Elephant Bar Siem Reap Review: Cocktails at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor

Elephant Bar Siem Reap sits inside Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, a heritage hotel that opened in 1932. We came for cocktails and found an easygoing room of dark wood, comfortable lounge chairs and elephant ornaments, with pleasant service to match. Our two drinks took quite different directions: the tropical Airavata arrived in a handmade elephant mug, while the Raffles Signature Bloody Mary used fresh Kampot pepper to give a familiar cocktail a Cambodian touch. Both gave us a good reason to spend some time at the bar, even without staying at the hotel.

Elephant Bar Siem Reap Atmosphere

Elephant Bar was a snug, comfortable place to settle in for a drink. Dark wooden furnishings stood against bright walls, and the lounge chairs made the room inviting without much ceremony. We had already enjoyed the hotel over afternoon tea at The Conservatory, so returning for cocktails gave us another way to spend time in a building we liked.

An overnight stay had escaped us again. In Singapore, renovation work had prevented us from staying at Raffles; in Siem Reap, another renovation was approaching when we visited. We had begun to think of it as our Raffles curse. That work is now part of the hotel’s history: its official account of the property records the renovation in 2019, so the original reference to an upcoming closure no longer applies.

Elephants appeared throughout the room, from small figures to lamps and a decorative head. The name left the decorators little room for subtlety, and we enjoyed spotting the different versions. The overall impression was of a well-kept bar where the details rewarded a closer look.

Large tusks also arched above the palms. We hoped they were artificial, and their presence raised a question we could not answer about the material. That uncertainty remains part of our original impression, without establishing that the display contained real ivory.

Elephant Bar Drinks Menu

The menu we browsed covered signature cocktails, all-day drinks, sours and fizzes, along with wine and a substantial selection of spirits. We were drawn to the cocktails, though anyone interested in single malts, rum, bourbon or rye had plenty to consider. The “sipping cabinet” seemed to have more room than the “grape juice cellar,” which suited the character of the place.

Our Cocktails at Elephant Bar

We chose the Airavata and the Raffles Signature Bloody Mary, a useful pairing for seeing two sides of the bar. One leaned toward tropical fruit and playful presentation; the other brought a local ingredient to a savory classic. These are the drinks we tried, and the descriptions below follow the recipes served to us.

Airavata

Airavata was the drink we would recommend first to someone looking for the bar’s signature cocktail. Our version combined rum, Malibu, crème de banane, lime and fresh coconut juice, served in a handmade elephant mug. Its name refers to the mythical white elephant associated with Indra, which explains the choice of drinking vessel.

The pineapple garnish was juicy and sweet, and taking a bite alongside the drink brought a piña colada to mind. We liked the tropical combination and the care given to its presentation. The disposable plastic straw was our objection: it seemed an unnecessary addition to a drink served in a reusable handmade vessel. This describes the straw we received, not a verified current practice.

For anyone comparing our account with today’s version, Raffles’ published Airavata recipe lists Samai rum, crème de banane, Coconut Passion, pineapple, lime and coconut juices, plus sugar syrup. The signature cocktail remains part of the bar’s identity, while its published recipe differs from the one described in our original review.

Raffles Signature Bloody Mary

The Bloody Mary’s fresh green Kampot pepper was the detail that caught our attention. We had taken every opportunity to try this Cambodian ingredient, and seeing it on a deep red cocktail made the choice easy. Our guide to Kampot pepper and its different forms explains why it had become such an interest on our travels.

Broken Shed Vodka and tomato juice, seasoned with the Raffles Signature mix, gave the drink the savory character we wanted. The green pepper added a delicate aroma, and tasting the garnish brought another dimension to it. There was still plenty to enjoy in the cocktail if you preferred to leave the pepper alone; for us, that small local touch was a large part of its appeal.

Prices, Happy Hour and Planning a Visit

Our original menu put all-day cocktails at about USD 9.40, with drinks in the Raffles Fame section around USD 14 or more. Those figures help explain the value score we gave the bar and are historical prices, not an October 2026 quotation. A reliable current price list could not be confirmed from the official pages checked for this update, so contact the hotel for the latest menu and applicable charges.

The official Elephant Bar page currently lists happy hour daily from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Our old account described a weekday offer with selected drinks at half price; the current page does not confirm that discount. Check which drinks and prices apply before ordering, and ask about full opening hours if you are planning a late visit.

Plan on smart casual clothing and proper footwear. Raffles’ published guidance excludes slip-ons and flip-flops. The bar is inside the main hotel building at 1 Vithei Charles de Gaulle; the original map link is useful for finding the address. We visited for drinks without staying overnight, so it also made a worthwhile stop in its own right.

Final Thoughts on Elephant Bar Siem Reap

Elephant Bar gave us the combination we look for in a good hotel bar: a room worth spending time in, drinks made with care and pleasant service. The Airavata’s elephant mug was the most playful detail, while the fresh pepper on the Bloody Mary connected our evening to a Cambodian ingredient we had come to appreciate. We would recommend it to travelers who enjoy the character of an older hotel and want to take their time over a cocktail. Our concerns about the straw and the tusk display belonged to the same visit and deserve to stay in the account alongside the praise.

Elephant Bar Siem Reap Review Card

• 9/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9/10
• 9.3/10
  SERVICE – 9.3/10
• 9.2/10
  DRINK SELECTION – 9.2/10
• 9.7/10
  PRESENTATION – 9.7/10
• 9.5/10
  OUR DRINKS – 9.5/10
• 9.3/10
  VALUE – 9.3/10

Elephant Bar Practical Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Elephant Bar Siem Reap

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For another experience at the same hotel, read our Raffles Siem Reap afternoon tea review. If the Bloody Mary’s garnish has caught your interest, our guide to Kampot pepper looks more closely at one of Cambodia’s best-known ingredients.