Phnom Penh Hostess Bars Update

Love them or hate them, Phnom Penh’s hostess bars pull in hundreds if not thousands of tourists and expats every night of the week, and Street 136 is quickly delevoping into Hostess Bar Ground Zero.

Stuart aka Bar One looks at this month’s movers and shakers.

Red Sun (Sotheros) – Vietnamese owned, this bar has one hostess who is usually sitting outside looking bored. The Vietnamese owner tends the bar. Boring as but the Johnny Walker Gold is only $3.00
Sugar Shack (Sotheros) – One of my favorites. Great drinks at Ok prices. Friendly girls. A good mix of clientele with Khmers, the occasional ladyboy, tourists and expats all being regular patrons
DV8(148) – Gone downhill recently but still an institution in the Hostess Bar community of Phnom Penh. Also has accommodation. Good happy hour prices.
Excalibar (144) – Lots of girls, big screen, new. Has quickly got a following.
Babylon (136) – Crazy girls. Makelin when in the house can light up the evening. Basic fit out. Ladyboy sometimes in residence.
Flora Bar (136) – Lots of girls, good drink prices and a friendly place. If you are shy avoid the couches at the back.
136 (136) – Lots of girls. Mostly focused on ladydrinks. Good range of drinks, OK prices. Great Phillipino cigars. Popular
Great Palm (136) – Big focus on Lady drinks. Very mercenary girls.
Updown Bar (136) – New bar with two bars and a good pool table and lots of girls mostly from Bophar and DV8. Relaxing. Popular
Mangna (110) – A nice management team, different and refreshing décor. Not many of the Hostesses can talk English.
Golden Vine, Voodo, Zapata (108)– Can be rowdy and a good laugh at all three. Relaxed and a good mixed crowd. You can have a bar crawl in less than 20 meters. Excellent for the lazy.
Le Lageun Bleu (108) – fabulously bizarre. Like walking onto an art house road movie. You do have to be in the mood because the staffs expect a performance from customers to keep them entertained.
Barbados (108) – different but same. Nice fit out with cool wine bar influence. Girls can be mercenary.
104 (104) – Same formula as 136. Fit out not as good. Very popular.
Rose Bar (104) – very entertaining girls. Does food and accommodation. Great for a night out with friends. It is interesting to see the influx of customers just before 10:00PM (after which the bar fine halfs).
Cathouse (51) – not my scene. The girl’s blue uniforms are not flattering. Charging $1 to use the pool table is just bollocks.
Shanghai (51) – gone downhill since a lot of new girls came in. Less disciplined and the girls can be too full on. OK reasonably priced food.
Black Cat (51) – formerly 51 bar. Few girls, zero ambience. Does food.
Chilis bar (51) – Chilli herself has got out shape and has love handles as big as many middle-aged men. So has the bar. Pity because she was the face of Shanghai and Hostess bar Phnom Penh for a while.
My Lien (172) – dead as a door nail usually. Pity because My Lien serves very good food at reasonable prices.
Doll House (172) – Makes My Lien look lively.

Stuart aka Bar One