Best Pizza Places in Phnom Penh: Where to Go for a Proper Slice

Most visitors arrive in Phnom Penh expecting bowls of nom banh chok and strong iced coffee, not blistered sourdough crusts and leopard-spotted Neapolitan pies. Yet the city has quietly built one of Southeast Asia’s more compelling pizza scenes, and I have spent the better part of five years eating my way through it. This is not a list of flashy names copied from a search engine; it is a personal, street-level look at the best pizza places in Phnom Penh, where the ovens are hot, the owners are often in the room, and the city’s chaotic energy somehow melts into every slice.

Best Pizza Places in Phnom Penh: Where the Ovens Do the Talking

1. Pizza Company (BKK1 and beyond)

You will spot Pizza Company’s green signage in BKK1, on Norodom Boulevard, and in a handful of other central spots, and it is easy to dismiss it as a chain. That would be a mistake. This is one of the top pizza restaurants Phnom Penh locals actually return to week after week, especially families and office groups who want consistency without gambling on a new kitchen. The crust lands somewhere between thin-cutter and medium American style, with a slightly sweet, tomato-heavy sauce that pairs surprisingly well with the local habit of squeezing fresh lime over everything.

Order the “Hawaiian Supreme” if you want to see how Cambodian tastes have reshaped an old classic. It comes loaded with pineapple, of course, but also with a scatter of dried shrimp and a drizzle of sweet chili sauce that would horrify anyone from Hawaii. The BKK1 branch fills up fast on Friday and Saturday nights around 7:30 p.m., so aim for a 6:30 p.m. table or a weekday lunch when the staff actually have time to chat. Most tourists never notice the small condiment station near the back, where you can grab extra pickled papaya, crushed peanuts, and a fiery bird’s eye chili mix to customize each slice.

Local tip: if you are staying near the BKK1 location, walk one block east in the late afternoon and you will see a woman selling fresh coconut rice cakes from a cart. Grab one before dinner. It sounds odd, but the sweet, slightly smoky flavor primes your palate for the rich, cheese-heavy pies inside. Pizza Company is not trying to be trendy, and that is exactly why it works in a city where food trends can vanish in a season.

2. The Pizza Company’s Quieter Sibling: Yuki Beach (Bassac Riverfront)

A short tuk-tuk ride from the usual traffic of BKK1, Yuki Beach sits along the Bassac riverfront and feels like a different city. Technically it is a Japanese-owned café and bar, but its wood-fired pizza has quietly earned a spot in any serious Phnom Penh pizza guide. The oven is small, which means the kitchen turns out pies at a steady but unhurried pace. You order at the counter, grab a plastic chair under a string of lights, and watch longtail boats drift by while you wait.

The “Miso Margherita” is the sleeper hit here. It uses a base of white miso and tomato sauce, with local buffalo mozzarella that stretches without turning into a puddle. Go on a weekday evening around 6:00 p.m., when the heat has eased and the river breeze actually reaches your table. Weekends can be rough: the outdoor seating gets uncomfortably warm in peak summer, and the limited shade means you will be sweating into your wine by the second slice.

Most visitors do not realize that Yuki Beach is a favorite after-work spot for staff from several NGOs and embassies tucked into the side streets nearby. If you sit long enough, you will hear Khmer, English, Japanese, and French bouncing around you, which is Phnom Penh in a single riverside snapshot. The pizza here is not trying to reinvent the wheel; it is just a very good wheel, baked in a small oven and eaten with your hands while the city hums behind you.

Where to Eat Pizza Phnom Penh: Neighborhood Deep Dives

3. Kiyomi (Russian Market area)

Kiyomi sits a few blocks east of the Russian Market, on a side street that most taxi drivers know only as “near Tuol Tompoung.” It is a Japanese-run restaurant that has been quietly feeding the city’s expat community for years, and its pizza menu is one of the most underrated in town. The dough is thin, slightly chewy, and baked in a proper stone oven that gives the edges a gentle char without turning them into cardboard.

Order the “Ebi Pizza” if you are feeling adventurous. It comes with a swipe of mayo-based sauce, plump local prawns, a sprinkle of nori, and a drizzle of sweet soy that somehow works better than it sounds. The best time to visit is weekday lunch, around 12:30 p.m., when the set menu includes a small salad and a drink for a fraction of the dinner price. By 1:30 p.m., the room fills with Japanese business travelers and a handful of Khmer food bloggers who have figured out what you are about to learn.

Local tip: ask for the “spicy oil” that the kitchen makes in-house. It is not on the menu, but they will bring you a small jar of chili-infused sesame oil that transforms the crust. Kiyomi is a reminder that Phnom Penh’s food scene is not just about Khmer cuisine; it is a patchwork of communities that have planted themselves here over the last two decades, each quietly perfecting their own corner of the city’s palate.

4. Brick and Bottle (Bassac Lane)

If you have spent any time on Bassac Lane, you already know the street is a microcosm of modern Phnom Penh: part expat hangout, part local hangout, part experiment in what a city can become when rent is still cheap enough to take risks. Brick and Bottle sits right in the middle of it, a European-style bistro with a wood-burning oven that anchors the room. The pizza list is short, but every option feels deliberate.

The “Tartufo” is the one to order. It comes with a base of cream and mushroom sauce, a scatter of local truffle oil (not the real thing, but a decent approximation), and a generous layer of melted fontina. Go on a weeknight around 7:00 p.m., when the lane is lively but not yet at full shout. Friday and Saturday nights can be loud, and the narrow sidewalk seating means you will be elbow-to-elbow with strangers, which is either a feature or a bug depending on your mood.

Most tourists do not realize that the owner sources vegetables from a small farm on the outskirts of the city, near the old airport road. If you ask nicely, the staff might show you the chalkboard in the back that lists which farms delivered that week. Brick and Bottle is not the cheapest stop on this list, but it is one of the few places where you can taste the city’s slow tilt toward a more connected, farm-aware food culture.

5. Piccola Italia (Street 308 corridor)

Tucked into the busy Street 308 corridor, near the intersection with B6, Piccola Italia is the kind of place you walk past three times before you notice the small sign and the faint smell of garlic drifting out the door. It is a tiny, family-run spot with a wood-fired oven that dominates the back wall and a handful of tables that fill up fast. This is where to eat pizza Phnom Penh if you want something that feels more like a neighborhood secret than a branded experience.

The “Quattro Stagioni” is the classic order here, split into four sections with artichokes, mushrooms, ham, and olives. The crust is thin, slightly blistered, and has a chew that tells you the dough has been fermenting for at least 24 hours. Aim for an early dinner around 6:00 p.m., before the small room gets smoky and the wait times stretch past 30 minutes. Lunch can be hit or miss; the oven sometimes takes a while to reach full temperature on slower days.

Local tip: the family lives upstairs, and the grandmother often appears around 8:00 p.m. to check on the dining room. If you are there at the right time, she might sit down for a minute and tell you, in a mix of Italian and Khmer, about how the oven was built by a local mason who had never seen a pizza oven before. Piccola Italia is a small thread in the larger story of Phnom Penh’s growth, a city where families from different continents have planted roots and turned side streets into micro-neighborhoods.

Top Pizza Restaurants Phnom Penh: Casual, Late-Night, and Offbeat

6. Pizzeria Italia (near Olympic Stadium)

A few blocks from the old Olympic Stadium, Pizzeria Italia sits on a side street that still feels like 1990s Phnom Penh, even as new condos rise around it. The stadium itself is a relic of a different era, a symbol of the city’s brief mid-century flirtation with grand projects, and the pizzeria has outlasted most of the businesses that once surrounded it. The oven is gas-fired, not wood, which gives the crust a different texture: less char, more bread-like, but still satisfying.

Order the “Cambodian Spicy” if you want a pie that leans local. It comes with a base of tomato sauce, a generous scatter of fresh red chili, local sausage, and a handful of shredded green mango that adds a sharp, sour bite. The best time to visit is late, around 9:30 p.m., when the street outside has cooled and the small room fills with a mix of students, security guards, and night-shift workers. Lunch is quieter, but the kitchen is slower, and you may wait longer than you expect.

Most visitors never notice the small photo wall near the entrance, where the owner has pinned up faded pictures of the stadium in its heyday. It is a quiet reminder that Phnom Penh’s food scene does not exist in a vacuum; it grows in the shadow of the city’s history, in buildings that have seen decades of change. Pizzeria Italia is not fancy, but it is honest, and in a city that is changing fast, that counts for something.

7. The Station Food Hall (St. 19 near Riverside)

The Station is a converted warehouse on Street 19, a short walk from the river, and it has become one of the more interesting food halls in the city. Inside, you will find a small pizza stall that turns out thin-crust pies from a compact electric oven. It is not the main draw of the building, but it has earned a loyal following among people who come for the craft beer and stay for the food.

The “Pepperoni Volante” is the go-to order here, a simple pepperoni pie with a slightly sweet sauce and a crust that snaps more than it chews. Go on a weekday evening around 6:30 p.m., when the hall is lively but not yet at full capacity. Weekends can be rough: the Wi-Fi drops out near the back tables, and the noise level makes conversation a challenge.

Local tip: grab a seat on the mezzanine level if you want a quieter experience. From there, you can look down at the open kitchen and watch the pizzaiolo work, a small performance that most people miss. The Station is a snapshot of Phnom Penh’s evolving social life, a place where the city’s younger, more globally connected crowd gathers to eat, drink, and pretend they are in a city with better public transport.

8. Red Pepper (B6 near Monivong)

Red Pepper sits on a quiet stretch of B6, near the Monivong Boulevard intersection, and it is one of those places that locals mention in passing, assuming you already know about it. The restaurant is small, with a wood-fired oven that dominates the back wall and a menu that leans heavily on Italian classics. The pizza list is short, but every option feels considered.

The “Salsiccia e Friarielli” is the standout here, a pie with local sausage, a scatter of bitter greens, and a drizzle of olive oil that ties it together. The crust is thin, slightly charred, and has a flavor that tells you the dough has been fermenting for at least 48 hours. Aim for a late lunch around 1:30 p.m., when the lunch crowd has thinned and the kitchen has time to focus on each order. Dinner can be hit or miss; the small room fills up fast, and the wait times can stretch past 40 minutes.

Most tourists do not realize that the owner spent several years working in a small town in Tuscany before returning to Phnom Penh. If you ask, he might tell you about the differences between Italian and Khmer dough, a conversation that will either deepen your appreciation for the food or put you to sleep. Red Pepper is a quiet reminder that the best pizza places in Phnom Penh are not always the loudest; sometimes they are the ones that have been perfecting their craft in the background while the city grows around them.

Phnom Penh Pizza Guide: When to Go and What to Know

If you are planning a pizza-focused crawl through the city, timing matters. Most of the top pizza restaurants Phnom Penh has to do their best work in the early evening, between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., when the ovens have reached full temperature and the staff are not yet overwhelmed. Weekdays are generally better than weekends, especially at smaller spots like Piccola Italia and Red Pepper, where the limited seating fills up fast.

Transport is another consideration. The city’s traffic can turn a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride into a 30-minute ordeal, especially during rush hour. If you are staying near BKK1 or the riverside, you can walk to several of the places on this list. If you are venturing further, like to Pizzeria Italia near the Olympic Stadium, plan your route in advance and expect delays. Most places accept cash in U.S. dollars, which is the de facto second currency in Phnom Penh, but small bills are easier to use.

Finally, remember that pizza in Phnom Penh is not just about the food; it is about the context. You will eat pies in converted warehouses, on riverfront plastic chairs, in family-run rooms where the owner’s grandmother is watching from the corner. The city’s history, its growth, its mix of cultures, all of it seeps into the crust. If you come with that in mind, you will leave with more than just a full stomach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Phnom Penh expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.

A mid-tier traveler can expect to spend around $50 to $70 per day, including a private room in a guesthouse or small hotel for $15 to $25, meals at decent local and international restaurants for $15 to $25, and tuk-tuk or taxi transport for $10 to $15. Adding a few drinks or a nicer dinner can push the total closer to $80 or $90, but it is possible to eat well without spending that much.

What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Phnom Penh is famous for?

You should try fresh fish amok, a steamed curry made with coconut milk and lemongrass, which is widely available at local restaurants for around $3 to $6. For a drink, grab a sugarcane juice from a street vendor for about 1,000 to 2,000 Cambodian riel (roughly $0.25 to $0.50), often sold from small carts along the riverside and near markets.

How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Phnom Penh?

It is relatively easy in central areas like BKK1 and the riverside, where several dedicated vegetarian and vegan restaurants operate, and many international spots label plant-based options clearly. Outside these zones, options thin out, but most local restaurants can prepare a stir-fried vegetable dish or a tofu-based soup if you ask, though you should specify that you do not want fish sauce or shrimp paste.

Is the tap water in Phnom Penh safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?

Tap water in Phnom Penh is not safe to drink, and travelers should rely on bottled or filtered water, which is widely available in shops and restaurants for around $0.50 to $1 per liter. Most hotels and guesthouses provide complimentary filtered or boiled water, and many restaurants use filtered water for cooking and ice, but you should confirm this if you have a sensitive stomach.

Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Phnom Penh?

There is no strict dress code at most casual restaurants and street stalls, but you should cover your shoulders and knees when visiting pagodas or more traditional settings, and remove your shoes if you see a pile of footwear at the entrance. When eating with locals, it is polite to wait for the oldest person at the table to start eating first, and using your right hand to pass items is considered more respectful.