9 places to eat and drink in Siem Reap

Siem Reap is the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor, the largest religious structure in the world and Cambodia’s most popular tourist attraction. Although it was little more than a village when French explorers such as Henri Mouhot “re-discovered” Angkor in the 19th century, Siam Reap is nowadays the country’s second-largest city. It has a population of 245,000.

I visited Siem Reap a couple of months ago. I stayed there for three days (two nights), which was enough to visit the temples of Angkor, and also wander around the city. During my stay in Siem Reap, I had the opportunity to try the local cuisine. Today, I’m sharing my recommendations about places to eat and drink.

Khmer Kitchen

My first meal in Siem Reap was at the Khmer Kitchen soon after my arrival to Cambodia. There are two locations, one on the corner of 2 Thnou Street and Street 9, the other one on Pub Street. Both are very close to each other. I dined at the former, where I had a traditional curry and an Angkor beer.

Sugar Palm

The following day, I dined at the Sugar Palm (on Street 27), utterly exhausted after having visited the Angkor temples. Yet, the dinner was compensation. I had a popular Cambodian dish called fish amok (sliced snakehead fish mixed with kroeung, coconut cream & noni leaf then steamed), which was delicious. The atmosphere of this restaurant was as good as the food.

Tevy’s Place

My last meal in Cambodia was at Tevy’s Place, on Street 26. I had another Cambodian classic, beef lok lak, stir-fried beef strips with soy sauce served with lettuce. Although the food was nothing short of delicious, what I mostly remember is Tevy’s tragic family story. Her father and three sisters perished in the 1970s, when the Cambodian genocide resulted in the deaths of 1.5 to 2 million people from 1975 to 1979, nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population in 1975.

Gelato Lab

Siem Reap ‘s warm climate makes it an ideal place for a gelato. The first night, I went to Gelato Lab, within walking distance from the Khmer Kitchen, where I’d had just had dinner.

Amami Gelato

The second night, I had gelato at Amami Gelato, located next to Tevy’s Place and opposite Laundry.

Dialogue

There are two Dialogue, one located in the corner of Street 26 and Wat Bo Road, the other one on Street 27 (close to the Sugar Palm). On my last day, I had coffee at the former, followed by lunch at Tevy’s Place next door.

Cha Meow

Located on Wat Bo Road, Cha Meow is ideal for bubble tea. There is no outdoor seating area, but the rather small interior is fun.

Laundry

Laundry is a cocktail bar also situated on Street 26. Being on the opposite side of the river to the busy, tourist-laden Pub Street, it is a lot more refined and sophisticated.

Pople

Last but not least, Pople is a modern, spacious café on St Charles de Gaulle. It is very close (almost opposite) to the Angkor National Museum (which I did not have time to visit).

Further reading

To better prepare for my trip to Vietnam and French Indochina, I used the Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand.

If you enjoyed this post, check out ‘9 coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City‘.

Health information

Before my trip, I had the Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines. Whilst in Vietnam, I exercised caution and avoided drinking tap water, eating raw vegetables and buying food from street vendors (especially at the beginning). As a result, I was fortunate enough not to experience any gastrointestinal symptoms.

With regards to the malaria risk, this is rather high in Cambodia, less so in Siem Reap (and in the capital Pnom Penh). However, I opted to have antimalaria tablets, which I started taking a couple of days before my arrival.

Alex

(the Traveling Psychiatrist)