Best Craft Beer Bars in Phnom Penh for Serious Beer Drinkers

If you have spent any real time drinking in this city, you already understand that the bar scene in Phnom Penh has shifted hard in the last decade, and the old notion that you have to settle for a warm Angkor on draft no longer holds water. I have spent years working my way through the best craft beer bars in Phnom Penh, dragging friends into basements, onto rooftops, and down alleys most tuk-tuk drivers have never heard of, and I am still finding new taps every month. This is a city where the taproom culture is young, scrappy, and weirdly international, where Cambodian-owned operations sit happily beside expat-founded breweries, and where every serious drinker I know has a strong opinion about which pour is worth the ride. What follows is my honest, slightly opinionated map of where to drink if you actually care about what is in your glass.

The Rise of Local Breweries Phnom Penh, and Why It Matters

The story of craft beer in this city really begins with a handful of people who got tired of waiting for something better to arrive. When the first small operations started contracting and bottling in the early 2010s, most of them were run by expats with day jobs and Khmer partners who understood the licensing maze. Now there are at least half a dozen local breweries Phnom Penh residents can name without thinking, and several of them pour at multiple bars around town. That growth has changed what people expect from a night out. You can sit at a riverside table in BKK1 and drink a properly hopped IPA brewed fifteen kilometers away in a warehouse on the outskirts of the city, and that, more than any imported six-pack, is what makes the current scene feel alive.

Where the Taps Actually Live: Core Neighborhoods

Most of the action concentrates in three areas: BKK1 (Boeung Keng Kang 1), the riverfront strip around Sisowath Quay, and the pocket around Street 308 and Street 240. BKK1 is where the expat community lives and drinks, so it makes sense that several of the best rooms are within a ten-minute walk of each other there. The riverside has more tourist energy and a higher turnover of places, though a few serious rooms have staked out real estate along the quay. Street 308, running behind the Independence Monument area, has quietly become a beer corridor with two of the city's most respected taprooms within a few hundred meters of each other. If you only have one night, that last stretch is where I would tell you to start.

Hops Craft Beer Cafe

On Street 308, just south of Norodom, sits one of the few rooms in Phnom Penh that functions almost like a proper beer nerd's library. Hops runs a long, dark wooden bar and rotates roughly sixteen taps, and at any given moment you will find their own house-brewed pilsner alongside saisons, sours, and the occasional imperial stout poured from a Randall if the staff feels like showing off. The owner, a Khmer guy who trained under Belgian brewers, takes the food pairing list seriously, so don't be surprised if the bartender asks what you are eating before suggesting a glass. Order the passion fruit gose if it is on, because the version they brew uses real Kampot fruit and it is the single most refreshing thing I have ever tasted on a 38-degree day. Weeknights are calmer, which is when the staff has time to walk you through a flight, but Saturday nights get loud enough that conversation is hard after 10 pm. One thing worth knowing: they close early some Sundays for staff brews, so check their Facebook page before you ride over.

Cerevisia Brewpub

Around the corner on Street 51, in the heart of BKK1, Cerevisia is the spot I send people to when they ask where Cambodian owners actually run the show. The room is small, almost pub-sized, with a few high tables and a long bar where you can watch the brew kettle behind glass. Their signature amber ale is the best gateway beer in the city, malty enough to please lager drinkers, but the smoked porter is what converted me years ago and I still order it every visit. Pair either with the fried chicken, which is dusted in a spice blend the kitchen refuses to share with anyone. Show up between 5 and 7 pm if you want a stool, because the place fills up fast with the after-work crowd from the nearby offices, and by 8 pm there is usually a queue. One small warning: the Wi-Fi here is unreliable, so if you are planning to work over a pint, use your own data.

Botanque Factory and Taproom

Botanque is the brewery almost every Khmer craft drinker I know has a personal history with, and it sits in a converted warehouse complex off National Route 2 in a district most tourists never see. If you want to see where local breweries Phnom Penh actually produce their product, this is the pilgrimage. The taproom has a concrete floor, long communal tables, and a view straight into the brewing hall, so you can sit ten meters from the mash tun while you drink the unfiltered version of whatever just came out of the fermenter. Bring a group, order the paddles, and ask for the cellar series if it is available, because that is where the bigger stouts and barrel-aged experiments usually live. Saturdays are the most fun because the kitchen fires up a grill and the parking lot turns into an informal block party with families and stray dogs wandering between tables. The catch is the location. It is a 15-minute Grab ride from central Phnom Penh, and the road in front is dark after 9 pm, so arrange your return before the last call.

The Commons

Back in BKK1 on Street 29, The Commons is less a craft beer destination and more a craft beer pit stop, but it punches above its weight because of one simple thing: they serve Botanque and Cerevisia alongside a rotating guest tap, and the food is good enough that you end up staying for three hours. The kitchen leans American, with serious burgers and a fried chicken sandwich that holds its own, and the bar staff actually knows how to talk about beer instead of just pouring it. The rooftop is the real secret though, because it is one of the few open-air drinking spaces in the neighborhood that does not feel like it was designed for Instagram. Go on a Wednesday if you want to catch their quiz night, which pulls a friendly mix of expats and young Khmer professionals and is one of the better ways to meet people in this city without resorting to a hostel. The one downside is that parking scooters on the street outside is a small nightmare on weekends, so walk if you can.

Hard Rock Cafe, and Why I am Including It

I know, I know. But the Phnom Penh Hard Rock, on the riverfront near the foreign embassies, has quietly installed one of the more interesting craft beer taps Phnom Penh travelers rarely talk about, and they rotate Cambodian-brewed options more aggressively than most dedicated taprooms. The reason it makes this list is the memorabilia room upstairs, which is a strange and genuinely fun detour after the National Museum or the Royal Palace, especially on a hot afternoon when the air conditioning alone is worth the price of a soda. Order whatever local IPA is on draft, ask the bartender which Cambodian brewery brewed it, and then head downstairs to look at the guitar collection, which includes a stage-worn instrument from a 1990s band you will absolutely have a nostalgic reaction to. Late weekday afternoons are quietest, and the riverside patio is comfortable when the temperature drops below 32. Skip the kitchen unless you want standard American pub food at international prices.

Bouchon Brewing Co. at the Factory

Off Street 360, on the southern edge of the Russian Market area, there is a compound that used to be a garage and is now one of the most interesting hybrid spaces in the city. Bouchon runs the brewing operation in the back and a taproom and bottle shop in the front, and on Saturdays they open the whole yard for a long-table dinner that has become a quiet fixture among the city's food writers. The Belgian-style tripel is what I order every time, and I have never had a bad pint there, though I have also been partial to their rice lager, which uses Cambodian jasmine rice as an adjunct and tastes like a beer that grew up here. Bring your reusable growler if you have one, because the off-sales prices are roughly 30 percent below what you pay in the bottle shops downtown. Parking is fine but the surrounding streets flood during heavy July rains, so plan your visit for the dry months if you can.

Rock Blues Bar and the Riverfront Crawl

Strictly speaking, Rock Blues on Sisowath Quay is a live music bar first and a craft beer room second, but the owner has built relationships with so many microbrewery Phnom Penh operations that the tap list now includes four or five local options at any time. The reason to come is the band, which rotates Khmer rock outfits who play a mix of original material and covers that lean toward 1970s Cambodian rock, a sound this city is rightfully proud of. Order the house pale ale, find a stool near the back, and stay for at least one full set. Friday and Saturday are the strongest nights musically, and the room gets crowded enough that you will end up talking to strangers, which is the point. One thing most tourists miss: the upstairs balcony has a view of the confluence of the Tonle Sap and the Mekong that is better than anything you will get at the rooftop hotel bars two blocks north, and it costs about the same as one pint.

Pour Choices in Phnom Penh

The newest dedicated taproom on my list sits on Street 51, almost across the street from Cerevisia, which is either competition or symbiosis depending on who you ask. Pour Choices opened in the last two years with a serious commitment to rotating guest taps, and on a recent visit I counted eleven craft beer taps Phnom Penh locals actually care about, plus a small bottle fridge that leans Belgian and German. The room is narrow and bright, with big windows that open onto the sidewalk, and the bartender on my last visit was a Khmer woman who had just come back from a brewing course in Belgium and could explain the difference between a kettle sour and a Berliner weisse without sounding like a textbook. Order the flight if it is your first time, because the lineup changes weekly. The neighborhood around it is dead after 9 pm, so plan to start here and walk to Cerevisia before the kitchen closes.

Little Bianchi and the Italian-Cambodian Crossover

A short ride south of the center, in the Tonle Bassac neighborhood, Little Bianchi is technically a pizzeria, but the owner also runs a side project that distributes small-batch Cambodian-brewed beer to a handful of restaurants, and his own tap list includes three or four local options alongside the Italian imports. The pizzas are wood-fired and excellent, and the dining room has the relaxed feeling of a place that has been in business long enough to know its regulars by name. Come for dinner around 7 pm, order a local saison to start, and ask the owner about his latest collaboration brew, because he usually has a small batch that does not get distributed beyond the restaurant. The neighborhood is quieter than BKK1 and the streets are easier to navigate, which makes this a good option if you want a sit-down dinner without the scooter noise.

Mekong Brewing Taproom

In the Chroy Changvar district, just across the Japanese Bridge from the old city, Mekong Brewing has set up a taproom that doubles as a working brewery and a small restaurant overlooking the river. The setting is one of the better views in the city, and because it sits slightly outside the tourist loop, the crowd is mostly Khmer families and expats who have figured out the commute. The pilsner is the house pour and the one most people order, but the seasonal fruit beers, made with whatever is in season at the local markets, are the reason I keep coming back. Order the chicken skewers and ask for the dipping sauce that the kitchen makes only when the brewer is on-site, because it has a fermented chili base that you will not find anywhere else. Weekday afternoons are peaceful and the patio catches the late afternoon breeze off the river, which is the single best time to be there.

When to Go and What to Know

The Phnom Penh craft beer scene runs on its own clock, and a few practical notes will save you some frustration. The cool season, from November to February, is the most pleasant time to drink outside, and most taprooms add patio seating during these months. The rainy season, roughly June through September, brings 30-minute downpours that flood some of the streets around the riverfront, so check the forecast before you commit to a tuk-tuk ride to a warehouse brewery. Most craft rooms open around 4 or 5 pm and close between 11 pm and midnight, with the dedicated taprooms usually closing earlier than the live music venues. Prices for a pint of local craft run between $3.50 and $6.00 USD, and a flight of four beers typically costs between $10 and $14. Bring cash for the smaller places because card terminals are unreliable outside of BKK1. And finally, tuk-tuk drivers in Phnom Penh are used to negotiating fares, so agree on the price before you get in, especially late at night when the meter system stops being useful.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Dress codes at the craft beer taprooms and brewpubs in Phnom Penh are informal, and shorts and sandals are perfectly acceptable even in the nicer rooms. The main etiquette point is that when you are sharing a long communal table, as is common at Botanque and Bouchon, it is polite to acknowledge the people next to you with a light nod before sitting down, and to keep your voice at a moderate level during the early evening hours when families are still eating. Cambodian servers appreciate a small thank-you in Khmer, and tipping around 10 percent in USD or Khmer riel is standard in rooms that do not already include a service charge.

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 considered safe to drink, and even locals use filtered or bottled water for drinking purposes. Every craft beer bar and brewpub in the city uses filtered water for their brewing process, which is one of the reasons the local craft beer is unusually clean and crisp. Travelers should stick to sealed bottled water, which costs between 1,500 and 3,000 riel at most shops, and avoid ice from unknown sources outside of established restaurants.

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

A mid-tier traveler spending the day exploring craft beer bars in Phnom Penh can budget around $60 to $90 USD per day outside of accommodation. A typical breakdown would be $15 to $25 for two meals at casual restaurants, $14 to $20 for three or four pints of craft beer at taprooms, $5 to $10 for tuk-tuk rides, and $5 to $8 for entrance fees to cultural sites like the Tuol Sleng Museum or the Royal Palace. Accommodation in BKK1 ranges from $35 to $80 per night for a clean mid-range room, and street food snacks rarely exceed $3 per item.

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

The single must-try item in Phnom Penh is num pang, a Khmer baguette sandwich stuffed with grilled meat, pickled carrot, daikon, cilantro, and a chili sauce that hits the back of your throat in a way that makes you reach for your beer immediately. For a drink specifically, the must-try is a locally brewed rice lager from one of the small Cambodian-owned breweries, which tastes nothing like the mass-produced lagers that dominate the local market. Pair the two together at one of the small markets near the riverfront for the full picture.

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

Phnom Penh has become noticeably easier for vegetarian and vegan travelers over the past five years, and at least three of the craft beer taprooms on this list, including The Commons, Little Bianchi, and Pour Choices, offer clearly marked plant-based options on their menus. Dedicated vegetarian restaurants, particularly around the Olympic Market area and along Street 278, serve meat-free versions of classic Khmer dishes for between $2.50 and $5. Most craft beer bars will also accommodate a request to skip meat in their food pairings, though the vegan cheese options remain limited outside of the most internationally oriented kitchens.