Little Garden Bar
Good for: getting your stuff stolen, food, Solo Travellers, service
- Address
- River Rd Riverside
- Website
- Hours
- breakfast, lunch & dinner
Lonely Planet review for Little Garden Bar
Set in the garden of an old French-period property, this tranquil little haven serves Khmer and international dishes, including pizzas (around US$6), and wine by the glass. The rooftop terrace affords superb river views.
Traveller reviews for Little Garden Bar (2)
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AVOID!! Thief Stole Passport & Money While I Slept
jackro does not recommend this,
Used to stay at Little Garden a lot, and used to swear by it, but hadn't been there in a while, thought I'd go back for old times sake and because I 'knew 'the Cambodian owners...
My big, big mistake. Place has gone downhill very much since the old days in many ways. Walls now grubby, two or three TV changes til one arrived that could get a fuzzy signal.
Surly chubby black haired owner, yet good old staff I knew now mysteriously gone.
But the worst was yet to come...
Second night, I find my door wide open in the middle of the night, I'd shut and locked it (have lived in Cambodia a few years and know the value of keeping the door closed at night)
Thief had made it past nonexistent downstairs security and according to local police, had jimmied the lock they knew was faulty.
=> Keep in mind that in Cambodia, if a thief is in the process of stealing your stuff, and you wake up or resist, you will likely be stabbed or even killed so they can avoid being apprehended.
Passport, wallet, moneybelt, mobile phone in pants less than a meter from where I slept all taken - pants found tossed ingloriously in plant holder outside the door the next day.
LOSS: $900 in items & risk of INJURY & DEATH
Cops and I went to inspect the lock the next day, and they said that it was indeed tricked and faulty: bolt sticking out just enough to catch and hold the door, even if locked, but easily pushed in.
Went to discuss with black haired pudgy Cambodian owner; he expressed no remorse, just stated that if I knew there was a problem, that I should have told the staff. Said I didn't obviously know until my stuff was stolen.
Later went to cops, also had government Minister push the process a bit.
Cam back from cops, went back up to room to take a shower after reporting to cops - they still hadn't even bothered to change locks.
Strangest of all: when I came back downstairs, owner was now not available, on his way to Phnom Penh. Was not willing to discuss.
Went back to cops; they said they'd 'found passport'. Got that back. They stated their chief had gone to inspect property, seen numerous gaps in security, they'd also seen the faulty lock and stated flatly it was guesthouse problem & responsibility.
Story evolved as owner of LG presumably 'persuaded' cops the next day; I requested a meeting at station, but police said owner - responsible for stolen passport and $900 of items (not left in room unattended, but half meter from where I slept behind locked door) - was suddenly not available.
I took moto taxi to L.G. and discovered owner, wife, and family eating lunch at the guesthouse. Cops had obviously covered for them, to the surprise of all.
I invited them, in Khmer language, to come to the police station to discuss the loss of my passport, a serious crime, but they flipped out: clearly non-sympathetic behavior that you would not expect from anyone who would reasonably be considered non-culpable.
Obvious protection, and possibly/probably protection by police ensures there will be no chance to recover ANYTHING expcet that which would involve a foreign embassy's involvement (ie. passport).
STAY AT LITTLE GARDEN AT YOUR OWN REAL RISK - it has declined and is now sadly unrecognizable from its once-likable heydey a few years ago (coming from someone who has visited many times over the years)
If you must stay there, i.e., stuck in Kampot without reservations at night, etc, make sure you:a) double lock door b) never, ever leave anything remotely of value in the room and c) sleep with your passport, wallet, and other valuables well hidden or rolled up under your pillow.
If you wake to catch a thief stealing your stuff, do not make it look like you've woken up, do not attempt to stop them, and do not, do not fight them
Better yet...stay in a more secure guesthouse in Kampot with fulltime 24 hour security.
Not trying to profile the Little Garden, since they are Cambodian owned and run; but they have clearly clearly spiralled down into something very very different from what they once were.
!!! BEWARE !!!
Good for: getting your stuff stolen
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Little Garden Bar, more than just a bar in a little garden..
jakesanders recommends this,
More than just a 'Little Garden Bar' this relaxed and friendly establishment, in Kampot, also knocks up some cracking food and at tin-pot prices....
We arrived, as many do, by motorbike into the picturesque town of Kampot hungry for some local Khmer cooking. After walking along the riverfront we found the Little Garden Bar and sat down for a couple of cold Angkor beers, which slipped down incredibly easily whilst we listened to the waiters choice of Cambodia dance music (not to be missed).
The garden isn't smart and you feel very relaxed but it's not scruffy either despite the barbed-wire used for some of the fencing!
The menu came and on first glance I was disappointed as it was scruffy and looked a bit like a rubbish geography project I once submitted at school - red paper enclosed by A4 plastic sheets... However on closer inspection the menu has a great mix of Khmer and Western food.
We chose the Kampot Pepper Pork which was delicious and came in a very generous serving. However the pork was trumped by a special for the night, Fish Amok. Having traveled around Cambodia and tried a number of Amoks I can confirm that the Little Garden Bar's was by far and away the best either of us had tried before.
The staff were attentive and easy to talk to and all in all we had a crackng evening. The bill came and the good news is I can't remeber how much it was... but I do remember thinking it was very cheap and worth every penny.
Good for: food, Solo Travellers, service
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