The Best Bars in Siem Reap, Cambodia

If you fancy a classy cocktail in intimate 1930s Shanghai-inspired surroundings, then look no further than Miss Wong. From the cherry-red lanterns hanging from the doorway to the elegant fan-shaped menus, this is a great spot to slip away from the outside action with an innovative concoction in the form of an Indochine Martini, refreshing Lemongrass Collins or fragrant Apricot and Kaffir Lime Martini.

If dancing and downing buckets of alcohol until dawn is your thing, then it’s highly likely you’ll end up in Angkor What? at some point. Unlike the temple, there’s no dress code here. In fact, all rules are seemingly blown out of the window, with the music blasting and the dancefloor packed, regardless of what night of the week it is.

Another stalwart on the Siem Reap night scene, X Bar has been attracting backpackers pretty much since they started landing in Temple Town. With a party going on almost every night of the week, DJs, bands and other entertainers keep the place pumping until dawn. A half-pipe is also on the rooftop for skating fans to pit their skills on.

If the clue didn’t come to you with the title, then maybe this isn’t the bar for you. For everyone else, yes, you guessed it – this is a Beatles’ themed bar right in the centre of Siem Reap. The Yellow Sub is four floors packed full of Beatles and other memorabilia from the rock ‘n’ roll era of the Swinging Sixties. The gastro-pub also serves delicious food – the burgers are a treat – and snacks, as well as an array of drinks.

© Laundry Bar/ Harald Arnold

Asana – which means ‘old wooden house’ in Khmer – is a rustic yet contemporary bar set in one of central Siem Reap’s last remaining traditional wooden houses. Tucked away down a narrow back alley, the bar is packed with feather-filled rice sacks serving as cushions, hammocks and divans. The stylish space is also home to a bar boasting a menu full of creative cocktails. Cocktail classes are also held.