Extra syrup came on the side with the Lychee Lime Fizz and the Lounge Special. We were happy to leave the choice there.
Kep Sailing Club Lounge made a very good case for doing little more than watching the sun go down with a drink in hand. We liked the open wooden lounge, the sea breeze, and the service, and there was enough choice on the drinks menu to keep us occupied. The cocktails were less consistent: fresh pineapple and coconut worked beautifully in the piña colada, while some of the other drinks leaned too heavily on sweetness. This Kep Sailing Club Lounge review looks back at that evening, with a separate update on the Kep West venues that visitors will find today.
For the food side of our visit, our separate Kep Sailing Club Restaurant review covers the dining experience at the same seaside property. Here, the attention stays on the lounge and what ended up in our glasses.
Was Kep Sailing Club Lounge worth visiting?
Best for: Couples and travelers who enjoy a relaxed seaside sundowner. This verdict rates the old lounge we visited.
Contents
The lounge’s greatest strength was its setting: an open wooden space where the breeze could pass through and the sea remained part of the evening. Dark chocolate-colored timber gave it a warm base, with cushions in orange and other sunset tones making the seating more inviting. We had noticed the range of activities around the property on our way in; once we reached the lounge, sitting down with a drink seemed a perfectly respectable activity of its own.
An artwork made from used tins brightened the wall beside the bar. We liked seeing something discarded turned into a feature with character, especially in a place so closely connected to the coast. The same idea appeared elsewhere around the property, including the outdoor lamps made from traditional fishing gear. These details gave us something to notice beyond the view, and the good service helped us enjoy the setting without any fuss.
Cocktails had a prominent place on the menu we saw, alongside beer, wine, spirits, alcohol-free drinks, and a small selection of bites. Our interest was in the mixed drinks, so this was not a full survey of everything behind the bar. There was plenty of choice, with room for the kitchen and bar to make more of their own syrups, liqueurs, and fresh ingredients.
The roasted peanuts were an enjoyable accompaniment, seasoned with makrut lime leaf, chili, garlic, and lemongrass. They brought the kind of local flavor we would have liked to see explored more confidently in the cocktails as well.
The four cocktails below show why our assessment of the drinks was more reserved than our enthusiasm for the lounge. We found some good combinations and fresh ingredients, alongside a few imbalances that made us wish the recipes had been given another pass. These are the drinks from our original visit, not a description of today’s Kep West menu.
Mint brought a refreshing coolness to the Lychee Lime Fizz and stayed with us to the end of the drink. It was also the most assertive part of it, leaving little room for the lychee’s fragrance. A whole lychee in the glass gave us the fruit we had been looking for, its sweetness sitting nicely against the lime juice. A moderate touch of honey rounded things out; we simply wanted the lychee to have a little more say in a cocktail bearing its name.
The Lounge Special brought together sweet citrus syrup, aromatic bitters, orange bitters, and pineapple-infused rum. The bitters gave the sweetness some structure, while the rum added a smoky note and tropical fruit flavors that went beyond pineapple alone. This was one of the combinations we enjoyed more, with enough character to make us pay attention to the drink as well as the sunset.
A seaside bar and a piña colada are an easy pairing, and this one gave the classic a good showing. Fresh pineapple juice and coconut were the ingredients that made it work so well. The three-year-old Havana Club rum added its own character, with notes of caramelized pear and banana, and especially vanilla and smoked oak. We appreciated having fresh ingredients do the work here; they gave the drink more life than sweetness alone could have managed.
The Mistake was the least convincing drink for our taste. Its opening was so sweet that we had to search for the passion fruit, which appeared more clearly in the aftertaste with ginger and aromatic bitters. Those flavors could have made an interesting combination with less sweetness in front of them. As it stood, the balance kept us from enjoying the drink as much as we had hoped.
Kep West’s official history presents the former Sailing Club lounge as an archive setting and points today’s visitors to The Wave. Its dining page lists The Deck for sunset cocktails and tapas. Confirm your chosen venue before going; our photographs, tasting notes, and ratings describe the older lounge, and we have not assessed the current drinks.
What stayed with us was the pleasure of sitting beside the sea as the sun went down, with a breeze through the lounge and service that let the evening unfold easily. The fresh fruit in the piña colada and the spiced peanuts were good reminders of how much the ingredients could contribute. I would have liked a more inventive approach across the cocktail menu, with greater attention to balance and presentation. For a relaxed drink with a view, the old lounge gave us a very enjoyable evening; cocktail enthusiasts had more reason to be selective about what they ordered.
| Detail | Information checked in October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Bar reviewed | Kep Sailing Club Lounge, the historical lounge described in this review |
| Current visitor information | Kep West. The official site describes The Wave as the current lounge destination and The Deck for cocktails and tapas. |
| Address | Kep seafront, Krong Kaeb, Kep, Cambodia. Confirm the entrance for your chosen venue. |
| Category | Seaside lounge and cocktail bar |
| Price guide (USD) | Historical guide: about US$7 per cocktail. Current cocktail prices were not verified; request the latest menu from Kep West. |
| Opening hours | The Deck is promoted for cocktails after 5:00 p.m. Exact operating hours for your chosen venue should be confirmed directly. |
| Dress code | No current formal dress code was verified. Ask when reserving if you plan to dine as well. |
| Phone | +855 78 888 552 (Kep West) |
| info@kepwest.com | |
| Website | Kep West dining and drinks |
The property has evolved into the wider Kep West complex. Its official history presents the old lounge as an archive setting and identifies The Wave as the current lounge destination. Check with Kep West if you are hoping to revisit the particular space shown in our photographs.
Yes, for us the sea view, open wooden lounge, and good service made it an enjoyable place for a sundowner. The cocktails varied in quality, so our strongest recommendation was for the setting and the relaxed evening as a whole. Our 8.3 rating applies to that historical visit.
We tried the Lychee Lime Fizz, the Lounge Special, the piña colada, and The Mistake. Fresh pineapple and coconut made the piña colada a highlight. The Mistake was too sweet for us, and mint dominated the lychee drink. These recipes come from our original review.
Our original article gave a guide of about US$7 per cocktail. We have not verified a current cocktail price. Kep West says its online menus are samples, so ask for the latest drinks menu when planning a visit.
The official dining page lists The Deck for cocktails and tapas after 5:00 p.m., while the property’s history points to The Wave for the current lounge experience. Contact Kep West at info@kepwest.com or +855 78 888 552 to confirm the venue, hours, and availability.
This article focuses on the lounge, cocktails, and the spiced roasted peanuts we enjoyed with our drinks. Our separate Kep Sailing Club Restaurant review covers the dining experience from the same historical visit.
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