Sokkhak River Lounge Siem Reap Review: Rooftop Views and Fruit Drinks

Sokkhak River Lounge in Siem Reap appealed to us for its greenery, river setting, and fresh fruit drinks. Within walking distance of Pub Street, it gave us a reason to spend a little longer along the river, where the town had more to show us than its best-known nightlife strip. We particularly enjoyed the terrace in the evening and the rooftop view at sunset, though the drinks were uneven: White Dragon and Sokkhak’s Cooler were the ones we would have ordered again.

The verdict retains our original overall score of 8.8. The six category scores below average 8.9 when rounded to one decimal; the original review did not document a separate weighting method.

Sokkhak River Lounge Atmosphere: Greenery and Rooftop Views

The setting was Sokkhak River Lounge’s strongest attraction for us. Tall windows kept the ground-floor café connected to the greenery outside while we enjoyed the cooler interior, and the terrace became particularly inviting in the evening. Upstairs, the sunset changed the colors over Siem Reap’s tree canopy. It was the sort of view that made another drink seem like a reasonable use of our time.

The Drinks Menu

Our choices ranged from coffee and tea to fresh fruit drinks, mineral water, gin, wine, beer, and cocktails. The fruit was the main attraction, and the mocktails gave us the most pleasure. We would come here for a relaxed drink in pleasant surroundings without expecting every recipe to show the balance of a specialist cocktail bar.

The lounge’s official website describes a ground-floor café, a wine bar on the middle level, and a rooftop cocktail bar. It also lists Cambodian and continental food. Our review focuses on drinks and atmosphere; we did not assess the food.

Our Cocktails and Mocktails

White Dragon and Sokkhak’s Cooler were our favorites, while the punch and Monkey Tail were less successful. These notes describe what we drank on the original visit, so they should be read alongside the current menu rather than as a tasting of today’s recipes.

White Dragon Mocktail

White Dragon combined dragon fruit, pineapple, and lime, with the flavors changing as we drank. Pineapple came through first, followed by dragon fruit in the finish, while the lime kept the sweetness in check. It reminded us of another dragon fruit drink, the Nobu Soju Dragon cocktail, which we had enjoyed with our afternoon tea at Nobu Kuala Lumpur. Here, the pleasure came from the fruit itself, with no alcohol needed.

Sokkhak Punch

Sokkhak Punch brought together fresh orange juice, Sprite, Jameson whiskey, and ginger. The first sip was fruity; a sip or two later, the ginger took over with a heat that caught in our throats. We enjoy ginger when it gives a drink direction, but this mix needed a lighter hand. The flavors never settled into the balance we wanted, and we were glad to have a mocktail beside it.

Sokkhak’s Cooler Mocktail

The Sokkhak’s Cooler we drank had mint, lime, and lychee. Mint led the way, lime added freshness, and the lychee brought an aromatic sweetness that kept us returning to the glass. Blending the mint and fruit gave it a thick consistency, almost substantial enough to count as a small snack. It was a simple combination we liked very much.

There is an important recipe difference today: the published menu lists Sokkhak’s Cooler with longan, mint, lime, and fresh ginger. Our lychee-based description remains a record of the drink we were served.

Monkey Tail Mocktail

Monkey Tail mixed orange, very ripe mango, and grenadine, producing a sweetness that reminded us of tutti-frutti. The syrup pushed the drink further in that direction than we liked, and it ended up being our least favorite. We would have preferred passion fruit in place of the grenadine, or green mango to give the mix a sharper edge. The fruit had enough character without so much help from the syrup.

Final Thoughts

We would return to Sokkhak River Lounge for the plants, the evening terrace, and a fruit drink chosen with a little care. Kind service helped make the visit enjoyable, and the mocktails showed why fresh ingredients can be more persuasive than an elaborate recipe. Anyone seeking inventive, consistently balanced cocktails may be more demanding of the bar than we were of the setting.

I also appreciated the lemongrass straws, which spared us another piece of plastic. We had encountered the same idea at Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort during our time in Siem Reap. It was a small, practical touch that suited a place where greenery contributed so much to the experience.

Sokkhak River Lounge Review Card

• 9.1/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9.1/10
• 9.0/10
  SERVICE – 9.0/10
• 9.5/10
  DRINK SELECTION – 9.5/10
• 7.5/10
  PRESENTATION – 7.5/10
• 8.7/10
  OUR DRINKS – 8.7/10
• 9.5/10
  VALUE – 9.5/10

Practical Details: Location, Hours, and Prices

Frequently Asked Questions About Sokkhak River Lounge