With a little over a week in Siem Reap and temperatures reaching 100°F every day, Jon and I took advantage of the air conditioning in all the cafes in our neighborhood to try as many places as we could. Every day, we would eat at one or two different places, sampling the chilled coffees, pastries, and meals they each had to offer. Aside from touring the Angkor Complex, this ended up being our other primary activity during our stay in the city. We concentrated around the small area where we were staying as there were enough places to try without venturing too far afield!
Fresh spring rolls are the best – one of my favorite snacks!
Ivy Guesthouse
While we didn’t like our room at Ivy Guesthouse at all (sweltering and stagnant air, cockroaches, and a damp bathroom are not a good combination while staying in the jungle!), we loved the restaurant at our guesthouse. Their menu boasted both traditional Khmer cuisine as well as some international favorites. We tried both, finding favorite dishes on either side of the menu. I especially liked their Italian pasta while Jon ordered something different each time. The restaurant hosts a trivia night once a week, rotating through local charities that are supported by the donations of the patrons. This was a fun evening spent testing our knowledge, meeting some locals and expats, and donating to a good cause.
Ivy Guesthouse had happy hour every afternoon, so we frequently cooled off with a couple of Angkor beers.
The Hive
Directly across the street from our guesthouse is a small coffeeshop named The Hive. With only three tables downstairs and three more in the open-air loft space, we squeezed in two visits during our time in Siem Reap. Having found a favorite, we ordered the same thing each time we went: the kick-ass milkshake (made with chocolate, coffee, banana and some other delicious ingredients) and their take on eggs benedict (served over potato pancakes and with spinach in addition to the usual toppings).
If there’s anywhere I’d love to go back to for breakfast, it is The Hive!
The Hideout
The Hideout was a brand-new restaurant when we were in Siem Reap (in April 2017). They had opened that same month just a few buildings down from our guesthouse. The owner and all employees were very friendly and helpful, offering suggestions and making sure that we loved everything we ordered. My favorite dish was fried short noodles served with over-easy eggs and I ate this no matter what time of day! We ate at the Hideout four times during our time in Siem Reap and even purchased a few pastries to take with us on our trip out of town when we left.
We fell in love with The Hideout and ate there frequently during our time in Siem Reap!
Blossom Café and Bakery
Jon and I are complete opposites when it comes to our palate; he loves anything sweet while I am drawn to the saltier foods. To indulge in his sweet tooth (or sweet teeth, as he often says), we visited the Blossom Café and Bakery one afternoon. They are known for their cakes and cupcakes, so we ordered a plate of three different cupcakes to share. Of the many options for sale, we finally selected a red velvet, a pink lemonade, and a French toast. Three was more than enough for the both of us; they were rich and decadent! In addition to serving the best cupcakes I’ve ever tasted, Blossom is a place that fosters women in business and provides a training program to help those who have been abused become independent. It was encouraging to see a local company helping those around them.
If you can’t tell, Jon was especially excited for an afternoon snack at Blossom!
BioLab
Coffee served in beakers and drinks named after the periodic table? BioLab somehow managed to combine chemistry and coffee into an open and productive workspace. As the digital nomad lifestyle becomes more and more popular, BioLab was started as a place where people could work and hold meetings in addition to getting their caffeine fix. We visited the first time because I needed a place where I could submit our visa request for Vietnam and print out some forms that would be necessary when we entered the country. We returned for our second visit because it was a quiet atmosphere with delicious coffee!
We loved BioLab, not only for the coffee but the fun science atmosphere.
Art Coffee
We stumbled upon Art Coffee by chance on our first full day in Siem Reap while looking for somewhere to cool off and plan our afternoon. Decorated with tile floors and plants hanging from the ceiling, it was a funky place to sit and sip our drinks. Although Jon ordered our typical iced coffee, I elected for something different with a iced green tea. It was a refreshing beverage for such a hot day!
Art Coffee is small, but not lacking in decorations or quality drinks!
Noir Café
Noir Café is housed in the back corner of a grocery store. They offer a multitude of coffee drinks and pastries as well as a limited menu of deli-style meals. We browsed the aisles of the store while waiting for our food and ended up purchasing a few local snacks to try later in the day. Grilled panini sandwiches may not be the most local type of dish, but they were a tasty treat for us!
Noir Café offers a lot of different pastries and coffees, as well as a full lunch menu!
Pages Café
We visited Pages Café for breakfast one morning after touring temples at the Angkor Complex. Hot and tired by 10am, we wanted a quiet place with good food where we could relax. Pages fit the bill, being set back from the main street and offering a limited menu. A chalkboard sat next to the counter which listed four options for breakfast (Healthy, English, Asian, or Continental were our choices). I chose the English breakfast, one of my favorites, and Jon selected the Healthy breakfast. We both drank freshly squeeze orange juice and delicious coffee, which were welcome treats after our early morning adventures!
Pages Café served a delicious and healthy breakfast; exactly what we needed after a long, hot morning of touring temples!
Little Red Fox Espresso
After a bit of research on coffeeshops in the area, I knew that I wanted to visit Little Red Fox. Located a couple streets over from our guesthouse, we went one morning specifically to try their slow drip coffee. It took a few minutes to arrive, but the wait was well worth it – a smooth, flavorful coffee served with a small carafe of milk on the side. I selected a bagel and cream cheese (a rarity in Asia) to accompany my coffee for bunch, but Jon decided upon a big chocolate chip cookie from the display case next to us. It was clear that the employees took great care making the coffee to ensure the exact flavor profile was served each time.
The coffee at Little Red Fox was special and worth the visit!
Temple Café and Bakery
The Temple Café and Bakery sits on a corner street, across the canal from one of the temples in Siem Reap, Wat Preah Prom Rath. A large and busy café, we had to wait a few minutes for a table but were able to snag a corner booth next to the window. Different combinations of items were offered so we both ordered a platter with mushrooms, beans, sausage (typically a hot dog rather than the breakfast sausage we are used to in the USA), a croissant, a mini-eggs benedict, small bowl of fresh fruit, and small bowl of yogurt. The food was filling and delicious, making it a enjoyable breakfast for us on Easter morning.
Our Easter morning breakfast was at Temple Café and gave us a good sampling of dishes to try.
The Old House
Wanting to sample some local Khmer food, we went to The Old House one evening for dinner. A three-course dinner was offered for $6, with a handful of choices for each course. Our appetizers consisted of a papaya salad and crispy wontons. Jon ordered the Khmer version of cashew chicken for his main course and I enjoyed fish amok (a local fish dish in a yellow pepper sauce, served with rice). We had the same thing for dessert – sweet bananas in a cream sauce. I loved the fish amok so much that I ordered it a few more times before leaving Cambodia! I only wish I had a good recipe so I could try to recreate it at home.
I tried papaya salad a few times during our travels in Asia and each time was better than the last!
Street vendors
In addition to the various cafes and restaurants that we frequented during our time in Siem Reap, we also tried the local street food around the city. In the night market and along the river, vendors were set up with portable kitchens and easy-to-make dishes. In addition to the usual noodle and rice stir-fries, we also tried a local treat – coconut rice cakes. Street food was a quick, cheap, and easy way to eat dinner; we either joined the locals on the small plastic stools set up nearby or took boxes back to our guesthouse to eat on the balcony.
We ate a few dinners from the street stalls lining the road next to the river. Quick, cheap, and convenient!
We tried these coconut rice cakes, but one or two was enough for me!