The Old Market Quarter around Phsar Chas and Pub Street is the historic heart of Siem Reap's tourism district, sitting between the Siem Reap River and the road to Angkor. It is where visitors spend most of their time in town: the streets are dense with restaurants, bars, tour operators, souvenir stalls, and guesthouses, with the old covered market at its centre. The atmosphere after dark on Pub Street is lively but manageable by Southeast Asian standards — nothing like the intensity of Khaosan Road in Bangkok.
The river promenade on the east bank has been landscaped and is pleasant for an evening walk. The streets immediately north and south of the market have a better signal-to-noise ratio for food and shopping than the strip itself.