The 15 Best Bars in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Phnom Penh has 17 bars tracked in our directory. Adult nightlife in Cambodia sits in the "Illegal but Tolerated" category, which sets the door policy and the pricing structure you will encounter at every venue below. Cost tier runs $ (very cheap); safety reads 2/5 (risky). The list below caps at the top 15 venues sorted by Google rating, with review count as the tiebreaker so a 5-star venue with three reviews ranks below a 4.6-star venue with eight hundred.
1Rose Bar
Street 104 · Bar
5.02 reviewsOne of the original hostess bars on Street 104 and still among the largest, with a high staff count and an established regulars crowd. Open evenings through late night.
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2Marine Bar
Street 104 · Bar
4.68 reviewsCompact hostess bar with a pool table, friendly owner, and a private KTV room for karaoke sessions. Lady drinks $4 and bar fines at the low end of the street ($10).
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3Oscar's On The Corner
Street 104 · Bar
4.3347 reviewsCorner anchor of Street 104 at the intersection with Street 13, with a smoking terrace, two bar counters, and live music from around 10 PM. Lady drinks $4, beer $2, bar fine $10.
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4Tiger Bar 136
Street 136 · Bar
4.390 reviewsHigh-energy venue running live DJ sets and dance shows through the evening. Open-front layout with stools facing the street and a sizable hostess staff.
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5The Factory 104
Street 104 · Bar
4.358 reviewsLargest hostess bar on Street 104, built from two former venues into a multi-level space with two ground-floor counters, five upstairs VIP rooms, a jacuzzi suite, and a street-facing balcony. Open seven nights from 7:30 PM.
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6Air Force Bar
Street 104 · Bar
4.358 reviewsRecently expanded hostess bar with a separate pool table room, sizable staff, and one of the larger floor plans on the strip. Sits beside Oscar's at the riverfront end of the lane.
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7Score Bar 136
Street 136 · Bar
4.21,101 reviewsTwo-level venue with a pool table, private KTV rooms, and a large open-air section on the second floor. Mix of hostess service and standard bar seating.
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8Xanadu Bar
Street 136 · Bar
4.193 reviewsLong-running hostess bar with a large staff count and a steady party atmosphere most nights. Lady drinks around $4.50, draft beer at standard strip prices.
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9OSTEX Bar 136
Street 136 · Bar
3.7366 reviewsSelf-described largest hostess bar on the strip, with a resident DJ, scheduled dance shows, multiple pool tables, and a row of upstairs VIP rooms. A common first stop for visitors learning how the scene works.
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10Route 136
Street 136 · Bar
3.7366 reviewsOne of the larger hostess bars on the street (formerly Cozy Bar), recently doubled in size. Music, pool table, and a wide rotation of hostesses on shift.
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11Zeppelin Bar
Street 136 · Bar
Rock-themed backpacker bar covered in classic rock memorabilia and band posters. Cheap draught beer and a reliably rowdy crowd after 10 PM.
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12Mad Monkey Bar
Street 136 · Bar
Hostel bar that doubles as the social hub of the backpacker strip. Beer pong, drink specials, and organized pub crawls make it the default starting point for budget travelers.
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13Eighty8 Backpackers
Street 136 · Bar
Open-front bar serving dollar beers and cheap cocktails to a rotating cast of backpackers. Music is whatever the bartender feels like playing.
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14Birdcage Bar
Street 136 · Bar
Compact drinking spot with a laid-back reggae-to-pop soundtrack. One of the quieter options on the strip, good for conversation before the late-night chaos.
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15Shanghai Bar
Street 136 · Bar
No-frills corner bar that's been part of the Street 136 scene for years. Pool table, bucket drinks, and a crowd that skews young and international.
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Why these venues
The ranking pulls every bar in our Phnom Penh directory and orders by Google's public rating, then by review count as a tiebreaker. A venue with a 4.6 average and a thousand reviews ranks above a 4.9 average with twelve, on the principle that depth of feedback matters more than headline score. We do not weight by recency, distance from a single district, or category-specific factors. For pricing, hours, address, and the surrounding district context, open the venue page through any list item above.
See more lists for Phnom Penh in the Phnom Penh best-of hub, the district tier list, or the full Phnom Penh city guide.