The sun is down, the quay has gone gold to grey, and the rest of Phnom Penh's evening is still ahead. A short, riverside-only follow-on to the full day itinerary — dinner, the night market, and a nightcap.
The hostel's rooftop kitchen punches above its backpacker pricing — simple Khmer and Western plates eaten at the same rooftop tables that fill in for sunset, with the river doing most of the work as far as atmosphere goes.
Take a table out on the front terrace facing the quay, or retreat into the air-conditioned dining room behind its big glass windows — either way a French-Mediterranean menu that runs through crostini and crab cakes with a Khmer fusion streak underneath.
Eighth floor, panoramic Tonle Sap views, a dedicated smoke room turning out imported steaks and slow-cooked cuts. Two private rooms make it the option for a table away from the street-level crowd.
A few hundred metres south of Wat Phnom, the riverside park between Street 106 and Street 108 turns into Phnom Penh's night market every evening. Stalls sell silk scarves, handicrafts and Khmer street snacks under string lights, with a small stage running Khmer pop and traditional dance. Entry is free, and the communal seating in the middle is where to land with a grilled skewer and watch the river go dark. Open daily, 5pm–11pm.
A rooftop perch above a Lebanese kitchen, unfussy and usually quiet enough to hear the river traffic below. The mezze list is there if dinner already feels like a while ago.
Open-air, properly relaxed, and named for the river it sits beside. The tapas board is a reasonable excuse to stay for a second drink.
Top floor, industrial-styled, with sweeping city views and a cocktail list that leans Southeast Asian. The most polished of the three, and worth the lift ride.
A newer, low-key arrival a stone's throw from the main run of bars — eco-conscious, unpretentious, and open into the small hours without ever feeling like it's trying too hard.
Small and intimate, with a serious cocktail programme it doesn't make a show of — a regular fixture on the city's cocktail festival circuit and one of the lane's more considered addresses.
The lane's best-known address, built around an Alice in Wonderland theme — chandeliers, candlelight, antique mirrors, and a mixology programme serious enough to earn the decor. Open Wednesday to Sunday.
This is built as a four-hour evening, not a full night out. If Bassac Lane is on the cards, take a short tuk-tuk rather than walk it after dark — it's a poor stretch on foot once the light's gone.
The full day itinerary ends in two different places depending on the route — Sundown Social Club in Toul Tom Poung for the budget and mid options, or the Mekong Lounge on the 49th floor of the Shangri-La in Tonle Bassac for the high route. Neither is near Sisowath Quay, so budget time to head back to the hotel, shower and change before starting this evening — the two aren't meant to run straight into each other. (Anyone finishing the high route is already in Tonle Bassac — Bassac Lane, this itinerary's optional Stop 4, is a short tuk-tuk from the Shangri-La if the evening ends up working backwards instead.)