Phnom Penh

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

Cousin's Burger Coffee

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

Closed · opens 11 am

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.

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.

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

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.

The Shop

Popular place with a good selection of sandwiches, quiches, salads and freshly baked goods plus nice coffee too. Has a cosy and quiet courtyard seating area. Very good breakfast options.

Daily 07:00-19:00

Monument Books

Has the most extensive collection of new books in Phnom Penh, including fiction and non-fiction, children's books, non-English-language works (in French and Khmer, for instance), magazines and newspapers. There is a particularly good collection of books from and about Cambodia, for instance, on Angkor Wat, the Khmer Rouge regime, and the history of Cambodia. Prices can be very high, often above the list price, and can be purchased cheaper elsewhere in town. However, you can also get a good tea or coffee and cake there, if the serving staff are awake, and it's a nice place to sip and read without being pestered. Monument Toys upstairs has a collection of children's toys and games. There is a branch of the bookshop at the airport.

Zeppelin Cafe

Listen to 1970s rock classics played by Mr Jun Rockwell, with his massive vinyl album collection. US$2 cocktails and great boiled or fried dumplings.

Mr. Piccolo Coffee

Good coffee and pretty decent cakes.