Pub Street: The Center of Siem Reap’s Nightlife Scene

A holiday in Siem Reap is incomplete without a night out on the legendary party road of
Cambodia - known as Pub Street.

 

 

Officially titled “Street 8”, Pub Street is the center of action as the night falls in Siem Reap. The street, starting off at the Red Piano Restaurant and ending at the Banana Leaf Restaurant, is a 100m stretch of road speckled with neon lit clubs, bars, restaurants, and vendors.

 

 

Visitors to Pub Street now enjoy a much improved experience thanks to the renovation of the street and paveway. After being completed during the Covid period, its new sewerage system ensures that there’s no discomfort during rainy weather.

 

 

Located in the heart of the city nearby to the beautiful Siem Reap river and various markets, Pub Street is where backpackers from all over the world gather and dance the night away. It can be thought of as a more tame version of Bangkok’s Khaosan Road, but just as fun nonetheless. Come nighttime, the road is blocked off to traffic, making it a relaxing and safe place to stroll, dance, and let loose. With a wide variety of culinary treats ranging from Khmer specialties to Western favorites offered in food trucks, 75 cent drought beers, and crispy insect munchies to indulge in, you can spend your entire night on this lively street and never run out of things to do.

 

 

The History of Pub Street

 

The famous Pub Street started off as a a small, 3-restaurant establishment on a humble stretch of dirt road in the heart of the city. The Angkor WHAT? Bar was the first club to open its doors on the street in 1998, closely followed in August of 2000 by the already closed “Singaporean Asian Rooftop” restaurant, and the Red Piano Restaurant. Other Pub Street well-known monuments such as Temple Club and Le Tigre de Papier came into fruition not too long afterwards. However, as described by a long-time Siem Reap living expat, there were more rats occupying Pub Street than tourists at that time. Around 2005, Pub Street was finally paved and turned into a cleaner road. With the success of Angelina Jolie’s blockbuster movie “Tomb Raider”, featuring the majestic temples of Angkor, tourists started to discover the wonders of Siem Reap, and began piling in to the parties of Pub Street. The name “Pub Street” was officially coined by locals and travelers around 2008. Today, the nightlife action extends to two parallel alleys, known as “The Lane” (located north of Pub Street) and “The Passage” (located south of Pub Street).