Koh Rong Food Guide - Best Places to Eat

For the moment we already know a little about Koh Rong Island: its beaches, accommodation, activities, nightlife... And now its food time.

There are few self-contained restaurants on the island due to unprofitability for the owners. In most cases local business is presented by hotel-restaurant combos. It goes without saying that you can freely drop into any place to have a snack without being their guest.

In general insular food is a little more expensive than on the mainland due to transportation costs. For example, a bar will charge you normally USD1.5 for 0.33ml beer (USD1 during happy hours) while it’s only half the price (USD0.5) in Sihanouk. The same is true for food; sea fish will cost you USD5-6 and you pay USD3-4 for same dishes on the mainland.

Anyway, bon appetite and a happy stomach. Ya Hoom (local remedy for upset stomach) will help with the last one. It’s available in any pharmacy on mainland.

Koh Toch Village

Koh Toch Village and Koh Toch Beach hosts the greatest range of eateries. In all the other parts of the island you have very little choices apart from in-house restaurants in your accommodation. Surprisingly a small Koh Rong features several spots serving quite an authentic Italian fare. There’s one or two fruit stalls near the main pier on Koh Toch and a kind of a mini-mart next door.

Here are some hotspots to have a bite which we liked most.

Treehouse Bungalows make craft pizza in real wood-fired oven featuring thin dough and fragrant replicas of Russian-style everything-that-is-left-in-the fridge pie. They also have reasonably priced bungalows and pizza deserves all a good word, too.

Da Matti? Yes, question mark is not an error. Same old of Italy descents founded this place and are successfully moulding their ravioli, pasta, gnocchi and other Italian yummies. Part-time Da Matti? works as a reggae-bar playing typical music. It is located on the third pier of Koh Toch and used to be known as La Mami.

5 toast tomato bruschetta go for USD3, sauced gnocchi or ravioli – USD6, authentic carbonara with sauce of eggs, parmesan, Kampot pepper and bacon for USD5. It's finger-licking good!

Bamboo serves pizza for USD5-7 plus a drink.

No kidding: while on Koh Rong head to Koh Lanta. This restaurant stands out for its nice service and European food – burgers, same pizza and fantastic made in-house ice-cream absolutely irreplaceable in this tropical heat.

The beachside Elephant Guesthouse specializes in local fare: Khmer soup and curry, lok laks and amoks. It’s so usual for them and so exotic for us yet very delicious.

Chai Family Restaurant on the pier offers ethnic spicy noodles, soup, fried pork and traditional ice coffee which is the creepiest crap for a Brazilian or qualified coffee nerds. Are you one of them? We’re not. We adore this thing!

Another Thai food eatery Sigi’s Thai Food located on the second line right behind White Rose Guesthouse. Sigi a Thai chef, who came to the island some years ago and now makes the best cheapest street food ever. Giant helping for USD2-3 with Angkor beer for USD1 will make you feel good and full. It’s a hangout place for local hippies and backpackers and just of those who appreciate simple sweets of life.

Bong’s – Duh, they have Mexican food on a Cambodian island: nachos, tortilla, and various European cuisine.

Paradise Bungalows truly justifies its name boasting one of the most atmospheric restaurants on the whole island. Teak furniture, elegant pillows, tastefully decorated evening lightning – everything in the best traditions of German approach. Cuisine is a mix of German and Khmer trends. Great deal of wine choice.

White Rose Guesthouse is famous for serving typical European breakfast: fruit bowls, yogurt cereal, pancakes with syrup, sandwiches and etc. Their dinner will cost you USD5 per person including a drink. Built-higher dorm is way too cheap.

With more and more people coming to Koh Rong every year it has nothing left but to adopt contemporary trends in fashion and lifestyle brought by them. So, now the island can proudly present some places for our vegan brother with Rising Sun & Guesthouse among them. This place is recommended not only for those eager to comply with a special violation-free diet while on vacation but also able to appreciate nice service and hospitality. The reviews are really nice of both hotel and restaurant offering motley vegetarian dishes with daily specials. The guys are doing a great job here.

Most extremely place yet flavoured with gorgeous scenes onto the island is the Sky Bar. A brand new (opened in 2014 on Koh Toch Beach) restaurant with top allocation; the bar is on the hill, so you will be bombed when seeing views. Koh Rong Samloem shows up somewhere far away. They serve champagne for breakfast to make your sunrise even more romantic.

Besides rich cocktail menu you’ll find less common scallops and fried pork here.

Long Beach

Long Set Beach have more trivial eatery alternatives. Read on to find what we have here.

Nest Beach Club is a so-so restaurant for a picky, but in fact serves popular and moderate meals. And it is one of the best places to see the sunset which is almost impossible to do on Koh Toch.

Long Set Resort lures internet dependent foodies with free Wi-Fi and well-cooked Khmer food. There are good many cocktails here, too, and we don’t mean milk shakes!