Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh has added another accolade to its long and storied history, with its legendary Elephant Bar named one of the world’s top hotel bars by leading U.S. culinary publication Food & Wine.
The recognition places Elephant Bar among just 10 hotel bars selected globally in Food & Wine’s “Best Global Hotel Bars” list, published in its May 2026 issue. For a bar that has long been regarded as one of Southeast Asia’s most atmospheric places for a drink, the honour reinforces what many travellers, hotel guests and cocktail lovers have known for years: Elephant Bar is not simply a hotel bar. It is a Phnom Penh institution.
Set within the landmark Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Elephant Bar has become synonymous with old-world elegance, Cambodian hospitality and the kind of setting that feels increasingly rare in modern travel. With its rich wood panelling, colourful ceiling frescoes, historic photographs, classic wicker chairs, leather sofas, high French windows and arched colonnades, the bar carries the romance of another era without feeling frozen in time.
A Phnom Penh Landmark With Global Recognition
For more than nine decades, Elephant Bar has welcomed hotel guests, diplomats, writers, celebrities, dignitaries and curious travellers passing through Cambodia’s capital.
Its latest recognition by Food & Wine places it alongside some of the world’s finest hotel bars, highlighting not only the quality of its drinks programme, but also the power of its setting and history. In an age where many luxury bars lean heavily into trend-led design, Elephant Bar stands out for its sense of continuity.
It has atmosphere that cannot be manufactured quickly. The bar’s character has been built over generations, shaped by the people who have passed through it, the stories attached to it and the enduring appeal of Raffles Hotel Le Royal itself.
The Spirit Of Raffles Hotel Le Royal
Raffles Hotel Le Royal is one of Phnom Penh’s most recognisable heritage hotels, known for its colonial-era architecture, refined service and deep connection to Cambodia’s capital. Elephant Bar sits at the heart of that experience.
Dagmar Lyons, General Manager of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, described the recognition as a tremendous honour, noting that Elephant Bar forms part of the heart and soul of the landmark hotel. She also highlighted the venue’s blend of old-world sophistication, warm Cambodian hospitality and unforgettable cocktails in one of Asia’s most beautiful settings.
That combination is exactly what gives Elephant Bar its identity. It is polished but relaxed, historic but still alive, elegant without feeling distant. Guests come for the drinks, but often remember the room itself just as clearly.
The Famous Femme Fatale Cocktail
One of Elephant Bar’s most famous stories is tied to Jacqueline Kennedy, who visited Phnom Penh in 1967 and sipped the first “Femme Fatale” cocktail during her stay.
The drink remains on the menu today, making it one of the bar’s most recognisable signatures. For travellers, it offers a direct link to the hotel’s past: a cocktail with a story, served in a room where history still feels close.
This is part of the wider appeal of hotel bars with true heritage. They are not only judged by what is in the glass. They are remembered for the mood, the setting, the service and the stories guests carry away with them.
One Of Southeast Asia’s Most Impressive Gin Collections
While Elephant Bar is celebrated for its history, it is also serious about its drinks.
The bar is home to one of Southeast Asia’s most impressive gin collections, with more than 200 carefully curated labels. That selection includes notable expressions such as Sipsmith Raffles 1915 and the hotel’s own locally crafted Elephant Bar Gin.
For gin lovers, this makes the bar a destination in its own right. Guests can explore classic serves, refined cocktails, mocktails and more immersive tasting experiences. The popular Elephant Bar Gin Experience offers two hours of unlimited gin cocktails and a gin tasting, giving visitors a more dedicated way to discover the bar’s collection.
This balance between heritage and craft is important. Elephant Bar is not relying only on its past. It continues to offer a drinks experience that feels relevant to today’s discerning travellers.
A Bar That Belongs On A Phnom Penh Itinerary
For visitors to Phnom Penh, Elephant Bar offers a different way to experience the city.
Cambodia’s capital is known for its royal heritage, riverside setting, markets, temples, museums, French colonial architecture and fast-changing urban energy. A visit to Elephant Bar adds another layer to that journey, offering a slower, more elegant pause within one of the city’s most iconic hotels.
It is the kind of place that works equally well for a pre-dinner drink, a quiet afternoon cocktail, a special occasion, or a more leisurely evening exploring one of Asia’s classic hotel bar settings.
For those staying at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Elephant Bar is part of the hotel experience. For those staying elsewhere in the city, it remains well worth seeking out.
Why This Recognition Matters
Food & Wine’s selection of Elephant Bar among the world’s top 10 hotel bars is significant because hotel bars occupy a special place in travel culture.
The best of them are more than places to drink. They become meeting points, memory keepers and informal stages for the cities they belong to. They capture the atmosphere of a hotel while also drawing in guests from outside its rooms.
Elephant Bar does exactly that. It reflects the elegance of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, the history of Phnom Penh and the enduring appeal of a beautifully preserved hospitality tradition.
Its recognition also helps place Cambodia more firmly on the map for luxury travel, cocktail culture and heritage hotel experiences. For travellers planning a journey through Southeast Asia, Phnom Penh now has yet another reason to command attention.
A Timeless Drinking Room In The Heart Of Cambodia’s Capital
Elephant Bar’s appeal lies in the way it blends setting, service, history and flavour.
There are newer bars, louder bars and more experimental bars across the world. But few can match the feeling of stepping into a room that has hosted generations of travellers and still knows exactly what it is.
The Food & Wine recognition confirms Elephant Bar’s place among the great global hotel bars, but the real reward is experienced in person: a seat beneath the high windows, a beautifully made drink, the quiet glamour of Raffles Hotel Le Royal and the sense that Phnom Penh’s past and present are meeting in the same glass.
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