Best restaurants in Kampot

Kampot is a small riverside town that punches above its weight for food. It is the home of Kampot pepper, the green, red and black peppercorns with a protected origin, and you taste it everywhere. The most famous dish is crab fried with fresh green pepper, worth the trip on its own, and Kep half an hour away does the definitive version. The town centre has a tight cluster of cafes in restored shophouses doing proper espresso, sourdough and slow breakfasts, plus riverfront bars for a sundowner.

Eat Khmer at the market and the family kitchens, then use the cafes for coffee and a work session. Many have fast wifi and stay open late. Budget roughly 3 to 6 USD for a local meal, 6 to 10 USD at a Western-facing restaurant, a little more for pepper crab. It is an easy base for the southern coast, with Kep and its crab market, the pepper farms and the Bokor hill road all short trips out. Quietest and greenest in the wet season, busiest December to February.