A few blocks and a world away from sweaty and crowded Phsar Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market) food court, Aquarius Dessert Cafe revels in cutesy pastel colours, fancy furniture and effective air-con. On a quiet Phnom Penh side street, not far from the Flicks movie house, step into one of the new breed of Cambodian … read the full post

Showing plenty of foresight, Java Cafe and Gallery has been open since 2000, well ahead of the curve which has seen a new coffee shop open almost every week in Phnom Penh recently. Java is centrally located just two minutes’ walk from the Independence Monument, with views over Sihanouk Boulevard park. We love the mid-price tasty … read the full post

Every so often in Phnom Penh, you pass something that makes you look twice. Granted, it’s often an overladen motorbike or a T-shirt with words you are sure the wearer doesn’t understand. But the Botanic Cafe on Street 19 also prompts a double take. When you first spot it, nestled behind a explosively pink bougainvillea, you may think you’ve accidentally ended … read the full post

Phnom Penh is full of secret places — alleys and entrances and little squares that you’re unlikely to ever notice. Most tourists never take the risk of getting lost wandering in this hidden side of the city. But if you venture down a typical alleyway on well-known Street 240 and turn the corner, you’ll find … read the full post

If you’re sick of street food and looking for a more refined snacking experience, many of the posh hotels in town offer afternoon tea, where you can put on your most colonial accent and load up on sweets. Raffles Le Royal Afternoon tea at Raffles is quite a production, served in The Conservatory and featuring … read the full post

Southeast Asia – and particularly Cambodia – is not known for being a rewarding place for wine aficionados and cheese lovers. But this disenfranchised group finds solace on the last Wednesday of every month when the Intercontinental Hotel puts on their monthly wine and cheese event. Featuring an international selection of wines from four local … read the full post

One of the great pleasures of enduring the weather in Cambodia — those 35 degree afternoons one after the other — is sitting down in the shade with an enormous, sickly-sweet iced coffee. Here’s how they roast coffee in Phnom Penh: until it’s black, and usually with a big scoop of rendered pork fat or … read the full post

Last month Raffles Hotel Le Royal revamped its less-expensive brunch at Cafe Monivong (not to be confused with the $88 option at Le Royal) to offer an entirely Asian menu. Previously, the menu had been essentially a pared-down version of the French-inspired offerings at Le Royal. Now it’s sashimi, dim sum and various Southeast Asian … read the full post