Air Force Bar is one of the longest standing bars in Phnom Penh. There are now several dozen girlie bars scattered around the city. But not long ago there were just a handful of establishments of the sort. Air Force Bar was one of those originals. Today it remains one of the most popular.
Air Force is well known among a subset of regular customers. It is also known among many bar girls too. Some of the most attractive women I have ever seen in hostess bars around Phnom Penh eventually ended up working at Air Force. Its reputation must also serve as a draw.
Yet there are also regulars in Phnom Penh who tend to avoid the bar for various reasons. Like the previously reviewed Rose Bar across the street it does have its detractors. That seems especially true nowadays with so many new bars available for punters to visit.
Location and layout
As mentioned Air Force Bar is located on Street 104 opposite Rose Bar. I cannot be complete sure but I believe Air Force Bar was the second bar to open on the street. I do know that Rose Bar was certainly the first. Today there are many bars on 104.
In any event Air Force is easy to find. There is a large sign over the entrance. And there are almost always groups of women hanging around outside. Inside the bar takes up the spaces of two shop houses. It expanded a few years ago and took over the adjoining building.
In the original shop there is a long bar along the left side. It is staffed with plenty of bar tenders and a computer used for playing music from Youtube. The rest of the room is filled with tables and chairs of various types. They are usually filled with women who are happy to move to accommodate guests.
The other space is open through a doorway made in the old wall. There are many more seats over there. It is not any more comfortable or otherwise notable. It is just another space available for customers and the women on staff.
Air Force Bar has an informal feel that often veers into party territory. In some ways this can become problematic. For example letting a large dog roam around the premises could certainly turn some people away. And that includes me.
Staff, service and conclusion
Air Force Bar has a very large staff. It rivals Rose Bar and some other large establishments in terms of sheer numbers of women working. It is not out of the ordinary to see more than two dozen women inside of Air Force Bar. For a large Bangkok go go that wouldn’t mean much. But is notable in Phnom Penh.
The women have a range of looks. But most are average to attractive. Ultimately beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But popular Phnom Penh hostess bars are rarely lacking in terms of good looking ladies.
The average age of the women on staff is somewhere in the low twenties. But women as young as nineteen and as old as thirty eight can be found in Air Force Bar most nights. The level of spoken English is average. Though it is certainly much higher than what one finds almost anywhere in Thailand or Vietnam.
Drink prices are average for the local market. The barfine is too. Many of the women in the bar are open to leaving the bar with customers. But as with any bar of the kind in Phnom Penh there are also women who will not. Some are picky too. They will only go out of the bar if the mood or situation strikes them.
Air Force Bar has been around for quite a while. But that does not necessarily mean it is superior to newer bars. In fact the opposite can be true in some cases. As it stands Air Force is a decided average bar with an oversized reputation. I give it two-and-half stars. 
Air Force Bar. #29 Street 104, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Click here for a map. Open every day from 6:00 PM until 2:00 AM.
