Sundance Inn and Saloon, a real pub and the cheapest breakfast in Phnom Penh
Two important questions to get straight here. The first being, does the legendary Sundance Inn and Saloon offer the best value breakfast in Phnom Penh? Well we think so.
And second? Is it one of the best places to hang out by the riverside? In our eyes? Absolutely.
A Tale of two Cities – TTP and the Riverside
Phnom Penh is to a degree bifuracted by a West Side Story style boundary separating two very distinct types of people who rarely mix. One one side of that sociographically defined border we have the denizens of TTP. On the other? The Riverside crowd. And while there are occasional forays into one another’s region by either clique, depending on which tribe you belong to? You stick to your playground.
Why is this? Mostly vibe and tendencies. The Riverside is home to an older demographic, is grittier and arguably sleazier. TTP is trendier, a little more upscale and decidedly skewing millennial. Some might say pretentious, but not us…at least not out loud.
And somewhere in the middle of all this chaos lies Street 172.
What’s the story with Street 172?
Street 172 is a very long street, with very distinct ends. At the top end lies Sorya Mall, or as we used to say… Pub Street. There really is no bigger sign of post-Covid decay anywhere in the city. It’s also something of a knackers-yard for “freelancers”. SOfamily friendly it is not.
The bottom end of 172 is completely different. Bereft of “girly bars” it boasts a bevy of restaurants, everything from a knock-off Subway to very good Ethiopian food. There are also a couple of choice bars.
To read about the best Ethiopian food on the street click here.
Of course we are not suggesting that all the bars are great either. The street is after all also a popular haunt for crusty retiree 50 cent beer crowd. But it is also home to the Big Easy and more importantly the subject of this article, the Sundance Inn And Saloon.
What’s the Sundance Inn and Saloon story?
The business is run by a larger than life Texan named Harry. And while it takes more than a man to make a bar, having an enigmatic one at the helm certainly does help. ait also helps to have a great staff. Run off their feet most nights, they still manage to always seem to having as much fun as the punters.
An equally important ingredient in the “great bar” menu is a good crowd and the Sundance has an eclectic bunch of regulars, ranging from undertakers to mechanics and even the odd journalist.
What you will not see are freelancers or undesirables. Beer costing $1 (twice the street average) and a hard rule, diligently enforced, that patrons spend at least a buck an hour keeps out the riffraff.
Sundance Inn and Saloon Menu
And because man cannot live on booze alone and must tuck into some actual food from tiem to time, the Sundance menu has everything you’d expect from a western restaurant. There’s burgers, steaks and a few Khmer dishes here but it is the two “mini menu’s” that make dining here a unique experience.
And those consist of the Taco Bell menu, which you can read about here and a slider menu, which includes perhaps the best value breakfast in all of Phnom Penh.
The best value breakfast in Phnom Penh
OK, so we will tread carefully here. Some of our previous breakfast raves, such as the one about Pong Cambodia, have tended to reap controversy. We are not suggesting Sundance has the best breakfast in Phnom Penh or in Cambodia. After all that would void our high esteem we reserve for the sheer brilliance that is breakfast at Cafe Soriya in Siem Reap. What we will say is that Sundance may well be home to the best value breakfast item in Phnom Penh.
The Sundance breakfast slider will set you back a mere $1.25. And to us? That makes it the best value breakfast in the city. And yes they serve coffee so you can have it for breakfast, or even late at night when you’ve sank one too many fireballs.
So, if you’re not the kind of person to usually head to the Riverside why not step out of your comfort zone and give the Sundance Inn and Saloon a try. Worst case scenario? There’s always the breakfast slider.
 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
 | https://www.cambodialifestyle.com/phnom-penh/ |
 | +855 9 678 01791 |
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Author: Gareth Johnson
Gareth Johnson is the founder of Young Pioneer Tours and has visited over 180+ countries. His passion is opening obscure destinations to tourism and sharing his experience of street food.
