Today we’re looking a bit into what the situation with craft beer in Phnom Penh is really like. Although a lot of us like a night out at a typical beer garden or Khmer pub, sometimes you want to have great beer in a different environment.
It’s, however, not always that easy to find these cool and hip drinking establishments in Phnom Penh. That’s why we’re here to help you with finding the best craft beer bars in Phnom Penh.
Craft Beer Bars in Phnom Penh
The Craft Beer scene in Phnom Penh has seen a really good upswing in the past few years. A few years ago there were, at most, a few Belgian beers to be had, but mostly we had to settle with the good ‘ol Anchor, Angkor, or Cambodia beers. These days this has definitely changed.
The nightlife of Phnom Penh in 2018 definitely has a lot to offer, even good craft beer. Let’s have a look at which places you can get your favourite IPAs, sours, and lagers these days.
Embargo – Craft Beer Bar in Phnom Penh
Embargo is the new kid on the block but already has probably the largest variety of Craft Beers in Phnom Penh. This cool little spot is hidden in the small alley off Street 51 with the popular bar Battbong and the restaurants Katanashi and No Style.
At Embargo you can find 8 taps and a selection of over 30 different bottles. Beers that you are almost guaranteed to find are craft beers from Cambodian Riel Brewing, Himawari Microbrewery, and Cerevisia. You’ll also find Vietnamese craft beers from Heart of Darkness, Pasteur Street, and Fuzzy Logic.
A lot of times you can also find American craft beer and unique special which is very rare in Phnom Penh.
Noisy Chili Taphouse
Noisy Chili is the lovechild of Riel Brewing, one of Cambodia’s best craft beer breweries. They used to have a small taproom at Russian Market but in 2021 they moved to this very cosy open-air spot.
Noisy Chili Taphouse is located close to the Tuol Sleng genocide museum. Here you can try all of their delicious beers in a very nice airy space. The owners are friendly, the beers is good, and it´s always a good laugh to come here. Definitely one of the best places for craft beer in Phnom Penh.
CRAFT
Craft is run by the same people behind Fuzzy Logic from Vietnam that later opened another brewery in Cambodia. This is quite a new place, so apart from beer, we don´t really know yet what they are all about.
It´s a cool little spot in a lane that they´ve recently named Palace Lane, not too far from The Box Office. The dishes are very American but occasionally you have some English classics as well.
Food is, however, not the reason to come here. The reason to come here is to get quality Cambodian Craft Beers. Even if they´re owned by the same people from Fuzzy Logic that´s not the only beer you can find here. They also serve beers from other breweries in Cambodia, like Riel Brewing and Notorious Bong.
Botanico Wine & Beer Garden
Botanico Wine & Beer Garden is definitely one of the most popular places for craft beer in Phnom Penh. Their story started in 2013, we don’t know much about it, but we know that they are the masterminds of one of the most popular microbreweries in Cambodia – Cerevisia. They don’t only serve their own craft beers, but you can check out all the things that they’re offering at their website.
The Box Office
The Box Office is the place to go if you want to have a proper quiz night and of course some great Cambodian Craft Beer. Not only does The Box Office offer a good variety of Cambodian Craft Beers, they also offer locally brewed ciders and other cool things.
If you’re looking for live music events in Phnom Penh, this might also be the place to go. You can check out their Facebook page here.
Craft Beer Garden by Cerevisia
Craft Beer Garden is the love child and second location of the people behind Botanico & Cerevisia Brewery. In this bar, they have also involved the cooking (or smoking) skills of D2 Smokehouse. Apart from serving many of Cerevisia’s great craft beers they also serve wings, pulled pork and much more from D2 Smokehouse. It’s a match made in heaven.
It’s also one of the better Cambodian Craft Beer bars at riverside in Phnom Penh. You can find this place tucked in between two large buildings on street 144.
The Situation of Craft Beer in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The craft beer scene in Phnom Penh, and Cambodia is still taking baby steps. Not to say it wouldn’t exist, but it’s still in its infancy. There are some very dedicated brewers in the city, and also some very cool places to have drinks at.
The nightlife in Phnom Penh is very volatile, at times you have a plethora of different nightlife venues, at other times everything seems to be very quiet. We’re however very confident that in a while, Phnom Penh is going to be one of the most bustling cities when it comes to nightlife in Southeast Asia.
Our article Best Cambodian Craft Beers shows a bit of what you can expect to find at these places.
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