Street 136

Street 136 is ground zero for Phnom Penh's adult entertainment scene — a short block between Sisowath Quay and Street 51 lined with open-fronted bars and guesthouses that have catered to this market for decades. Everything is visible from the street and operates with minimal pretence.

The bars here are small and informal. Women sit outside or at the bar, approach is direct, and pricing is discussed openly. Short-time rooms are typically above or adjacent to the bars. The whole arrangement is more functional than atmospheric.

Street 136 operates from late afternoon and peaks between 8pm and midnight. The crackdown of 2018–2019 reduced the number of venues significantly from the peak years, and the atmosphere is more subdued than it once was. The surrounding blocks — particularly Street 130 and Street 104 — have additional venues if Street 136 is not busy enough on a given night.