#1★ 4.9
Gaggan Anand
Bangkok · $$$$
🍽️
Restaurants — Cambodia & SEA
50 hand-picked restaurants across Cambodia and Southeast Asia. Fine dining, street food, cafés.
🏆 Top 10 Picks
#2★ 4.8
Cuisine Wat Damnak
Siem Reap · $$$
#3★ 4.8
Nahm
Bangkok · $$$$
#4★ 4.8
Sushi Masato
Bangkok · $$$$
#5★ 4.8
Sorn
Bangkok · $$$$
#6★ 4.7
Topaz
Phnom Penh · $$$$
#7★ 4.7
Pou Kitchen
Siem Reap · $$
#8★ 4.7
Kravanh
Phnom Penh · $$$
#9★ 4.7
Madame Lam
Ho Chi Minh City · $$$
#10★ 4.7
Jay Fai
Bangkok · $$
🍲Khmer Traditional(9)
Khmer Kitchen
★ 4.5Siem Reap, Cambodia · $$ · Khmer
Old town standby near Pub Street. Consistently good, traveler-friendly Khmer menu.
Must order: Pumpkin custard, Khmer curry
Romdeng
★ 4.5Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Khmer
Part of Friends International's training program. Modern Khmer with traditional roots.
Must order: Fried tarantula, Fish Amok
Sugar Palm
★ 4.5Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Traditional Khmer
Heritage house turned restaurant. Chef Kethana's home-style Khmer.
Must order: Beef saraman, fish amok
Pou Kitchen
★ 4.7Siem Reap, Cambodia · $$ · Khmer
Family-run gem. Intimate and authentic.
Must order: Khmer curries with homemade kroeung
Ratree
★ 4.5Siem Reap, Cambodia · $$ · Khmer
Quiet courtyard restaurant in old market area.
Must order: Grilled pork ribs with tamarind
La Table Khmère
★ 4.4Siem Reap, Cambodia · $$ · Khmer
French-run Khmer. Careful presentations.
Must order: Kampot pepper beef
Coconut House
★ 4.4Kampot, Cambodia · $$ · Khmer
Family-run near the riverside. Kampot pepper showcased heavily.
Must order: Fried fish with Kampot pepper sauce
Kyaw Soe Moe
★ 4.3Battambang, Cambodia · $ · Khmer
Local fixture known for traditional soups.
Must order: Num banh chok
Corner 33
★ 4.5Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Khmer Bistro
Street-facing bistro with a well-curated Khmer menu.
Must order: Fried rice with crab
🍷Cambodia Fine Dining(12)
Malis
★ 4.6Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$$ · Modern Khmer
Chef Luu Meng's flagship. Elegant Khmer dishes in a garden setting — the benchmark for fine-dining Cambodian cuisine.
Must order: Fish Amok, Beef Lok Lak with Kampot pepper
Cuisine Wat Damnak
★ 4.8Siem Reap, Cambodia · $$$ · Khmer Contemporary
Asia's 50 Best. Chef Joannès Rivière's 5-course seasonal menu featuring Cambodian ingredients.
Must order: Seasonal tasting menu
Friends the Restaurant
★ 4.5Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Asian Fusion
Non-profit training restaurant for at-risk youth. Great tapas and creative cocktails.
Must order: Asian tapas sharing menu
Topaz
★ 4.7Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$$$ · French Fine Dining
Long-running French in Phnom Penh. Wine cellar among SEA's best.
Must order: Wine cellar tasting, French classics
Mahob Khmer
★ 4.6Siem Reap, Cambodia · $$$ · Khmer
Chef Sothea's thoughtful modern Khmer. Private garden setting.
Must order: Nom Banh Chok soup, beef carpaccio
Sombai
★ 4.4Siem Reap, Cambodia · $$ · Infused rice wine bar
Cambodia's first artisanal rice-wine producer. Stylish pairing menus.
Must order: Ginger & red chili infused rice wine
Kravanh
★ 4.7Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$$ · Fine Khmer
Chef Nak's minimalist interpretation of Khmer. Pop-up turned permanent.
Must order: Banana-flower salad, amok trey
Pot & Pan
★ 4.4Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Asian Fusion
Shared plates in a sleek space. Cambodian meets modern Asian.
Must order: Crispy fish ribs
Eleven One Kitchen
★ 4.6Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$$ · Modern Asian
Creative tasting menus. Known for local sourcing.
Must order: Seasonal chef's menu
Meric at Hotel de la Paix
★ 4.6Siem Reap, Cambodia · $$$ · Khmer French
Hotel restaurant that rose above its category. Refined Khmer with French touches.
Must order: Curry amok tasting
Jardín del Mar
★ 4.4Sihanoukville, Cambodia · $$$ · Seafood
Beachfront seafood with Portuguese touches.
Must order: Grilled snapper with tamarind
Rikitikitavi
★ 4.6Kampot, Cambodia · $$$ · Asian Fusion
Kampot riverside rooftop with ambitious menu.
Must order: Lok lak
🥢Cambodia Street Food(2)
Phnom Penh Night Market
★ 4.3Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $ · Street Food
Riverside hawker center. Grilled meats, noodles, fruit shakes after sunset.
Must order: Grilled chicken with kroeung, prahok
Russian Market (Toul Tom Poung)
★ 4.5Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $ · Street Food
Legendary food court inside Russian Market. Backpacker staple.
Must order: Bai Sach Chrouk (pork and rice breakfast)
🍜Vietnam(4)
Pho 24
★ 4.3Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam · $ · Vietnamese
Ubiquitous pho chain. Reliable bowl anywhere in Vietnam.
Must order: Pho bo tai (rare beef pho)
Pho 2000
★ 4.2Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam · $ · Vietnamese
Bill Clinton ate here in 2000. Authentic pho institution.
Must order: Pho ga (chicken pho)
Madame Lam
★ 4.7Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam · $$$ · Vietnamese Fine
Heritage Vietnamese in a French villa.
Must order: Clay-pot caramelized fish
Bún Chả Hương Liên
★ 4.5Hanoi, Vietnam · $ · Vietnamese
The Obama & Bourdain bún chả spot. Still worth the hype.
Must order: Bún chả with nem
🌶️Thailand(5)
Nahm
★ 4.8Bangkok, Thailand · $$$$ · Thai
David Thompson's Thai masterclass. Michelin-starred.
Must order: Rice-cracker with pork and peanuts
Jay Fai
★ 4.7Bangkok, Thailand · $$ · Street Food
Only Michelin-star street food. The goggled grandmother legend.
Must order: Crab omelette
Gaggan Anand
★ 4.9Bangkok, Thailand · $$$$ · Progressive Indian
Chef Gaggan's 25-course emoji tasting menu. One of Asia's most memorable.
Must order: Yogurt spherification "explosion"
Sorn
★ 4.8Bangkok, Thailand · $$$$ · Southern Thai
Southern Thai tasting menu. 2-Michelin-star.
Must order: Khua kling
Raan Jay Fai (Thai Kitchen)
★ 4.6Bangkok, Thailand · $$ · Thai
Street food landmark. Queue starts at 2pm for 5pm open.
Must order: Drunken noodles, crab omelette
🍣Japan in SEA(4)
Sushi Masato
★ 4.8Bangkok, Thailand · $$$$ · Japanese
Edomae sushi omakase in Bangkok. Michelin-starred.
Must order: Tuna flight
Sushi Mori
★ 4.5Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$$ · Japanese
Best sushi in Cambodia. Omakase in BKK1.
Must order: Omakase sushi
Tokyo Dining
★ 4.3Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Japanese
Budget-friendly Japanese. Popular lunch set.
Must order: Tonkatsu set
Ramen Noj
★ 4.6Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Ramen
Tonkotsu ramen. Japanese-trained owner.
Must order: Pork tonkotsu ramen
🌍International(8)
Apron Restaurant
★ 4.5Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$$ · European
Chef Vellema runs this Raffles-linked European fine-dining room.
Must order: Sea bass with saffron
Le Grand Café
★ 4.5Kampot, Cambodia · $$$ · French
French brasserie in colonial building.
Must order: Duck confit
Pomme
★ 4.5Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$$ · French
Tiny French bistro with a dedicated local following.
Must order: Steak frites
Ada
★ 4.5Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Turkish
Authentic Turkish with proper kebabs and pides.
Must order: Iskender kebab
El Mundo
★ 4.4Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Spanish / Tapas
Tapas bar with wine list. Friendly bartenders.
Must order: Patatas bravas, Iberico ham
Roma Pizza & Mondo Gelato
★ 4.4Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Italian
Wood-fired pizzas and Italian-trained gelato chef.
Must order: Margherita, pistachio gelato
Moroccan Kitchen
★ 4.3Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Moroccan
Tagines and couscous in Phnom Penh.
Must order: Lamb tagine
Tepui
★ 4.6Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$$ · Latin American
Andean / Latin-fusion with Venezuelan chef.
Must order: Arepas, ceviche
☕Cafés(6)
Brown Coffee
★ 4.4Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Café
Cambodia's homegrown coffee chain. 100+ branches nationwide.
Must order: Cambodian espresso, coconut pastries
Amazon Café
★ 4.2Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Café
Thai-origin café. Reliable AC and wifi.
Must order: Cappuccino, croissants
Sister Srey Café
★ 4.6Siem Reap, Cambodia · $$ · Café
Social enterprise café by the river. Big breakfasts.
Must order: Smashed avocado, Big Aussie Breakfast
The Little Red Fox Espresso
★ 4.7Siem Reap, Cambodia · $$ · Café
Locally-roasted coffee in Kandal Village. Breakfast crowd favorite.
Must order: Flat white, vegan brunch bowl
Ray-Ban Coffee (Café Anise)
★ 4.2Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Café
Cozy corner café popular with students.
Must order: Iced coconut coffee
The Shop
★ 4.5Phnom Penh, Cambodia · $$ · Bakery / Café
French-influenced bakery cafe with multiple locations.
Must order: Pain au chocolat
About these restaurant picks
Focus is on Cambodia (where we live), with coverage of Bangkok, HCMC, Hanoi, and other key SEA food cities. Every pick has been vetted for consistency — one great meal doesn't earn a recommendation.
Prices: $ under $10, $$ $10–25, $$$ $25–60, $$$$ $60+ per person. Ratings on a 5-point scale.