Battambang isn’t a city known for nightlife, but there are a few spots that are pleasant places to enjoy a drink.
Miss Wong Battambang
The team behind Miss Wong in Siem Reap made a name for itself there serving up exotic infused gin concoctions and tasty dim sum in an “old Shanghai”-themed cocktail bar. Now they’ve brought the same magic to Battambang, with the opening of Miss Wong Battambang. The dusky bar is filled with antique curiosity pieces from China and rattan furniture, and offers a menu of carefully curated cocktails and six types of dim sum dumplings and spring rolls. When we visited, the place was very quiet, but the streetside seating offered a nice view of early evening Battambang.
The Balcony used to be Battambang’s only real bar, and then it was called Riverside Balcony Bar. Located in a traditional Cambodian wooden house over the Sangker River, it’s one of the nicest places in town to stop for a sundowner. The bar has adopted a friendly home-away-from-home vibe, and it’s a place where expats, locals, and tourists gather to connect and relax after a long day of work or sightseeing — if you’re looking to meet people, The Balcony is a good place to do it, and the food is delicious to boot. The drinks menu offers a good selection from draft beers and house wines to some creative cocktails as well as a selection of whiskeys. Be sure to arrange a tuk tuk home, as it’s a bit far to walk at night and once you’re there it can be hard to find transportation.
Pomme Battambang
Reborn as a backpacker joint, Pomme has gone all out to transform itself into a place where their target audience will want to kick back and enjoy a drink or three. In addition to an extended happy hour from 5 to 9 p.m., there’s ample room for lounging inside, playing pool, or jamming on one of the house guitars. Live music happens on Saturdays or “brave the stage” on open mic night. Pomme definitely has a hostel vibe, but not aggressively so, and the outdoor seating facing one of Battambang’s cutest streets is undeniably pleasant. We tried a glass of wine that was undrinkable, but we are willing to assume it was just an off night (or bottle).
French-owned Vintage Wine Bar
Vintage Wine Bar strikes a low-key Europe-meets-Indochina vibe, with cool white-and-red tiled floors, comfortable cushioned seating, and large mirrors over the wooden bar. On arrival, you’ll be presented with a kind of wholesale menu of Cambodian products — rice wine, palm sugar, and the like — but the bar is stocked with well-chilled international wines, all reasonably priced by the glass or bottle, and paired, delightfully, with small baguette toasts topped with compound butter.
Miss Wong Battambang
Open daily, 4 p.m. until midnight
Street 2, Battambang [map]
T: 092 428 332
facebook.com/misswongbattambang
The Balcony
Open daily, 5 p.m. to midnight, on Fridays, open until 3 a.m.
465 Street 1 (near Street 149), Battambang [map]
T: 081 208 106
facebook.com/thebalconyloungebar
Pomme
Open daily, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
61/63 Street 2.5, Battambang [map]
T: 069 233 620
facebook.com/Pommebattambang
Vintage Wine Bar
Open daily, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
84 Street 2.5 Battambang [map]
T: 092 335 400
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