Phnom Penh

3-Pots Lady

This lady serves inexpensive and super delicious local curries with noodles and an immense portion of meat at an unbeatable price. The only catch is that you either take-away or seat yourself onto one of the tiny chairs around her place, but without any table to put your bowl. However, the dish is definitely worth the trouble.

Irregularly present·6,000 riel

Aeon Mall 1

Phnom Penh's first of three giant Aeon Mall's, located in central city (opened mid-2014) with many brand name and Japanese stores. It has a supermarket, many restaurants and 7 screen, including one 4DX, Major Cineplex Cinema on 2nd floor. Newer Mall 2 (north of city) and Mall 3 (south of city) are much bigger.

Aeon Mall 2 Sok Sen City

Phnom Penh's second Aeon Mall and double the size of Aeon Mall 1, located north of city (opened May-2018) with many brand name and Japanese stores. It has a supermarket, many restaurants and multi screen, Major Cineplex Cinema, including an IMAX.

Aeon Mall 3 Mean Chey

Phnom Penh's third and biggest of three huge Aeon Mall's, located south of city (opened Dec-2022) with many brand name and Japanese stores. It has a supermarket, many restaurants and multi screen, Major Cineplex Cinema. Airport Express Bus stops here midway to airport, at stop AEB 7, download free City Bus app to live track buses, search for AEB to find airport route. Only 1500 riel per ticket. Makes for cheap day out.

Anise

Comfortable, nicely decorated corner restaurant with free Wi-Fi and some good dishes from a varied menu, including SE Asian. Their club sandwich is excellent. Perhaps a little over-priced.

Aussie XL

About the only thing Aussie about this place is the owner. Foster's has, in keeping with Aussie trends, been banished from the place. But the food is very good and the wood-fired oven pizza matches anything found in Italy.

Bouchon

French wine and cocktails bar with gourmet food. Famous for its near half price US$3 martinis on Saturday nights 21:00-00:00.

Closed · opens 11 am

Central Market

Psar Thmei / New Market

A touristy and pricey market with a beautiful 1930s Art Deco covered market near the Riverfront (Sisowath Quay) district. Its architecture is worth admiring. The market is well laid out, and sells everything from flowers to electronics to food. Some stalls inside the market are owned by ethnic Chinese, so if you don't speak Khmer, you might get lucky with Teochew. If you prefer more authentic, local and inexpensive, head southwest to Orussey Market.

Chhma Catfe

A cat cafe where you can enjoy a nice hot or cold drink in the company of lots of playful cats, when they are not sleeping or eating.

Closed · opens 8:30 am·US$1.5 donation entrance fee. Smoothies US$2.5

Cloud9 Skybar

In the evenings at Sun & Moon Urban Hotel, guests and local residents can chill out in style at Cloud 9, the hotel’s rooftop bar, with cool beats, creative cocktails, and spectacular views over Phnom Penh city. Poolside BBQ parties and buffet dinners can also be arranged at this location.

Cousin's Burger Coffee

French-run, French-style. Coffees as well as burger, fries and soft drinks.

Closed · opens 11 am

Digby's

American Restaurant that mainly serves Western dishes and a limited selection of Khmer dishes. Large selection of imported soft drinks and alcohol available. Popular with expats, staff are friendly and speak English.

Tue-Thu Sun 07:00-21:00, Fri Sat 07:00-22:00, Mon closed·Prices shown on menu in US dollars.

Eclipse Sky Bar

Tallest sky bar in Phnom Penh, is a hidden gem in the heart of the city’s business district. From the roof of the 22-story Hyundai Phnom Penh Tower, the view of the city is breath-taking, and the soft mix of pop music in the background adds to the bar’s relaxed ambiance.

US$3 Tiger draught beer

Exchange Square

A multi-purpose development with upmarket shops and restaurants including a Starbucks, Hard Rock Cafe and Legend cinema on the 2nd floor, above Hard Rock Cafe.

Former M-13 Prison

The remains of one of the largest Khmer Rouge prison and torture camps, in the outback, about 50 km northwest of Phnom Penh. You can see large pits where the prisoners were kept.

Independence and Liberation Memorials

Impressive Buddhist-style Independence Memorial, commemorating the departure of the French in 1953, dominates the centre of the city. Nearby is the Stalin-style Liberation Memorial, marking the Vietnamese capture of the city in 1979. The area is especially popular on weekend nights with locals when multi-coloured fountains are activated and communal music is played.

Java Creative Cafe Toul Tom Poung

Soups, salads and sandwiches in a cosy setting overlooking the Independence Monument. Good vegetarian options. Has a rotating art exhibition.

Junk Food Junction

The BBK1 area is experiencing great growth in construction and becoming continually more an upmarket area of the city. At the junction of St 51 and St 310, each corner now has a multinational joint, KFC, Burger King, Carl's Jnr (California flame grilled burgers) and Gloria Jean's coffee.

Kathmandu Kitchen

Delicious Nepali and Indian food for reasonable prices in a restaurant setting with free water and condiments.

US$2-5; veg. Nepali-style thali US$3.5

Liquid

Polished concrete, gun-metal grey floor, chocolate leather seats and fabulously backlit bar serving some of the best and most inventive cocktails in town. One of the only slate pool tables in town. As much a mid-week bar as a weekend bar.

Daily 08:00-late

Luxuries Cafe

True to its name this is a very comfortable and luxurious cafe. Has both photo drinks and food menus. Prices surprisingly not expensive.

Closed · opens 6 am

MI-A Japan

Japanese almost US$2 shop. Full of different kinds of items. Similar shops can be found in the Aeon Mall. Phnom Penh also has a Daiso shop.

Mekong River Cruises

Boats leave every evening for a river cruise. Many provide snacks or dinners at sunset. Be sure to visit Mekong Island to see rural life.

US$8

Night Market

Good for local food with many food stalls. Sells clothes as well but you need to haggle. Usually some live entertainment, but is primarily for the locals. Friendly neighborhood atmosphere; eat barefoot sitting on mats on the ground.

US$2-4 for a decent dinner

Olympic Market

Psar Olympic

Olympic Market was built in 1994 and is a local favorite with shoppers looking for wholesale fabrics, everyday wear, religious paraphernalia and traditional Khmer dresses. Buyers can look forward to big discounts in this market especially if they are buying in bulk. The market is well laid out and is one of the more modern multi-story market complexes. Buyers should definitely give this market a visit.

Olympic Stadium

Built in the 1960s for the Asian Games that never happened, this interesting complex in the Modern-style has been sold off to the Taiwanese, in a murky deal by the Cambodian government. The new owners have renovated it and it has begun to be used once again as a venue. However in the evenings a walk around the top perimeter is worthwhile: you can see hundreds attending exercise and dance classes, and get a view of the abandoned track below. There is also an Olympic-size swimming pool and diving pool with a 10-m platform open to the public opposite the main building, across the track.

6,000 riel to get in, 500 riel to check your things

Orussey Market

This is a proper and authentic Cambodian market with inexpensive produces and everything regular Cambodians need on a day to day basis. No fine art decor can be found here, and some tourists may be put off by its rawness. However, many small eateries can be found around the market, some even inside the market, which offer very cheap meals starting at 5,000 riel.

Phnom Tamao Zoological Park and Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC)

This is the largest zoo in Cambodia, and it's unique because it's made up of animals that have been rescued from illegal wildlife trade, sometimes for the final purpose of ending up on the dining room table. Among the residents are a number of sun bears and tigers. A full-scale tour is rather pricey at ~US$120, but may be worth it. Otherwise general admission is much less.

Daily 08:00-17:00

Russian Market

Psar Toul Tom Poung

The Russian Market moniker dates to the Vietnamese occupation of the city in the 1980s. Real designer clothes at discount prices. A lot of the factories for Levis, CK, Ralph Lauren and many other brands are in Phnom Penh; however, a lot of the clothes sold here are deemed unfit to be shipped abroad due to very small faults and, therefore are sold at this market. You can also purchase fake Swiss watches and pirated software at low prices. It's away from normal tourist areas, but motodop drivers who cater to tourists will know it.

Sisowath Quay

Riverside

Phnom Penh is a bite-sized town, and it's easy to combine sightseeing, shopping, eating and drinking into a single walk through the city. The key to connecting the dots is the town's riverside promenade, Sisowath Quay, which runs along the west bank of the Tonle Sap River. Every morning, the Quay kicks off with a life-affirming exercise session to some interesting music. It's fronted by a large, long open space with manicured lawns, palm trees and open pathways, all re-done as part of a Japanese-funded project to upgrade the flood infrastructure along the river. The built-up side of the street is home to cafés and shops and the better class of bar, and is popular with tourists and expats prepared to run its gauntlet of touts selling drugs, girls, and tuk-tuk rides. The riverfront (once seen as Phnom Penh's "safe" area) is no longer entirely safe for tourists. Tourist police are supposedly present in plainclothes. The esplanade along the river is also popular with Cambodians, who come here in the cool of the evening to enjoy the quasi-carnival atmosphere. It begins at the riverfront park opposite the royal palace, and is perhaps best experienced in the early evening. Dawn at Sisowath Quay is also a busy time, with locals doing callisthenics in front of the royal palace, and the sun rising over the river.