Phnom Penh's Café Culture: The Best Spots for Remote Work and Daily Life

May 2024

One of the most consistent surprises for people arriving in Phnom Penh for the first time is the quality and density of its café scene. The city has developed a genuinely world-class coffee culture — independent specialty roasters, beautifully designed spaces, reliable fast Wi-Fi, and a work-friendly atmosphere that makes remote working not just possible but genuinely enjoyable.

BKK1: The Epicentre

The streets around BKK1 — particularly the cluster between Streets 278, 302, and 360 — are home to the highest concentration of quality cafés in the city. Many are independently owned, with interiors that would not look out of place in Tokyo or Melbourne. Expect single-origin pour-overs, cold brew on tap, and food menus that take both nutrition and flavour seriously. Most open by 7:30am and are reliably full of freelancers and remote workers through the late morning.

Rooftop Coworking Spaces

Several of Phnom Penh's newer residential and mixed-use buildings have incorporated rooftop coworking spaces — a category that barely existed five years ago. These spaces typically offer day passes and monthly memberships, high-speed fibre connections, and views over the city that make a mid-afternoon coffee break feel like a reward. For residents working from home in smaller apartments, they provide a valuable change of scene without leaving the neighbourhood.

The Japanese Coffee Scene

For Japanese residents and visitors, it is worth noting that Phnom Penh has a growing number of Japanese-run or Japanese-influenced cafés — particularly around the Tonle Bassac area near AEON Mall. The attention to detail, the quality of the milk drinks, and the food offerings in these spaces feel familiar and comforting in a way that accelerates the settlement process considerably.

The café culture is, in many ways, a proxy for the broader quality of life in Phnom Penh — cosmopolitan, affordable, and improving year on year.