The essentials in 30 seconds
- Verdict: Arrive around sunset for views and calm, later for music and atmosphere. Elephant Bar at Raffles suits a classic evening, Sunset Lounge at Zannier Phum Baitang suits botanical cocktails, and Scribe at FCC Angkor by Avani suits a lively island bar.
- Best for: Travellers who want a relaxed drink before or after dinner, and couples who like a setting with character.
- Good to know: Opening hours are set by each hotel. Viroth's Hotel lists its pool bar open 10:00 to 23:00 as listed in October 2026. Confirm hours before you travel.
- Next step: Pick the mood, book the room with the same dates on Agoda and Booking.com and ask the hotel for the bar's hours.
A good hotel bar makes the end of a temple day feel like an event. In Siem Reap, the bars range from a colonial-inspired lounge to a pool bar by a long infinity pool, and from a central island bar to a lobby bar with live entertainment.
This page profiles the bars by setting and mood, shares the signature drinks that hotels publish, and gives the rating signal of each hotel so you can weigh them. Where a hotel does not publish an opening hour, the page says to confirm it.
The best bar by mood
Choose by mood
- A heritage evening: Elephant Bar at Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, which the hotel describes as Siem Reap's most celebrated bar (Google rating 4.7).
- Botanical cocktails with a view: Sunset Lounge at Zannier Phum Baitang, serving cocktails made from home-grown botanicals and syrups in a colonial-inspired setting (4.9).
- A lively central bar: Scribe at FCC Angkor by Avani, centred on an island bar with cocktails, craft beer, natural wine and sake (4.6).
- A colonial-era mood by the lake: Explorer's Tales at Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra, a bar with a colonial-era atmosphere (4.8).
- A lobby evening with music: the Lobby Bar at Angkor Palace Resort, offering cocktails with live entertainment.
Pick by the atmosphere you want and confirm the hours with the hotel. Timing is yours to shape: sunset suits a pool bar or a lounge with a view, and later hours suit a bar with music.
Profiles of the bars
Elephant Bar sits at the centre of Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, a hotel that opened in 1932 and describes its style as 1930s French Art Deco. The Conservatory, also at Raffles, serves afternoon tea or aperitifs, and the Poolside Terrace serves light daytime meals and cocktails.
At Zannier Phum Baitang, the Sunset Lounge is paired with the Pool Bar, which overlooks a 50-metre infinity pool and serves light meals. The pairing lets you choose a daytime drink by the water and an evening drink in the lounge.
Scribe at FCC Angkor by Avani gives a mansion setting, since the hotel occupies a former French governor's residence in Siem Reap's Old French Quarter. FCC stands for Foreign Correspondents Club, where journalists once gathered, which suits a storytelling evening.
Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra lists two bars: Explorer's Tales, with its colonial-era atmosphere, and Serpent Bar, located next to the free-form swimming pool. Together they cover a pool afternoon and a quieter evening. Anantara Angkor Resort lists Road6, which its page describes as a vintage-style venue serving martinis and Angkor-inspired cocktails.
Three hotels with a signature bar
Heritage luxury & history
Ultra-luxury villa retreat
Colonial charm & riverside
Signature drinks and local ingredients
Zannier Phum Baitang publishes the clearest local-ingredient story: cocktails made from home-grown botanicals and syrups. Angkor Village Hotel lists the Kenary Lounge Bar, which serves craft cocktails. For a hands-on take, Shinta Mani Angkor offers mixology classes, which helps if you want to learn the craft rather than only taste it.
Drink lists change, so ask the bar for the current menu. If you like wine or sake, Scribe at FCC Angkor by Avani lists natural wine and sake alongside craft beer. For a wider view of the city's options, see best wine bars in Siem Reap and best rooftop bars in Siem Reap.
The rating signal
The Google rating of a hotel reflects the whole stay, so treat it as a signal for the setting rather than for the bar alone. Zannier Phum Baitang and Viroth's Hotel both sit at 4.9, Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra at 4.8, Raffles at 4.7, and FCC Angkor by Avani at 4.6. Viroth's Hotel adds a hotel bar near the swimming pool, open 10:00 to 23:00 as listed in October 2026, a convenient choice for a quiet drink.
Other bars hotels list
- Rosil Pool Bar at Borei Angkor Resort & Spa, described as a retreat for the idle and a playground for the lively.
- Lemon Bar and COCO Pool Bar at Lotus Blanc Resort.
- Trorkuon at Jaya House River Park, which offers wine, beer, cocktails and soft beverages.
- The Pool Bars at Angkor Palace Resort.
Fitting the bar into your evening
A bar works before dinner as a gentle start or after dinner as a soft landing. If you have booked a table, a drink beforehand lets the day slow down. After a temple dinner, a nightcap in the hotel keeps the travel simple. See fine dining compared and private dinners for the dinner side, or cooking classes for a daytime activity.
When you book, enter the same dates on Agoda and Booking.com, read the cancellation terms and confirm the bar's hours with the hotel. The dining overview pulls the formats together, and using a hotel concierge well explains how to ask for help.
Test your knowledge
Five questions on this guide.
Luxury hotels in Siem Reap: frequently asked questions
Which hotel bar is the best in Siem Reap?
Raffles describes Elephant Bar as Siem Reap's most celebrated bar. The best choice for you depends on mood: Sunset Lounge at Zannier for botanical cocktails, Scribe at FCC for an island bar.
Can non-guests visit hotel bars?
Policies vary by hotel and are not listed in every source, so ask the hotel.
When should I go?
Sunset suits a pool bar or a lounge with a view, later suits a bar with music. Confirm the hours with the hotel.
Which bars serve local ingredients?
Zannier Phum Baitang's Sunset Lounge serves cocktails made from home-grown botanicals and syrups.
Is there a bar by a pool?
Yes, for example Serpent Bar at Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra, the Pool Bar at Zannier Phum Baitang and Rosil Pool Bar at Borei Angkor Resort & Spa.
Are the hours and prices final?
Hotels set them and can change them, so confirm before you travel.
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