Coffee shop culture is alive and kicking in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, and there is no shortage of spots to get your caffeine kick in the Tonle Bassac neighbourhood of the city.
If a morning caffeine boost is an essential start to your day, then head to Feel Good II. Renowned for its Fairtrade organic coffee beans, hand-selected from across the region, Feel Good’s top team of baristas serve the best coffee in town. It also has a menu to boot, with French toast and bacon, bowls of fresh fruit, muesli and other mouth-watering options.
Aside from serving a range of baked goods and pastries freshly baked every morning – including delightful buttery scones – My Friends also serves a range of healthy meals like butter chicken and potato nan, salads and fish, as well as coffees and smoothies. It also specialises in gluten-free products.
This spacious coffee shop not only offers a range of brews but also bargain bites throughout the day. The breakfast buffet is a cheap and filling way to start the day, with unlimited eats costing $2.50. The lunch buffet is $3 and the soup buffet $6.80.
Bubble tea is the order of the day at Japanese-style KOI Thé. They serve flavoured milk teas with chewy tapioca balls, taking inspiration from the Taiwanese drink. But be warned, no hot drinks are served here so you’ll have to make do with Cambodian-style iced coffee.
A light, bright and breezy affair, Story Coffee Roasters is a great spot to hang out with friends, catch up on some emails or spend the day working in front of your laptop. It offers a great range of coffees, frappes, iced lattes and fruit teas, as well as meals.
Tonle Bassac is home to Phnom Penh’s first upmarket shopping and entertainment mall, AEON Mall, and there are stacks of coffee shops to choose from inside. Starbucks is one of the most popular, with the international coffee chain having launched in Cambodia in late 2016. Its AEON Mall location has indoor and outdoor seating, and serves the usual selection of coffees and light bites.
Taiwanese bubble tea stores Chatime can be found across Cambodia, with AEON Mall home to one that is popular with the young Cambodians who frequent it. Milk teas, mousses, coffees and bubble teas are served in a range of flavours.
French bakery Eric Kayser serves a range of French-inspired breads, pastries, baked goods and bistro snacks to eat in or for take-away. Its AEON Mall offering is relatively small and fills up quickly during peak hours. A range of coffees, teas, and fruit juices are also available.
Another international coffee giant to call Phnom Penh’s first major shopping mall home is Costa Coffee, with a spacious outlet on the mall’s ground floor. They serve a range of blends, shakes, smoothies, and fresh fruit juices as well as light bites.
Having started life in America in 1963, with a small store in southern California, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf brand has spread across the globe. Its AEON Mall offering serves a range of coffees and teas, including the popular iced tea latte.
