Cafehopping is a phenomenon that has swept across the entire globe, with more trendy, hipster, concept cafes popping up daily around the world. As a true-blue cafe-hopper who loves to explore and experience different cafe spaces, here’s kickstarting this ‘Cafehopping where’ series which aims to unravel and highlight worthy cafe space around the world. First up, here are 10 Cafes to visit in Phnom Penh, segregated into Coffee cafes, Social Enterprise cafes (which are extremely up and rising in Cambodia), Instagrammable cafes and lastly Vegan and healthy-eating cafes.

Coffee Cafes in Phnom Penh

1. Brown Coffee and Bakery

Despite Starbucks’ presence in Cambodia, many locals prefer Brown Coffee and Bakery and some even call it the “local Starbucks”. A step into any of their many outlets scattered all over Phnom Penh, you would understand why. The interior of each outlet is mainly brown (pun unintended) and rustic. With a branding that is similar to Starbucks, they do launch festive drinks, merchandises (which are so popular among the locals) and even loyalty cards and apps.

Location: Click here for all outlets

Price Range: Around US$2.50-US$3.50 for a cup of iced Americano or Cappuccino

Opening Hours: Mostly Mon – Sun 6.30am – 9pm (Some outlet’s opening hours may differ)

2. Feel Good Café and Coffee Roasters

Photo credits from Tripadvisor

Being the first and only café in Phnom Penh that serves freshly roasted, grounded and brewed coffee on-site, Feel Good Café and Coffee Roasters have topped the list of most blogs on google when searching for good coffee places in Phnom Penh. The coffee beans are regionally sourced from Cambodia as well as neighboring countries like Thailand and Laos, staying true to their local focus. We heard that their piccolo, flat white and lattes are highly recommended. Their breakfast food items will make you “feel good” equally.

Location: 

Feel Good Cafe I: #79 Street 136 (Between 13th and 15th St), Phnom Penh Phsar Kandal 1, Cambodia  

Feel Good Cafe II: #11B, Street 29, Tonle Bassac, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Price Range: US$1.50-US$2.50 for a cup of iced coffee or flat white

Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 7:30am – 6:00pm

Cafes in Phnom Penh with a cause (Social enterprise cafes)

3. Sugar & Spice café by Daughter of Cambodia

The Sugar and Spice cafes provide an exit for the sex trafficking industry and are operated by Daughters of Cambodia, an NGO that helps former sex trade workers return to the society and workforce by being financial independent through newly learnt skills. While you get to be a part of this meaningful cause, don’t be surprised that their brunches are equally great. If you are at the Daughters of Cambodia Visitor Centre along Sisowath Quay, the first level is a retail boutique shop that sells handmade crafts, clothing and bags, while the second level is a cosy cafe with a manicure and spa area.

 

4. Friends The Restaurant

Near the National Musuem of Cambodia, Friends The Restaurant is a vocational training restaurant that supports the reintegration of youths with the development of the society. It specializes in western-style tapas, refreshing cocktails and desserts. When you dine at the restaurant, you are not only exposing yourself to an international culinary experience with greenery and nature surroundings, you are also supporting a youth’s training. You will be comforted to know that all of the restaurant’s profits are reinvested into the student’s education training and social programs. 

Location: #215, Street 13, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Price Range: US$5 – US$8

Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 11:00am – 11:00pm

5. Jars of Clay

Photo credits from Jarsofclay.asia

Serving western homestyle cooking, delicious slices of cakes, teas, coffees and healthy juices, the cafe operates as a social enterprise that provides sustainable employment for disadvantaged and at-risk young Cambodian women. Their cafes are in close vicinity to the well known Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market) and Phnom Penh Thmey areas.

Location: 

Jars Cafe 1: 39B St 155, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Jars Cafe 2: Oknha Try Heng St. (2011), Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Price Range: US$4 – US$6

Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 7:30am – 9:00pm

Instagrammable Cafes in Phnom Penh

6. The 240 by MAADS

Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 8:00am – 8:00pm

7. The Shop 240 and The Chocolate Shop

Photo credits to The Shop 240 

The Shop 240 is a cafe and bakery that serves quality dishes and freshly baked breads and cakes at its humble-looking tree shaded shophouse that is filled with greenery in its outdoor garden. Do pop by The Chocolate Shop, also under The Shop 240, which is Cambodia’s first chocolate production workshop, which is just next door. Using traditional Belgian recipes and only the finest high-cacao content chocolate sourced from all over the world, we are not surprised that top hotels and restaurants in Cambodia order their chocolate delights from them.

8. The Matchart Café

Photo credits to The Matchart Café

Infusing the popular Japanese green tea dessert (Matcha Green Tea) into the Cambodian market, this is one stop that Matcha lovers cannot skip. Everything is served with Matcha. Think about Matcha soft serve and Matcha latte topped with Matcha soft serve, and many other specially curated desserts with ingredients imported directly from Kyoto, a traditional city of Japan.

Location: #34Eo, St. 178, Sangkat Chey Chomneas, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh

Price Range: From US$2

Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 7:00 am – 8:00 pm

Vegan Cafes in Phnom Penh

9. Backyard Café 

Photo credits to yourphnompenh.com

Photo Credits to bestofpp.com

Probably known as the most instagrammable cafe that is also the home of healthy food in Phnom Penh, with a wide range of vegetarian, vegan, and raw options. They are well known for their acai bowls, and their homemade desserts which are all raw, vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free. My personal favorites has got to be the Raw Chocolate & Salted Caramel Tart (US$4.50) and the Raw Blueberry & Lavender Cheesecake (US$4.50). The café consists of two storeys with white and brown wooden furniture and decor that will definitely excite the instagrammer in you.

Location: 11B Street 246, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Price Range: US$2-US$7

Opening Hours: Mon 7.30am – 4.30pm | Tues – Sun 7:30 am – 9.00 pm

10. Artillery Arts café

Photo credits to ARTillery Cafe

This fusion of the arts and food in Phnom Penh isn’t something new. With a fresh splash of blue and white interior and exterior, the café stands out remarkably from the concrete shop houses in its hood. ARTillery is a creative café that focuses on healthy living, with their ingredients being chemical-free and organic, sourced from local farms. This cosy space is also a boutique, gallery , event space, and cafe, where they serve breakfast, lunch as well as tapas and wine on certain evenings.

Location: Alleyway of 240 1/2, No. 82E0 St, St 244, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Price Range: US$2.50-US$5

Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 7.30am – 9.30pm

If you found this cafe hopping in Phnom Penh guide useful, do share it with your friends who are heading there next. Share with us your favourite cafes in Phnom Penh too if they do not happen to be in this list! If you are a photography junkie searching for the most Instagrammable shots, check out these 13 Instagram-worthy places in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.