I have researched a lot of different kind of places in this world. Some stand out while others blend into the scenery. Then there is Danny K’s Bar and Massage in Phnom Penh. To this day it remains one of the most surprising places I have ever come across. And this is coming from the guy who reviewed Milky Baby.
Now the simple idea of combining a hostess bar and massage parlor isn’t crazy in and of itself. After all I have already reviewed a place called Beauty Bar and Massage in Siem Reap. On the surface these two things may seem like a match made in heaven. Perhaps they are. Yet it is still quite odd to see them mixed. Especially in Cambodia. Despite having a reputation as being a sort of wild west of the far east the country is actually quite conservative. Adult oriented businesses have run into problems over seemingly simply things like the uniforms worn by staff before. So that should put it all into perspective.
Danny K’s in Phnom Penh
Danny K’s Bar is located on Street 172 in Phnom Penh. In recent years this has developed into a sort of backpacker or budget strip for foreigners. Nearly every business on the block is oriented to foreigners in one way or another. That includes the six or so hostess bars that can be found.
The most interesting of these bars has to be Danny K’s if only for the name of the place. That is what sticks out most about the front of the bar. Otherwise it just looks like any other run of the mill venue on the street. There is a red neon sign over the doors. The doors themselves are frosted glass with the words “oil massage” printed across the middle.
Inside the place is a pretty normal bar. There are all the things you’d expect like an actual bar and seats. Then there are the doors that lead to the back where the massage section does business. Oddly there are some strange decorations around too. One that sticks out is a sort of mutilated mannequin. It’s the stuff of nightmares.
Staff, service and summary
There are just a handful of women working at Danny K’s most times. Thankfully they are not the kind of creatures you’d see in a bad dream. They’re an mostly average looking but very friendly bunch. They always seem happy to get a customer. Yet they are not aggressive or pushy in the least. I have nothing bad to say about them at all.
The rest of the bar is quite normal. Drink prices are reasonable for the area and cheap in comparison to much of the world. This is after all Street 172 in Phnom Penh. Even after years of inflation it is definitely not an expensive area. That is the main attraction for many.
But what about the massages? You might expect that the massage parlor section of the bar would be a place for sanctioned hanky panky. But it really isn’t. It’s actually just a massage shop where people can get oil or regular body massages. This is no New Luxury World. It’s just a massage section in a otherwise ordinary hostess bar. That’s really all there is to it.
What’s in a name? At Danny K’s Bar and Massage the answer is everything. Although the name and idea of merging a massage parlor and hostess bar is quite incredible the venue itself is not. This is basically just another dingy hostess bar in Phnom Penh. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Bars like this have entertained countless men over the years. With a view toward the world as a whole I can give this place an objective overview. That is what I tried to do above. And to summarize it here I give Danny K’s one-and-a-half stars. 
Danny K’s Bar. Street 172, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Click here for a map. Open every day from 7:00 PM until 1:00 AM.
