Phnom Penh nightlife is compact enough to explore without turning the evening into a transport exercise. Riverside, Street 136 and nearby streets give visitors a useful concentration of bars, restaurants and late-night venues.
Start around Riverside
For a first night, the Riverside area is an easy orientation point. You can eat nearby, walk parts of the area and move between venues without committing to a complicated itinerary.
Street 136
Street 136 is one of the city's established nightlife streets and home to Charlie Chan's Club. Visitors searching for hostess bars, girlie bars, gogo bars and adult clubs will find several styles of venue around Riverside. Our adult nightlife guide explains the differences.
Have a starting point, not a timetable. Phnom Penh works best when a conversation, recommendation or change of mood can alter the evening.
What makes the city different?
The appeal is social rather than spectacular. Phnom Penh is still a place where people talk to strangers, change venues on a whim and stay out later than intended.
Late nights
Many nightlife venues remain active well beyond midnight. Charlie Chan's Club is open from 8PM to 5AM, seven nights a week.