Entertainment in Cambodia
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A
Equinox Bar
Acoustic jam sessions are held every Thursday and Saturday night in this animated bar. Happy hour 17:00 to 20:00.
reviewed
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B
Warehouse
A popular bolt hole for expats escaping the madness of Bar St, this ‘local’ has lured many a traveller in for table football and indie anthems. The bar food is more cosmopolitan than most and best enjoyed from the 45-degree angle of a satellite chair. Free wi-fi.
reviewed
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C
Temple Club
As the night wears on, the only worshipping going on at this temple is ‘all hail the ale’. Loud tunes (often too loud) and some liberally minded local girls (some are actually boys) draw a dance crowd. Mad happy-hours from 10am to 10pm.
reviewed
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D
Funky Munky
A Brit pub with a flair for food. Sample the brilliant build-your-own burgers, or try the slightly scary ‘Cardiac Arrest’. There’s truly funky décor, with artsy film posters, and a cocktail menu created for cheeky monkeys. Drop by on Thursday for the quiz; all proceeds are donated to local causes.
reviewed
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E
Joe-to-Go
If you need coffee to course through your veins before you can muster the lustre for a sunrise at the temples, then sleepwalk your way here. Gourmet coffee, shakes and pastries, with proceeds supporting education and housing for street children.
reviewed
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F
Laundry Bar
Put on your cleanest undies and venture into one of the hippest bars in town. Low lighting, discerning décor and regular DJs are all crowd pleasers, and the pool table has them queuing up in the early hours. Happy hour lasts until 9pm.
reviewed
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G
Gasolina
This stylish garden bar specialises in the sensual sounds of South America and even offers salsa lessons (Tuesday and Thursday nights). Rum punches, cheap beers and a tasty bar menu round things off. Check out the weekend brunches.
reviewed
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Kampot Traditional Music School
Visitors are welcome to drop by and observe the students of the Kampot Traditional Music School, which trains orphaned and disabled children in traditional music and dance. There's no charge but donations are welcome.
reviewed
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Magic Sponge
The healthy dose of double shots aside, this little bar is a friendly spot for exchanging travel tales and perhaps a game or two of cards.
reviewed
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H
Angkor What?
This is Siem Reap’s original drinking dive, and the booze-addled graffiti that covers the walls is testament to its enduring popularity. The happy hour (to 8pm, with bargain buckets of Mekong whiskey and cheap Anchor pitchers) loosens up the limbs for later, when the crowd bounces along to indie anthems – some are on the tables, others under them.
reviewed
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I
Martini
This is probably the most popular Khmer nightclub in town, with a large beer garden and a dark, dark disco. Try some rom vong, the popular Cambodian dancing that involves everyone gliding around in circles and flapping their arms dementedly. We say everyone, but we mean foreigners - Khmers carry themselves with genuine grace.
reviewed
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La Noria
The art of shadow puppetry has a history as old as the temples. La Noria hosts a traditional performance, plus classical dance, including a set meal. Part of the admission fee is donated to Krousar Thmey, a charity supporting local children. Someone once called it Punch and Judy in leather, but that sounds like an S&M fetish.
reviewed
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J
Zone One
Count the number of hotels and restaurants in town and it soon adds up to a whole lot of young people with increasing cash to splash. Zone One is the club where most of them head for a night on the town. A few Westerners drift in, but this is essentially about young Khmers letting their hair down.
reviewed
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K
Elsewhere Bar
It recently moved elsewhere, but the new location is right in the heart of the action on St 278. Ambient vibes, a great drinks menu, and two plunge pools for punters, it’s sedate by day but sexy by night. Hit the happy hours from 4pm to 8pm and forget your worries over an ‘amnesia’ cocktail.
reviewed
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L
Apsara Theatre
There are classical dance shows all over town, but the Apsara Theatre is a class apart, set in a striking wooden pavilion finished in the style of a wat, which plays host to one of the more renowned troupes around town. Sadly the set menu doesn’t live up to the spectacle.
reviewed
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M
X Bar
X marks the spot for drunkards, dancers and those with a devilish twinkle in the eye. Just as everywhere else is winding down, the amps here are cranking up. There are early-evening movies on the big screen, pool tables and a skateboard pipe – careful with the cocktails.
reviewed
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Chinese House
Located in one of the most atmospheric colonial-era properties in the city, there is an art gallery below and a refined bar above that hosts regular bands. Happy hours run from 4pm to 8pm daily and they serve up monster mojitos, as well as tasty Chinese bites.
reviewed
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N
Gym Bar
The only workout going on here is raising glasses, as this is the number one sports bar in town. You won’t find a better selection of big – no, make that giant – screens in this part of the world. Cold beer, pub grub and a rowdy crowd for the big ball games.
reviewed
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O
Dining Room
A sophisticated restaurant at La Résidence, the Dining Room plays host to classical dance performances. Unlike at other high-flying hotels, you’re not forced to buy an all-inclusive buffet. Offering fusion without confusion, the menu is creative yet classic.
reviewed
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P
Heart of Darkness
The Heart of Business these days, this is more a nightclub than a bar but remains a place to see and be seen. Be very wary of large gangs of rich young Khmers here…some are children of the elite and rely on their bodyguards to do their dirty work.
reviewed
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Q
Elephant Bar
The signature bar of the Raffles-owned Hotel Le Royal, this is a sophisticated spot that offers two-for-one happy hours between 16:00 and 20:00. Play pool, and tuck into the free chips and salsa. Enjoy two original Singapore slings for around US$7 or so.
reviewed
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R
Apsara Arts Association
Apsara Arts Association teaches students the fine art of Khmer royal ballet. You can catch them training if you pop into the centres. Alternating performances of classical dance and folk dance are held at Apsara every Saturday at 19:00 (admission US$5).
reviewed
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S
Molly Malone’s
If you’re craving a Guinness, a Powers Whisky or a splash of stew, then this homely Irish pub is the place to come. Bringing the sparkle of the Emerald Isle to homesick Irish and a whole host of honorary Dubliners, it also hosts occasional live bands.
reviewed
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T
Gelato Italiano
Run by students from Sihanoukville's Don Bosco Hotel School, this modern, Italian-style café serves espresso, latte, ice coffee and banana splits (around US$2), as well as its creamy namesake. Affords panoramic views of downtown Sihanoukville.
reviewed
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U
Pickled Parrot
One of the few bars in town where you can wash up any time of the day and find a fellow drinker supping a beer, this is a friendly air-con spot with big screens, a pool table and cheap drinks. Not a hostess bar, unlike many others in this strip.
reviewed