Chanrey Tree is one of Siem Reap’s reliably lovely dinner addresses: a polished Khmer restaurant by the river, set in a traditional wooden house with tropical garden energy and a menu that leans into refined local classics.
One of Siem Reap's most celebrated Khmer restaurants, Chanrey Tree sits on the banks of the Siem Reap River on Pokambor Avenue — close enough to the buzz of Pub Street to be convenient, far enough to feel like a genuine escape. Arrive through a lush garden of plants, flowers, and Khmer sculptures, then choose between a table inside the beautifully restored traditional Khmer-style house or out in the leafy al fresco courtyard with the river for company.
The food is the main event. Owner Kann Soan has stayed resolutely true to a modern Khmer dining concept — no pizzas or steaks added for tourist comfort — with a menu that goes well beyond the usual amok-and-lok-lak circuit. Dishes like honey and rice brandy-marinated roast chicken and crispy rice crackers with prahok ktish reflect recipes gathered from research trips to towns across Cambodia — the kind of cooking you won't easily find elsewhere in Siem Reap. It's a step up in both price and ambition, and very much worth it.