Restaurant
Cuisine Wat Damnak
Chef Joannes Riviere's dinner-only restaurant in a traditional wooden house, serving regularly changing eight-course tasting menus of seasonal Cambodian produce.
Sala Bai Restaurant School
The training restaurant of Sala Bai hotel school, where disadvantaged young Cambodians learn hospitality skills by serving breakfast, weekday lunches and evening meals.
At a glance
- Type
- Training restaurant, French and Asian
- Area
- Wat Svay, Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Price
- $ · Budget
- Official site
- salabai.com
Good to know
- Weekday training lunches
- Breakfast daily
- Social enterprise
- Training hotel
Why we recommend it
Sala Bai is one of the best known hospitality schools in Cambodia, and eating at its training restaurant is a simple way to support it. The school was launched in 2002 by the French NGO Agir pour le Cambodge, which was founded in 1985, to fight poverty and human trafficking by giving disadvantaged young Cambodians a free professional training. Around 150 students a year are trained at no cost to them, and more than 1,900 have completed the course over two decades, going on to jobs in the hospitality industry. Kimsan Pol, executive chef of the fine-dining restaurant Embassy, is among those who trained at the school.
The restaurant is where students put their training into practice in front of real guests. Breakfast is served every day from 7am to 9am, and the training lunch runs on weekdays from noon to 1:30pm, with menus that change periodically. The school has also added a dinner service from Tuesday to Saturday, run by graduates, with an a la carte menu and a chalkboard of evening specials. The cooking draws on both French and Asian traditions, reflecting the school's origins.
Service is carried out by students as part of their course, which is the whole point of the restaurant. Lunch is good value and suits anyone who wants a relaxed sit-down meal between temple visits, as well as families and solo travellers. Sala Bai also runs a small training hotel on site, so you can stay with the school as well as eat there.
Since students follow a training calendar, it is worth checking opening times before you go, especially for dinner, where the school's own announcements have given slightly different hours. Reservations can be made by phone or email, and booking is a good idea for groups. Payment arrangements and current menus are best confirmed with the school directly.
Sala Bai is on Tonle Sap Road in the Wat Svay area, a short tuk-tuk ride from the Old Market. Combine lunch here with a visit to the Old Market or with an afternoon trip towards the Tonle Sap. Arrive promptly for lunch, as the service runs to a fixed training timetable.
Sala Bai Restaurant School FAQs
What is Sala Bai?
A free hotel and restaurant school for disadvantaged young Cambodians, launched in 2002 by the French NGO Agir pour le Cambodge.
When is the restaurant open?
Breakfast is served daily from 7am to 9am and lunch on weekdays from noon to 1:30pm; dinner runs Tuesday to Saturday, so check current times.
What kind of food is served?
French and Asian dishes, with menus that change periodically.
Who runs the dinner service?
Sala Bai graduates run the evening service with an a la carte menu and chalkboard specials.
Do I need to book?
Booking is a good idea, especially for groups; contact the school by phone or email.
How does eating here help?
The restaurant is part of the students' training, which is provided free of charge.
Can I stay at Sala Bai?
Yes, the school runs a small training hotel.
Where is it?
On Tonle Sap Road in the Wat Svay area, a short tuk-tuk ride from the Old Market.