâté sandwiches at near-Paris quality. The expat + digital nomad + traveler breakfast pick. Air-conditioned, 50-seat interior + sidewalk patio. The best French pastries in Phnom Penh.

Casual Cambodian-Thai border-style noodle house — boat noodle soup (Cambodian-Thai border tradition), Kuy Teav rice noodle soup, papaya salad, and grilled meats at value pricing. The quick-lunch + casual-dinner BKK1 pick. 60-seat air-conditioned interior.

Casual modern Cambodian restaurant + cocktail bar in BKK1 — set lunches, Lok Lak and Fish Amok done casually, and a strong cocktail program. Locals + expats + travelers in equal mix. Air-conditioned, 70-seat interior + cocktail bar counter.

Street 51 in BKK1 has 5-7 morning Bai Sach Chrouk sidewalk stalls 5:30-10:00 AM — Cambodia's canonical breakfast: grilled marinated pork shoulder sliced over jasmine rice with pickled cucumber, ginger, and a small bowl of chicken broth. $2-3 covers a full breakfast with iced coffee. The most authentic Cambodian morning food experience for travelers.

Num Pang (literally 'bread' in Khmer) is Cambodia's version of the Vietnamese bánh mì — French colonial-era baguette filled with Cambodian pâté, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, and chili. Sold from street stands all over BKK1 and Russian Market neighborhoods $1-2 each. The canonical Cambodian colonial-legacy street food.

1.5-hour Mekong River sunset cruise departing Sisowath Quay docks at 17:00-17:30, looping the confluence of the Mekong + Tonlé Sap + Bassac (the only river in the world that reverses direction seasonally — the Tonlé Sap flows backward into the Mekong June-October and the reverse the rest of the year). Cruise includes Cambodian buffet dinner or canapés + Angkor Beer. The canonical Phnom Penh honeymoon and anniversary sunset.

Sisowath Quay's riverside night market 17:00-23:00 — grilled meats, Cambodian crepes, Khmer noodle stalls, fruit juices, and Cambodian desserts. The most casual riverside-evening dinner option. Locals + tourists in equal mix. Cash only (USD or KHR).

Cambodia's flagship specialty coffee chain — Mondulkiri Province single-origin beans, Western-style espresso + pour-over methods, plus the canonical Cambodian iced coffee with condensed milk. BKK1 has 3 Brown Coffee locations + branches across the city. Air-conditioned, Wi-Fi reliable, English-speaking. The digital-nomad + traveler workspace pick. Multi-location consistency.

BKK1 Australian-style brunch cafe — smashed avocado on sourdough, poached eggs, smoothie bowls, granola + yogurt, and reliable Australian-style espresso (flat white, long black). The expat + digital nomad + Western-breakfast-craving traveler pick. Wi-Fi reliable, air-conditioned, 50-seat interior + patio.

Hagar International social enterprise cafe — Western brunch menu + Cambodian coffee + house-baked cakes. Hagar trains survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence in hospitality. Casual atmosphere, air-conditioned, 40 seats. Your meal funds vocational programs.

BKK1 11th-floor rooftop bar with 360° panoramic views of Phnom Penh and the Mekong River. Signature cocktails $4-7, Cambodian craft beer, pizza, and Asian fusion small plates. The canonical Phnom Penh sunset cocktail destination outside of the 5-star hotel rooftops. Honeymoon + anniversary + first-night-arrival pick.

The 1929 colonial mahogany cocktail bar inside Raffles Hotel Le Royal — the original counter and teak chairs essentially unchanged since opening. The Femme Fatale cocktail (Cognac + Cointreau + Champagne + fresh lime) was created here in 1967 for Jackie Kennedy. The canonical colonial cocktail experience in Cambodia. Smart casual dress required after 18:00.

Rosewood Phnom Penh's 35th-floor Japanese-influenced sky bar — the city's highest rooftop, 360° panorama of Phnom Penh + Mekong River + colonial downtown. Japanese cocktail program (sake-based + yuzu + shiso ingredients), Japanese small plates, and the modern-luxury counterpart to Raffles' Elephant Bar. Honeymoon + anniversary + special-occasion tier.

BKK1 wine bar with 200+ bottle cellar and 30+ wines by the glass — the city's deepest wine list outside of the 5-star hotels. House-made charcuterie, cheese boards, and Asian-fusion small plates pair with the wine. The expat + diplomat + business-expense wine destination. 60-seat interior with wine cellar viewable through glass.