Apsara show in Phnom Penh: how to book

What the evening is

The ticket is for an Apsara dance performance at the Riverview Restaurant & Bar, on the first floor of 313 Quayside on Preah Sisowath Quay, the riverfront strip beside the Tonlé Sap. The show runs on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and the ticket shows a duration of 105 minutes with a show programme included. It is staged on the outdoor terrace and moves indoors if it rains. Dinner is not part of the ticket: food and drinks are à la carte, so you can come for the dance alone. Wheelchair access is shown as available on the booking page. The ticket's highlights are an Apsara dance performance, dinner with views of the Tonlé Sap River, and a menu mixing modern Italian, Australian and traditional Cambodian dishes. Booking is for the show, and food is yours to add.

Who performs, and what the name means

The ticket title says Royal Ballet of Cambodia, and its description says the performance is by the Princess Devi Dance Academy. It adds that ticket sales go to the preservation of the Royal Cambodian Ballet. UNESCO uses the name Royal Ballet of Cambodia for the whole dance tradition, and Wikipedia notes that the term may also refer to the National Dance Company of Cambodia. Nothing on the ticket presents the evening as a season by that national company, so book it as a Khmer classical dance show at a restaurant. In short, the evening shows you the tradition, danced by the performers the ticket names, in a restaurant setting.

Days, weather and the stage

Book for a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday; open dates appear in the booking calendar. The ticket says the show is performed indoors if it rains. The restaurant's replies to guest reviews say the show is usually outside on a much bigger stage and is moved indoors from time to time because of weather. One reviewer wanted the stage raised higher for guests at the back, and the restaurant replied that the stage is slightly elevated and that booking in advance gives the best seating options. Treat an early booking as the way to choose your seat. A guest who went on a clear evening wrote that the venue is a rooftop area overlooking the river street and that the weather was nice. Plan for the weather you get: the ticket covers both the terrace and the indoor room.

Dinner or the dance alone

Dinner is optional. The ticket describes à la carte dining with modern Italian, Australian and traditional Cambodian cooking, and says a buffet and group bookings can be pre-arranged through the restaurant's website. The ticket recommends arriving earlier if you plan to eat before the show. One reviewer advises treating dinner as optional, because meals cost more than usual Cambodian prices. If you only want the dance, book the ticket and eat elsewhere on the riverfront, where restaurants, cafés and bars line the quay. Several reviewers say the food was good, and the restaurant offers a fusion of three cuisines, but none of it comes with the ticket, which leaves the choice for the day.

Finding 313 Quayside

The address on the ticket is 313 Quayside, Preah Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh 12300, on the first floor. One reviewer found the posted address hard to locate, and the restaurant replied that it is on level 1 of Quayside 313. Preah Sisowath Quay is a three-kilometre riverfront strip along the Tonlé Sap, lined with hotels, restaurants, bars, cafés and shops, so look for the number and the first-floor level. The ticket says the restaurant is within walking distance of the Royal Palace. Keep your confirmation open on your phone when you arrive. Show the address and the floor to your driver or in a map app, rather than the restaurant's name alone.

Read next: Phnom Penh riverfront before the show

How the dances are explained

The ticket includes a show programme, and reviewers describe an emcee who explains the dances and a pamphlet about the Royal Ballet. That matters because Khmer classical dance rests on hand gestures and character types that a first-time viewer cannot guess. The explainer on this site sets out the basics before you go. Reviewers praise the graceful dancing and the setting; one found parts somewhat slow and repetitive but still beautiful, which is worth knowing if you expect a fast show. The other guides on this site cover the music, the costume and the history, so you arrive knowing what the emcee is talking about.

Read next: Khmer classical dance and the apsara

What an apsara is

In Hindu and Buddhist culture, apsaras are celestial beings, described as beautiful, youthful and elegant, and said to excel at dancing. They are an important motif in the stone bas-reliefs of the Angkorian temples, and the dance on this stage borrows that image: its crown, pleated sampot and flower are based on the carved figures. Wikipedia adds that Khmer classical dancers as a whole are often called apsara dancers, although the apsara is only one character among others in the repertoire. The other guides here take the carvings and the costume further. Within the four character types of the classical repertory, the apsara follows the dancing style of the neang, the woman, with subtle differences in gesture and costume.

Make a night of the riverfront

Preah Sisowath Quay runs in front of the Royal Palace, which King Norodom built in the 1860s and which is still the royal residence of the King of Cambodia. The Silver Pagoda is part of the palace complex, and the Throne Hall is where kings are crowned. These are daytime sights, so see them earlier and come back to the quay for the show. The palace's Chan Chhaya, or Moonlight Pavilion, is used for state banquets and dance performances, which makes the neighbourhood a fitting place to watch one.

What reviewers say

The ticket averages 4.7 from 105 reviews. Reviewers praise the graceful Khmer dance, the helpful explanations and the setting above the river, and several call the evening worth the trip. The recurring caution is about dining: a few say that clearer information on dining prices and on the optional nature of meals would help, which is why this guide says dinner is optional. Another asks for a bigger stage; the restaurant replies that the terrace stage is much bigger than the indoor one. Guests also describe a good welcome, elegant dancers and a well-planned show. The evening is easy to combine with dinner on the quay, since restaurants line the strip.

Other ways to spend an evening on the river

Two other tickets suit the same part of the day. A two-hour Mekong river cruise offers a sunset or an evening sailing with live traditional Khmer music and an optional all-you-can-eat dinner. A one-and-a-half-hour sunset cruise gives commentary on riverbank landmarks such as the Royal Palace, with unlimited beer and soft drinks as an option. Both are boat trips and neither is a dance performance. They appear as cards on this site, so compare what each one includes, not only the star rating. The cruise with live Khmer music offers the music, the commentary cruise offers the landmarks, and the dance show offers the dance.

Who this isn't for

This evening is a poor match if you want a full dance drama in a theatre with a set running order: you get a terrace show of 105 minutes, with a programme and optional dinner. It is also a poor match if you want a hushed, formal dinner, because the stage is the focus. And if you are after the national company's own performances, find out where it is appearing; Wikipedia names the Chenla Theatre and the Chaktomuk Conference Hall among the Royal Ballet's venues. It also suits travellers best who are comfortable with a first-floor venue, so confirm access with the restaurant if stairs are a concern.