Cambodia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 87

Angkor Palm Hospital St T 063 761436, W angkorpalm
.com. Smart-looking but budget-friendly restaurant
offering an above-average selection of authentic Khmer
cooking - although you'll have to get the waiters to
explain what's in some of the more recondite dishes.
Mains cost just $3.50-5, although rice is an extra $2. Daily
9am-10.30pm.
Blue Pumpkin Hospital St. The original branch of this
hugely popular café-cum-bakery (now with outlets all
round town). Construct your own snack or picnic from a
wide selection of freshly baked breads, sandwiches, cakes,
shakes and ice creams. A second branch is located nearby
on Sivatha Blvd. Daily 6am-11pm.
Butterflies Garden St 25 T 063 761 211, W butterflies
ofangkor.com. Tranquil garden café with colourful butter-
flies (bought from local children and released every few
days) flitting between the tables. The menu features the
usual Khmer ($4-5) and Western ($5-8) mains. Daily
8am-11pm.
FCC Pokambor Av T 063 760280, W fcccambodia.com.
Siem Reap's branch of the Foreign Correspondents' Club
provides a memorable setting for top-notch Western
and Asian food (mains around $8) or a drink at the
attractive terrace bar. Daily 7am-midnight (bar open
from 5pm).
For Life The Lane T 012 545426, W forliferestaurant
.com. A local expat favourite, slightly away from the
tourist hordes, serving excellent, authentic Khmer food
at very competitive prices, with almost everything for $4
(including rice) or under. Daily 11am-11pm.
Happy Herbs Pizza Hospital St T 092 459525. One-stop
backpackers' café with a menu as long as your arm and
featuring just about every kind of dish you could think
of, including good breakfasts, myriad Khmer dishes
($3.50) and some of the best pizzas in town ($6.50). Daily
7.30am-9pm.
Haven Sok San St T 078 342404, W havencambodia.com.
Peaceful Swiss-run restaurant tucked away on a quiet(ish)
side street and helping to train disadvantaged local kids.
Food features well-prepared and presented Khmer and
Asian classics ($5-6) plus a small but well-chosen
selection of Western dishes ($6-7). Booking is usually
essential, although you might get lucky at lunch during
the low season. Mon, Tues & Thurs-Sat 11.30am-2.30pm
(last orders), Wed 11.30am-2.30pm (last orders) & 5.30-
9.30 (last orders).
Khmer Kitchen The Passage T 063 966353, W khmer
kitchens.com. Inexpensive, family-run restaurant that
provides great authentic Khmer home cooking with the
occasional modern twist, plus a few Thai dishes. All mains
$4 (including rice). Daily 10.30am-11pm.
New Leaf Book Café Off Pokambor Ave T 063 766016,
W newleafbookcafe.org. Good-looking and sociable little
café with lots of secondhand books for sale lined up

TREAT YOURSELF
Borann l'Auberge des Temples North
of NR6 T 063 964740, W borann.com.
Intimate little lodge with just twenty
rooms in five bungalows spread around
extensive gardens stuffed with trees and
shrubs. Rooms are beautifully designed
with traditional Khmer styling (but no TVs
- which adds to the general sense of
peace), and th ere's a big pool and decent
restaurant. $59

★

2

European Off St 20 T 012 582237, W european
-guesthouse.com. Quiet and friendly and with large,
spotless a/c rooms (all en-suite with hot water) set around
an attractive, shady garden. Double $18
Mom's Wat Bo St T 012 630170, W momguesthouse
.com. Long-running place, more of a hotel now than a
guesthouse, but still owned by the same original family.
Rooms (all en-suite with hot water, a/c, safe and fridge)
are spacious, spotless and attractively furn ished, and
there's also a nice little pool. B&B. Double $22
Shadow of Angkor II Wat Bo St T 063 760363,
W shadowofangkor.com. Competitively priced (albeit
fairly characterless) modern hotel with pool, restaurant
and spacious a/c rooms, some kitt ed out with traditional
Khmer wood furniture. Double $20
Siem Reap Hostel 7 Makara, T 063 964660, W thesiem
reaphostel.com. Siem Reap's best hostel - a lot more
comfortable and stylish than your average backpacker
dive. Beds are in a mix of attractive dorms and well-
equipped a/c rooms, and there's also a small spa and
pool, library, po ol table, y oga c lasses, movie screenings
and more. Dorm $5 , double $28
★

Two Dragons St 20 T 063 965107, W twodragons
-asia.com. One of the best of the many family guesthouses
in this part of town, popular with local expats and long-
stay visitors. The spacious and attractively furnished
rooms all come with a/c, hot water and cable TV, and
there's a small restaurant out front serving up a good
range of Thai, Khmer and Western food. Double $15

EATING
Siem Reap has a huge selection of restaurants catering
to tourist tastes; for something more authentic and
affordable, head for the markets and the cheap fruit stalls
on the eastern side of the river near National Route 6.
AHA The Passage T 063 965501, W shintamani.com. One
of the hippest little restaurants in town, with urban-chic
decor and excellent Khmer and contemporary Asian food
given an international twist (mains $7-10). Come for
dinner or just a drink and a plate of international tapas.
Daily 11.30am-9.30pm.