The 5 best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap 2022
While we still think that Dine With The Locals provides you the best experience regarding Khmer food, we understand that going out is also important while visiting Siem Reap. Therefore we checked who is still there after Covid-19 and who are the best 5 Khmer Restaurants in Siem Reap. We did an extensive research and found some not well known places tourists usually don’t have on their list – or which aren’t mentioned in – mostly outdated – travel books and blogs.
Jomno, one of the best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap
Our most important criteria for a good restaurant is of course the food. It has to be local food, authentic and well prepared. We also like a twist, something that stands out. The environment plays also a big role – plastic chairs should be the exemption. And we care about a good service, because this is what make you feel comfortable in the best restaurants in Siem Reap.
The price range isn’t that wide in Siem Reap, since we do not cover street food here (but soon in another post). You get decent meals in a range from 3 to 8 US-Dollar for a main dish.
Jomno – modern Khmer cuisine
This place started in a small side street behind Wat Damnak with a street food concept, but moved to a bigger house next to the Deihoy market. Jomno offers fine Khmer food with a twist, a modern approach but still authentic. They have a nice garden, but also indoor seating. It is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.
You have small bites like a frittata or fresh marinated fish. For the meat eaters, we recommend the Battambang sausage. What makes it to the top of the list of the best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap is not only the presentation of the food, but also the creative and extensive vegan menu. Try the meat ball lok lak or the plant bases sausage roll. Starters are around $3 dollar, while main courses are in the $8 range. It is (for now) open every day from 11am to 10 PM.
Jomno, one of the best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap
Banllee – vegetarian Khmer food
We think it’s time to make a change, so this vegetarian restaurant is also on the list even if they aren’t serving some of the traditional Khmer meat dishes. The restaurant is located in Street 26 and survived Covid-19 with a focus in vegetarian Khmer food – a good decision. Banlle has some other dishes as well, but if you a craving for Khmer noodles, this is the place to go.
Vegetarian prahok ktis at Banlle
Out top favorite is the vegetarian Prahok Ktis. Prahok is a Khmer fish paste, and at Banlle they make it from fermented tofu. An absolute delight with fresh vegetables on the side. Talking about veggies: Many of them are grown in the garden, and you may watch the chef cutting your greens before preparing the food for you. Prices are in the $3 to $5 US-Dollar range. Opening times are 7am – 9pm, Tuesday they are closed.
The Christa – family owned restaurant near Pub Street
The owner Rak moved his restaurant from behind Wat Damnak to the street 7 right behind Pub street. It is a shop house with steep steps to reach the first floor, but a great place to watch people go by. There is even a rooftop with tables.
Samlor Machu Ktis at The Christa
The Christa offers affordable Khmer food in a wide range. Our favorites are the machu ktis, a dish with tamarind sauce and the Cha Kreung, mixed vegetables with Khmer spice paste. The kitchen offers all main Khmer dishes, like Amok and beef stew, but we would recommend some less known meals, like the Khmer curry. We like that you can choose if you want meat or tofu for most dishes. They do have good cocktails as well. Opening times are every day from 11.30am to 10 pm.
Temple coffee ‘n bakery – one of the best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap
The Temple group owns nowadays half of Pub street, but the venue at the riverside is less popular with tourists – but great when it comes to Khmer food. You can go there for breakfast and enjoy a well done fried rice with pork (somehow called school children breakfast) or for lunch or dinner some of the more fancy dishes.
Grilled Pork with rice at Temple bakery
They are popular with younger people, in particular in the evening. What stands out are the comfortable lounges upstairs and the rooftop bar with a pool – best place for sunset. The quality was never an issue for us in the last six years, but they did raise the prices. Expect $5 to $9 for a dish. Recommended are the Khmer noodles and the Prahok Ktis.
Tevy’s place
Tevy started her restaurant as a basic street food stall between the two Wat Damnak temple areas. Just before the Covid-19 pandemic she moved to street 7 and opened a new place. She is a hardworking woman, employing a few Khmer women now and became very popular with expats in Siem Reap. Her food is all freshly made, she has Khmer dishes but also offers some western food. You should try her fish amok and her Samlor Koko, a traditional Khmer soup. It’s open everyday from 730 am to 9.30 pm.
Samlor Koko at Tevy’s place
What else? Some others of the best restaurants in Siem Reap
With close to 1,000 restaurants and eateries, picking just the 5 best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap is not an easy task. Most other places offer good local food as well. We can recommend Khmer Kitchen and Khmer Grill as a well as Haven. The latter has also lovely vegetarian and vegan dishes and is a training restaurant – you eat for a good cause there.
Another runner-up is Romsai cafe next to the Salakamreuk village office. But if you want to try Fish Amok, one of the popular dishes, we have to recommend you Ms. Laum, one of our hosts in Siem Reap. She will show you how it’s made and share the meal with you. It is an extraordinary food experience!
If you would like to know more about Khmer food, check out our YouTube Channel and follow us on TikTok (@dinewiththelocals). You can reach us through the booking form on the host pages as well as through Telegram and WhatsApp. Or just send an email to feedme@dinewiththelocals.com.