Top 136 is a Chinese style hostess bar in Phnom Penh. Resembling an Asian KTV more than the hostess bar westerns may be used to this place offers a unique take on the girly bar model. The women working here tend to be some of the more beautiful in the local industry. Yet this bar also comes with higher rates than most of the competition.
In recent years the number of hostess bars in the city has really expanded. With the growth has come some experimentation. These days you can find everything from Japanese girls bar type venues to a Chinese oriented bar like Top 136.
That doesn’t mean this bar only accepts Chinese customers or anything like that. As per usual in the melting pot of Phnom Penh the bar is open to anyone who walks in. It is just that this place looks more like a Chinese club than the more standard model of a bar like Intoxica.
Layout and location
Top 136 Nightlife & Lounge is located next to the large Ostro Bistro on Street 136. The bar front has a large black front over the door. The name of the venue is spelled out there in large gold letters. At night lights glow behind the letters which sets off the sign quite nicely. Still the place could be missed in all the action in this crowded little block.
From the entrance way to the inside the place looks like a lot like a gaudy VIP room in a Chinese karaoke club. That is not necessarily a negative thing. It is just different than what you might expect when walking into a bar in this area. Especially if you haven’t been to the area in a few years.
Instead of the usual elevated bar top and booths this place is decked out with large padded couches and sofa chairs. A lot of bars call themselves “lounges”. This place literally is one. Of course here you can lounge with lots of very lovely ladies.
Wait staff takes orders and brings drinks right to the seating. In this way the place offers what is basically table service. Though here the service comes standard. That’s unlike nightclubs which charge for similar treatment.
Ladies, prices and summary
The main selling point here is obviously the staff. Top 136 really packs in the ladies. They also tend to hire some of the prettiest and best built women in the local industry. Beauty is ultimately in the eye of the beholder. Tastes differ between men. Still the gals employed here tend towards the universal standard of beauty or at least the widespread concept of beauty in most of Asia.
The owners of this bar also have another place nearby called Billionaire. The staff seems to blend between the two bars. Especially if customers request to see more ladies. The management will simply shift some staff from one of the bars to another. This too reminds me of Chinese KTV clubs or even the brothels of Geylang where staff is rotated around from one place to the next.
As stated earlier prices here are higher than normal. A ladies drink costs $4.50 USD which is above average for the area. The bar fine is 50 percent higher than normal at $15. Accordingly the women who work here also tend to ask for more money when they agree to leave the bar with a guy. Most bar girls in Phnom Penh will accept 50 dollars for short time these days. The ladies at Top 136 normally start off by asking for between 70 and 100 bucks.
I don’t know what percentage of the women who work here actually leave with customers each night. I tend to think it would be quite low. From what I can tell this place seems most popular as a drinking and socializing spot. Especially for groups of Chinese and other Asian customers. Westerners are welcome but many do not seem to visit this bar.
Top 136 is different than most hostess bars in the city. It operates in the same general way as most similar businesses. It just looks more like a KTV lounge. The prices are higher too. The presence of so many attractive women makes up for that to some degree. But this place isn’t necessarily that much better than other nearby bars. Some guys may prefer this model. Others would rather visit the more traditional bars. I try to judge things objectively. After taking everything into consideration I think Top 136 deserves three stars. 
Top 136. Street 136, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Click here for a map. Open every day from 6:00 PM until 6:00 AM.
