Tantalize Your Taste Buds With Delicious Cambodian Cuisines At These 8 Best Restaurants (2024)
Whether you are a foodie or not, no trip is complete without relishing the local delicacies – be it the vibrant street food or the classy local dishes served in the local restaurants. The Cambodian cuisine is definitely a treat for your taste buds and the innumerable restaurants in Cambodia will definitely not disappoint you. Here are some of the must-visit restaurants that you should include in your itinerary if you plan to visit Cambodia.
Tantalize Your Taste Buds With Delicious Cambodian Cuisines At These 8 Best Restaurants
1. Friends The Restaurant
As the name suggests, this is one of the best customer-friendly restaurant in Cambodia. Located in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, this restaurant is a very popular spot for tourists to try out mouth-watering main courses as well as desserts. Some of its must-try dishes include hummus, tapas, meatballs, sautéed baby squid with Kampot pepper, rice wine, and smoky eggplant, and chocolate cheesecake. Though they specialize in meat and seafood, their list of options for vegetarians is also quite extensive. It’s a great place to hang out after a day of sightseeing and shopping.
Location: 215 Street 13, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
Timings: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost for Two: KHR 16,000 onwards
2. Romdeng Restaurant
If you are one among those who are brave enough to try some unique Cambodian dishes, then you must definitely head to the Romdeng Restaurant where you can try dishes which include unique ingredients such as crickets, silk worms, tarantulas, etc. For those who are not so adventurous, the restaurant offers some amazing Khmer traditional dishes as well such as pork belly with Kampot pepper, Muslim beef curry, and other vegetarian options. They have a nice indoor and outdoor seating option giving some beautiful views to enjoy with your meal. You will definitely be impressed by their amazing service as well.
Location: 74 Street 174, Phnom Penh
Timings: Open daily, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Cost for Two: KHR 28,000 onwards
3. Malis Restaurant
If you are in Phnom Penh and are craving for some traditional Cambodian cuisine be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, then you cannot miss the Malis Restaurant! Known for its authentic traditional Cambodian dishes, this restaurant is not just famous with the tourists but also the locals. If you are visiting during the breakfast rush, then do try bor bor, Samlor Khmer, and Kuy Teav Malis. You will also get a complimentary croissant, endless amount of Chinese tea and sweet corn dessert. For lunch/dinner, try their regional dishes such as Kep crab with Kampot peppercorns or Takeo sausages. This is one restaurant which will truly fulfill your culinary needs in Cambodia.
Location: Phnom, 136 Norodom Blvd, Penh 12301, Cambodia
Timings: Open daily, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost for Two: Breakfast starts from KHR 16,000 onwards and Lunch/Dinner starts from KHR 32,000
4. Bugs Café
This unique restaurant is located in Siem Reap and is one of the best restaurants for those who are looking for an exotic culinary experience. The list of exotic dishes here is endless and includes French as well as Khmer dishes which consist of ingredients like ants, grasshoppers, bees, spiders, scorpions, and silkworms. Situated close to the Angkor Wat market, this is a two-stored air-conditioned restaurant. On Fridays, you can take advantage of their complimentary beers in the evening hours from 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Some of their must-try dishes include tarantula doughnuts, savory cupcakes with crickets and silkworms as garnishments, Mediterranean Feuillet’s with ants, scorpion and green papaya salad, etc.
Location: 351 Angkor Night Market Street, Steung Thmei, Siem Reap
Timings: Open daily, 5 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
Cost for Two: KHR 32,000 onwards
5. Blue Pumpkin
The Blue Pumpkin restaurant is the place to be if you want to enjoy some delicious ice creams, sandwiches, cakes, etc., after a long day of sightseeing and playing tourist. Favored by both locals as well as tourists, the Blue Pumpkin restaurant has a very casual ambience giving it a cozy and inviting vibe. If you are visiting Cambodia during the summers, then this restaurant is the perfect haven for you to dig into some rare and delicious flavors of ice cream. Do try out their Caramel & Cashew Nut ice cream, cheesecake, tiramisu, etc. They also offer savory dishes and you can try out their Blue Pumpkin starter sampler which consists of 5 different starters for you to try.
Location: Mondulkiri Village, 2 Thnou St, Siem Reap
Timings: Open daily, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost for Two: KHR 24,000 onwards
6. Khmer Kitchen
Restaurant If you are looking for a budget-friendly restaurant which offers delicious Cambodian cuisines, then you must visit the Khmer Kitchen restaurant in Siem Reap. It is a family-run business which caters to both vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians. You can also get your hands on some Thai-cuisine as well. Their main course includes amok which is a curry steamed in banana leaf and you can ask for your preferred meat beef, chicken, pork, or fish. They also have a pretty good collection of wines, draft beers, and cocktails, making it the perfect place to unwind at the end of the day.
Location: #Street 2 Thnou the coner of street 9, Old market Siem Reap
Timings: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost for Two: KHR 8,000 onwards
7. Cuisine Wat Damnak
Another must-visit restaurant in Siem reap, the Cuisine Wat Damak is the preferred choice of many who wish to sample local cuisine. Their blend of local ingredients is a culinary experience not to be missed! They use all local ingredients to prepare their authentic Cambodian dishes but with a flair of international cooking. The restaurant has been set up by Joannes Riviere, a French chef. A unique feature of this restaurant is the option to choose between their five-course or six-course meal which is completely seasonal based. Also, these menus change on a fortnightly basis, so you will have the best of the season on your plate.
Location: Street 7 Makara, Wat Damnak Village, Siem Reap
Timings: Tuesday-Saturday, 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm
Cost for Two: The set meal starts from KHR 98,000 onwards
8. Mok Mony
Though this restaurant offers Cambodian and traditional Khmer cuisines, you can also indulge in some authentic Malaysian and Chinese delicacies. They have a slightly tweaked menu to suit the preference of Westerners. This is one restaurant where you will some amazing vegetarian dishes as well such as smoky eggplant, mango salad, lotus roots, etc. Among the non0vegetarian dishes, some of the must-try include grilled betel leaf rolls with marinated beef, fried boneless fish, Mekong prawns with Kampot pepper and lemongrass, etc. You can also wash down your dish with some unique drinks such as tangerine, longan, and lime freeze or sugarcane and water chestnut served over ice.
Location: 63c, Street 294, BKK 1, Phnom Penh
Timings: Open daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost for Two: KHR 16,000 onwards
From sampling exotic Cambodian dishes to traditional Khmer dishes to flamboyant dishes with international standards, this list will help you find the best restaurants in Cambodia that will make your trip a memorable one. Fill your trips with not just sightseeing tours and shopping trips but also with unique Cambodian culinary experience.
