Sihanoukville restaurants and food guide
Expat-run Kangaroo Kitchen offers great steaks
Sihanoukville’s location along the Gulf of Thailand means an endless delight of dining options, notably seafood. In addition to succulent deep-sea fish and squid, the silted waters and close proximity to the Mekong Delta mean that crabs, prawns, lobster and every other variety of shellfish can he heaped high either on the beach or at any number of decent restaurants.
Reflecting its more continental European expat population, several excellent, mainly French, dining establishments sit atop Victory Beach, along 23 Tola Rd around the Golden Lions and near Otres Beach. Along Serendipity/ Ochheuteal Beach it’s very much a case of digging your toes into the sand and enjoying the BBQ being brought to you, with local food shacks and wandering vendors aplenty.
For more details of late night bars and clubs, check out our Sihanoukville bar and nightlife guide.
Sihanoukville restaurants
Chhner Molop Chrey: This long-running seafood restaurant, with large tanks of live lobster, crab, shrimp and fresh fish, has beachside gazebos to enjoy the ocean breeze. Khmer, Chinese and Korean styles are all represented at this ideal sunset spot. Central Victory Beach, open 10:00 – 20:00, tel: + (855) (0)34 933 708. $$
Gelato Italiano: Run by the Don Bosco Hotel School, to which proceeds go, the well-trained student staff here makes a great coffee in addition to a range of international snacks, mains and traditional Italian gelato. Downtown, 7 Makara St, open 07:30 – 21:30, tel: + (855) (0)12 919 834. $
Greenhouse: One of the best places for sitting in the sand under an umbrella and soaking up the beachside ambience, traditional Khmer dishes and 50 cent happy hour pints. Also offers boat trips. Otres Beach, open 07:00 – Late, tel: + (855) (0)34 690 7045. $
Happy Herb Pizza: The dubious (ingredients, not quality) happy pizza phenomenon is alive and well in Sihanoukville, with Ecstatic Pizza also featuring. Offering Western breakfasts, pastas and salads in addition to its claim to fame, they also provide free delivery. Ochheuteal, 23 Tola Street, open 07:00 – 23:00, tel: + (855) (0)12 632 198. $$
Kangaroo Kitchen: Kangaroo Kitchen offers good selection of Khmer and Western dishes, including Australian steak, sausage rolls and burgers. The bar, reportedly the longest in the city, houses Sihanoukvilles’s widest range of spirits, along with plenty of friendly waitresses, wifi and happy hour daily till 18:00. Downtown, Street 109, open 15:00 – Late, tel: + (855) (0)34 934 395. $$
Fresh shellfish cannot be beaten!
La Reserve: Upscale French cuisine with matching atmosphere and service. Offering stunning views from the poolside terrace along with a good range of reasonably priced French wines. Daily Happy Hour 18:00 – 20:00. Victory Hill, open 07:00 – Late, tel: + (855) (0)34 934 429. $$$
Pim’s Restaurant: This large, occasionally heaving, al fresco restaurant, with plenty of entertainment of the above the table kind, offers fresh-baked breads, wood fired pizza, steaks and burgers. Also features Sihanoukville’s only mini-golf course along with petanque, pool, 4m TV screen and live music. Ochheuteal Beach, 23 Tola Street, open 07:00 – Midnight, tel: + (855) (0)17 969 023. $$
Marco Polo: Serving up authentic homemade Italian dishes from gnocchi to tiramisu, along with a fine selection of traditional European spirits and aperitifs, this consistently praised restaurant also has a decent wine selection. 2 Thnou Street, next to the Golden Lions, open 17:00 – 22:00 tel: + (855) (0)92 920 866. $$$
Maharajah: The premier Indian restaurant in Sihanoukville offering an excellent range of meat and vegetarian dishes reasonable prices. Hugely popular with both curry-loving expats and tourists. Ekareach St, Weather Station Hill, open 11:00 – Late, tel: + (855) (0)15 966 221. $$
Paco’s Restaurant: Recently joined together with Same Same Restaurant, Paco’s is the only Spanish restaurant in town, offering homemade tapas and paella. It also features traditional Vietnamese dishes that made its partner popular. Ekareach Street, Weather Station Hill, open 08:00 – Late, tel: + (855) (0)92 542 095. $$$
Snake House: This amazing, unique, restaurant is built around a living herpetarium (snake house) full of lizards, birds and snakes. Diners can view, if their stomach can handle it, the animals up-close through the glass-topped tables. Russian owned with a focus on traditional Russian meals, they also have the full range of vodkas. Victory Beach, open 11:00 – 23:00, tel: + (855) (0)12 673 805. $$$
Treasure Island: Looking out towards Koh Pos Island, this restaurant is wldly popular among Cambodians, especially on the weekends. Located right on the shore with al fresco dining and beachside gazebos, the more Chinese-style cuisine is supported by a huge aquarium for you to choose your meal. The snails and clams are highly recommended. Koh Pos Beach 10:00AM – 22:00, tel: + (855) (0)12 838 385. $$
Price guide
$ – dishes under $3; quart of beer $1; whiskey shot $1.50;cocktails $2
$$ – dishes $3-10; quart of beer $1.50; whiskey shot $2; cocktails $2.50
$$$ – dishes $10-20; quart of beer $2; whiskey shot $2.50; cocktails $3
$$$$ – dishes over $20; quart of beer $3; whiskey shot $4; cocktails $5
Juice bars, coffee shops and bakeries in Sihanoukville
Juicy Ru’s: Refreshingly cool vegetable and fruit juice, smoothies, whips, freezes and shakes. Corner of Serendipity Road, next to Utopia, open 08:00 – 22:00, tel: + (855) (0)16 496 323. $
Starfish Bakery Cafe: Fantastic cookies, pastries, sandwiches and coffees in a rare garden oasis in the heart of downtown. The NGO supported gift shop upstairs, Rajana, has beautiful local handicrafts. Also features WiFi and massage services. Behind the Samudera Market, Downtown, tel: + (855) (0)12 952 011. $
Espresso Kampuchea: Long-running downtown Western coffee shop with excellent all-day breakfast. A pleasant cafe atmosphere with full bar. Sopheak Mongkol Street, Downtown, open 06:30 – 20:00, tel: + (855) 012 478 139. $$
There is the odd cafe and bakery in the downtown area, where most of the pubs feature hearty fare, along with the infamous ‘happy’ pizza places seen in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The drab city centre hosts an equally drab number of eateries, but also ones that can always be relied on for large meals at any hour.
Practically every guesthouse or hotel has an attached restaurant or cafe, all of varying standards, and their own in-house bar. We’ve listed the better dining options below along with a snapshot of the tastiest eating available around the city.
