Phnom Penh has more than 40 restaurants offering Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian

and European cuisine. Cambodia is not noted for its' street food.

At the cheaper end of the market, the Capitol on Street 182 offers excellent food

value and charges 3,000 riel for a large bottle of Angkor beer and 2,000 for canned

beers.

Recommendations include the Chef's Deli on Charles de Gaulle Blvd. Indian food and

cheap pizzas are available at the Lotus restaurant near Central Market.

Try locally caught fish, sour fish soup or soup Chaing-Dey which is cooked at the

table and consists of noodles, vegetables, egg and seafood or meat.

Definitely worth trying on the street is Toek-Krolok, a drink made of fruit, ice,

egg, sugar and condensed milk.

Probably the best deal is the $1.50 meal at the Heart of Darkness bar on Street 51.

The bar is owned by the same people who run Apocalypse Now in Vietnam.

The ever-smiling manager Pen Samnang sells beer at 50 cents for draft and $1 per

can and makes a mean Bloody Mary.

Food is served Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and is always good. The laid-back

atmosphere ensures the bar is popular with both travelers and long-term residents.

Middle-prices restaurants ($3-$6) include the International House on Street 178 and

the Monorom Hotel on Monivong Blvd. Ban Thai on Street 306 has good food and a great

atmosphere.

Many hotels have good offers and are always worth a look.

Le Shop supermarket will deliver pizza between 11am and 7.30pm for $4-$9 . Call 26644.

French food can be found at the Mont Rouge and Phnom Kiev restaurants on Sivutha

Blvd.

Cambodia's former French influence is also evident in the "boulangerie"

La Parisienne and the Boucherie de Paris at 243, Street 51. Good meats and great

bread and pastries.

Down by the river, croissants, pasta and more are available at the Foreign Correspondents

Club of Cambodia (FCCC) and also at the Rock Hard cafe.

The FCC is open to all and has nice views over the river and National Museum as well

as a pool table. It holds discussion nights on Wednesday evenings (entrance $5) and

shows films on Saturday evenings ($3).

The Rock Hard has live night-time music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and an

open jam session on Sunday afternoons.

Beer costs between $1-$2 and there are good cocktails. Backgammon sets are kept behind

the bar.

The Cathouse on Street 51 has arguably the best pool table in town and food until

1am in the middle price range. Their very large pizzas feed three for around $7-$10.

Manager Steve says a satellite TV for world sports is on the way. The bar opens at

5 pm and stays open as long as "people want to have a good time." One of

the more lively places in town with beer at $1.50 a can.

If you fancy a treat, splurge out at a Cambodiana Hotel buffet with all you can eat

for lunch, tea or dinner from $6-$9.

For cool sophistication, try Deja Vu on Street 240 - the sister restaurant to Café

Rendevous in Sihanoukville - offering a chocolate mousse to die for and main dishes

including steak, fish and pizza.

Pasta specialities are freshly-made and cost between $4.50 and $8. Vegetarian and

Middle Eastern dishes add to the varied menus. Popular Sunday brunch and daily happy

hours between 6-7pm - all drinks, including cocktails, half-price.

Co-manager Anthony Alderson says he can also supply travel information as he has

"time to speak to people and has been to about every country in Asia".

For a pizza with a "kick" get along to Happy Herb's on Pochentong Blvd.

near Wat Phnom who's optional added extras leave large smiles.

The Khmer staff were trained by a New Yorker named Herb and the four-cheese pizza

is sublime.

If you need to dance all that beer and food off then get down to the Martini bar

on Issarak Blvd., just before the junction with Monireth Blvd.

Wonderful atmosphere with good music and plenty of people out for a good time. Beer

costs $1 for Angkor and $1.75 for cans.