T here are many dancing restaurants around the city, but the following are recommended by the author. All are open nightly from 7:30 until approximately 11:30 pm. Menus, as well as companionship and/or dancing partners are available at all:

here are many dancing restaurants around the city, but the following are

recommended by the author. All are open nightly from 7:30 until approximately

11:30 pm. Menus, as well as companionship and/or dancing partners are available

at all:

Ambassador **

Intersection of Pochentong Blvd and Keo Mony.

$2.00 for

beer/softdrink; $4.00 tallboy beer bottle.

Enter a timewarp to the 1970's

and dance to the middle-of-the-road sounds of the National Radio Band. Playing

mostly older Khmer songs with a bit of Michael Jackson, Santana, Thai, and

Chinese music mixed in, the band also is happy to play (or learn to play)

audience requests.

Several band-members are famous from Lon Nol days,

inclu-ding the incomparable drummer Pol Samon.

Cambodiana Inn ***

1/2

North of Cambodiana on Quai Karl Marx.

$2.20 for beer/soft drink; $4.20

tallboy bottle

An excellent and large band (including a trumpet and

saxophone) attracts a crowd, including a fair number of foreigners.

In

addition to the usual Thai and Chinese covers, they play originals by bandleader

Uk Sinnareth, arguably the most famous living Khmer musician - as well as songs

in Japanese and Spanish and a wide variety of English songs, including REM and

Steely Dan. Ambience is moderately upscale.

Le Royale ***

92 street, across from International Youth Club.

$1.80 for beer/soft

drink; $3.40 tallboy bottle.

The restaurant is somewhat seedy and

attracts a smaller crowd, but the young band is both enthusiastic and

charismatic. Primarily playing a mix of styles of Khmer music, their rapidly

expanding repetoire of English-language music includes Madonna and Scorpions.

Outside seating is available.

Phkar Chouk Tep** 1/2

Near southwest corner of the Olympic Stadium.

$1.40 for beer/softdrink;

$1.60 tallboy bottle

The "new kid on the block", this crowded but

downscale restaurant attracts few Westerners and serves them only with

reluctance.

The Meas Mithrai band, headed by internationally-famous

singer Mien Sumali, plays many originals by bandleader (and husband) Krim Sikun,

but only a few English songs.

Riverside ****

Quai Karl Marx, near Wat Phnom

$1.80-$2.00 for beer/soft drink; $3.50

tallboy bottle; 10% service charge

Playing a mix of traditional and

modern Khmer music, Thai pop, Western music, and originals by bandleader Sat

Tivan ("Mr. Toe"), many consider the Mahapthai ("Police") Band the best in town.

The atmosphere is higher class than at most dancing restaurants,

attracting many couples but only a few Westerners.