Best Places To Eat In Phnom Penh
Cambodian food gets overshadowed by its neighbors, but Phnom Penh is a genuinely good place to eat, and cheap by regional standards. The city’s two national dishes anchor most menus: fish amok (amok trey), a coconut fish curry steamed in a banana leaf, and nom banh chok, cold rice vermicelli under a green fish curry, traditionally a breakfast dish. Either one is a fair introduction to Khmer cooking.
Breakfast and street food
Bai sach chrouk, grilled pork over broken rice, is the classic Phnom Penh breakfast, sold from stalls until around 10am and rarely after. Kuy teav, a rice-noodle soup with pork or beef broth, covers the same slot and stays available later in the day. For an easy lunch, lok lak, peppery stir-fried beef served with a lime-pepper dipping sauce, is on nearly every menu that serves Khmer food, along with grilled skewers and fresh fruit shakes.
The food hall inside Central Market (Psar Thmei), the 1937 Art Deco building near the river, is a reliable spot for cheap noodle soups and fresh juice between sightseeing stops. The riverside night market along Sisowath Quay, running Friday through Sunday, is the other easy option, with food stalls set up alongside the evening crowds.
Two restaurants worth naming
Most of what you’ll eat in Phnom Penh is better described by dish and neighborhood than by restaurant name, since the street-food scene turns over fast. Two sit-down places are the exception, both genuine social enterprises rather than marketing labels: Friends (215 Street 13, near the National Museum) and Romdeng, both run by the TREE Alliance and Friends-International network, which trains at-risk and former street youth in hospitality skills. Romdeng in particular serves rural Khmer dishes, including some, like fried tarantula, that most urban restaurants skip. The cooking is genuinely good on its own merits, and the training program is a reason to pick them over an unfamiliar option when you’re deciding where to eat.
Kampot pepper and what to drink
Cambodia’s other food export worth knowing is Kampot pepper, an EU-protected product from the coastal region southwest of the city; look for it certified on menus and in the markets rather than an unmarked substitute. To drink, iced Khmer coffee, strong coffee over condensed milk, is everywhere, and fresh coconuts and tropical fruit stalls line most market entrances.
Practical notes
Cash rules outside hotels and the more upscale restaurants; carry small USD notes since street vendors often can’t break a $20, and expect riel in your change for anything under a dollar. Street stalls with a steady stream of local customers are generally the safer bet for freshness. Tap water isn’t safe to drink, so stick to bottled or the ice at established restaurants, which is typically made from filtered water.
For where to stay near the best eating neighborhoods, see the places-to-stay guide , and for the full sightseeing picture, the Phnom Penh travel guide covers visas, money, and getting around.