After leaving his post at Meric restaurant, in the former Hotel de la Paix, French chef Johannes Rivière opened what quickly became this town’s top eatery. It's housed in an airy, two-story Khmer bungalow adjacent to a Buddhist wat on the east side of the Siem Reap River. (Most tuk-tuk drivers know the way, but look for the blue sign with the cartoonish cooking pot.) Rivière’s multi-course, French-influenced Khmer menu changes nightly but may include grilled river fish with star fruit salsa, Tonle Sap Lake croacker fish served with stir-fried green jackfruit or frog braised with winter melon. Those with special dietary concerns should be clear about these when booking to confirm that these restrictions can be accommodated.

Kroya, the Shinta Mani’s nouvelle Khmer eatery, features a dining room with a ceiling festooned with fantastical Angkor architectural renderings. Kroya, which means “food” in the Royal Khmer language, serves bountiful breakfasts including authentic French croissants and pain au chocolat, a legacy of a former chef who has gone on to open Siem Reap’s classiest eatery, Cuisine Wat Damnak. Dine inside with cooling air-conditioning or outside on one of the half dozen day bed swings. Either way, order the lemongrass chicken burger and pomelo-prawn salad. The Khmer chef may be local but his cooking is world class, as are his desserts.

For a heartwarming lunch after a morning among the ancient stones, reserve a table in this courtyard café, where cooking and pastry students of the Paul du Brule School have prepared every dish. Sit on the tropical, flower-filled grounds of this hospitality training institute and sample the daily menu, which may start off with a Khmer banana flower salad and be followed by such Western fare as grilled beef tenderloin or poached fish in white wine. Certainly the chocolate soufflé made by these hard-working young students tastes all the sweeter.

At this romantic wooden house near Wat Polanka (read: away from the tourist congestion), the professional wait staff does double duty overseeing underprivileged local youth who gain work experience here. The exceptional dishes are served in small portions, so plan ahead and order plenty. Start with refreshingly inventive sips like the chilies and pineapple margarita. Standout dishes include the palm sugar–braised pork belly, fish amok and memorable red tree ant fritters. Linger after lunch or dinner in the on-site boutique selling whimsical souvenirs that benefit local children’s charities.

Enjoy Khmer food with a twist in this small restaurant located ten minutes by car north of the city. Owner and chef Pola Siv serves up regional dishes alongside western favorites in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Whether dining inside the traditional Cambodian wooden house or outside in the garden, guests will be delighted by the fresh ingredients and outstanding service.

This old Shanghai–inspired lounge closed a gap between subdued hotel bars and Siem Reap’s backpacker club scene. The Kiwi owner trained his bartending staff who now possess an exhaustive knowledge of classic and creative cocktails. The menu includes dim sum, Singapore fried noodles and creative hot pots like a wine-marinated chicken thigh with cinnamon and star anise. Deservedly popular are the barbeque duck slider in plum and black bean sauce, served on a steamed Chinese bun with lettuce, tomato, onions and mayonnaise: it's like an American burger embracing the East.

Khmer for ‘school of rice,’ Sala Bai annually trains approximately 100 disadvantaged Khmer youths from around the country for jobs in this burgeoning sector of the Cambodian economy. Sala Bai students are selected through a painstaking admissions process by four social workers to confirm their potential as well as their extreme circumstances. The food stands on its own, especially the rice-paper rolls, which are Siem Reap’s tastiest. Open for breakfast and lunch between October and July only, the homey eatery is a favorite of the local Francophone community.