AsiaLIFE

Eden’s Bar
Street 256, near Cambodiana Hotel
Affable landlord Eden runs the place like a good old British pub, even if the white tiled interior and shop house premises scream Southeast Asia. A decent pool table (it’s actually level) and de-rigueur art house photography are pretty par for the course, although well-executed. Pull a stool up at the bar though and you’ll soon realise why this place has become a firm local favourite – a refreshing mix of foreign professionals tend to congregate here to put the world aright. Crisp, cold Anchor is US$0.75 a glass during the long happy hours, but the ‘riel’ bargain is the less-than-perfect local liver killer Crown for US$0.60. Big bottles of Tsing Tao are also available.

Caltex Bokor
Corner Mao Tse Tung & Monivong Bvlds.
Seen in the West as mere stop offs for petrol and perhaps a packet of mints, in Cambodia petrol stations have evolved into a venue unto themselves, offering fresh(ish) coffee, pastries and, of course, cold beers in air-conditioned sophistication. Peering through the slightly grubby plexiglass windows onto the forecourt whilst skulling a brew is oddly reminiscent of a truckers’ cafe. With beers priced at US$0.65 for Leo and Crown, and a bit more for more palatable flavours, this is a refreshing and economical experience, though you shouldn’t ask the cashier for ice. And remember – AsiaLIFE Guide does not condone drink-driving!

Number 9 Guesthouse
Lakeside
Long a legend across the Indochina backpacking circuit, the pleasingly shabby Number 9 hasn’t lost its appeal, despite the looming wall of sand that threatens to engulf the entire area. Happy hour draft Anchor beers, US$0.75 per glass or a very reasonable US$2.50 per jug are poured to perfection by the ever-efficient bar staff. The creaking, rickety walkways that thread between ominous sandy waters are almost picturesque, though the same cannot always be said of the cheapskate clientele. Take a last look at a onetime Phnom Penh landmark while you still can, if you can stomach the acrid stench and high-pitched, inane banter of scrofulous, dreadlocked backpackers. For many, the offer of a free beer with every US$2 meal is enough of a draw already.

Revolution
Street 57
Sandwiched in between larger and more eye-catching establishments and an unattractive wall of ‘eviction green’ metal fencing, Revolution is easy to miss. Boasting a view of one of the ancient banyan trees that dot the august Wat Lanka, this could be an excellent place to while away a boozy weekend afternoon. Draft beers in ice cold glasses are an almost unbelievable US$0.60 on Sundays – an undeniably good value offer that seems out of kilter with an empty bar. Bar staff are polite and efficient, and the beer tastes fine. A definitely minimalist interior gives the impression that the place is halfway through a clearance sale, and spider webs of electrical wire dangling from the mouldy ceilings do little to mitigate the stripped-out feel.

Chiva’s Shack
Street 130 (near riverside)
Shack seems a rather humble appellation for a sprawling bar, restaurant and guesthouse carved out of two neighbouring shop houses, but there is a reason behind the seemingly over-modest name. This place is an unlikely franchise of the Sihanoukville Chiva’s Shack, which has been serving up cheap intoxication and accommodation, as well as mild electric shocks from their stereo, for years. Unlike, the Occheuteal incarnation, there is no sand or bamboo here, and the disparate decors – an odd combination of commonplace suburban tiles and daubed, smeared mirrors – lend the place an incongruous, half-finished feel. Still, nobody could argue with the prices – US$0.50 for glasses of Anchor – and the staff are as polite and pleasant as in their more-popular seaside endeavour.