Best Restaurants in Siem Reap
From Cambodia’s most celebrated tasting menus to $2 street noodles — where to eat fish amok, beef lok lak, and proper Khmer curry in Siem Reap.
Cuisine Wat Damnak
A five-course menu built on Khmer market produce for a fraction of what this cooking would cost anywhere else. Book ahead — it is small and deservedly famous.
Marum
The rare place where the feel-good backstory and the food are both genuinely excellent. This is the social-impact dinner we recommend over any orphanage-adjacent "experience."
Malis Siem Reap
The Kampot-pepper beef lok lak and the breakfast num banh chok are benchmark versions — elegant without being fussy.
Pou Restaurant & Bar
The mid-priced sweet spot: more interesting than the Pub Street standards, far cheaper than the tasting menus, and full of dishes you will not find at home.
Khmer Kitchen
When you want a reliable $5 amok two minutes from Pub Street without the Pub Street chaos, this is the answer.
Sister Srey Café
The post-sunrise breakfast spot: you watched dawn at Angkor Wat at 5:45, you are eating smashed avo and drinking real coffee by 8:30.
The Hive Siem Reap
Kandal Village is the pleasant, un-touristy ten-minute wander nobody tells you about, and The Hive is the reason to start it.
Eating in Siem Reap
Khmer food is one of Southeast Asia's most underrated cuisines, and Siem Reap is its best showcase. Start with the canon: fish amok (lake fish steamed in a banana-leaf cup with coconut and kroeung curry paste), beef lok lak (stir-fried beef over rice with a lime-pepper dip), Khmer curry (gentler and more aromatic than its Thai cousins), and num banh chok — the fermented rice noodles with fish-based green curry that Cambodians eat for breakfast. Finish a meal with a glass of Sombai, the local infused rice wine.
The shape of the scene
At the top, Cuisine Wat Damnak made global lists by treating Khmer market produce with tasting-menu seriousness. In the middle sits the city's real strength: independent Khmer kitchens in Wat Bo and around the Old Market where $6–12 buys cooking with a point of view. The social-enterprise tier — Marum, Sister Srey, and friends — trains disadvantaged young Cambodians for hospitality careers, and the food stands on its own merits. And the street-food tier never stops: market stalls at Psar Chas in the morning, grilled skewers and noodle carts at night.
Practical notes
Prices are in US dollars everywhere; bring small bills, as change comes in riel (4,000 riel ≈ $1). Most kitchens are casual about hours but the destination restaurants (Cuisine Wat Damnak especially) need reservations in high season. Tap water is not potable — stick to bottled or filtered, which every restaurant serves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What dishes should I try in Siem Reap?
Fish amok (lake fish steamed in banana leaf with coconut curry), beef lok lak, Khmer curry, and num banh chok — the rice-noodle breakfast with green fish curry. For drinks, try Sombai, the locally made infused rice wine.
How much does eating out cost in Siem Reap?
Street food and market stalls run $1–3 a dish; solid Khmer restaurants $4–8 a main; the mid-range independents $8–15; and the destination tasting menus around $30–45 — a fraction of what equivalent cooking costs elsewhere. Prices are quoted in US dollars.
Is street food in Siem Reap safe to eat?
Generally yes, with the usual rules: busy stalls with high turnover, food cooked hot in front of you, and bottled or filtered water. An evening food tour with a local guide is the fastest way to build confidence.
Do I need restaurant reservations?
Only at the top end — Cuisine Wat Damnak and the famous boutique dining rooms book out in high season (November–February). Everywhere else is walk-in friendly.