For all its royal history and its riverside setting at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap, Phnom Penh has long been defined by its dark past more than its present. Travelers often bypass the capital for Siem Reap’s Angkor Wat or regional hubs like Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City. Yet in recent years the city’s quiet transformation has become impossible to ignore.
Major infrastructure and public-space projects have signaled change. The first phase of Techo International Airport opened with a Foster + Partners design that blends architecture and nature—arched ceilings that evoke temple forms and Romduol trees rising through the baggage halls—part of a decades-long, $2 billion master plan. The city also launched Chaktomuk Walk Street, a sprawling pedestrianized riverfront packed with Khmer food, crafts, and a carnival atmosphere, which has become a popular local gathering place. Around these developments, Cambodian-led creative businesses—from fashion labels exploring sustainable production to new acting schools—are multiplying.
A new generation of entrepreneurs, unburdened by living memory of war, is giving Phnom Penh a distinct creative voice. “There’s a noticeable shift toward Cambodian-led creative businesses designing for a more discerning local audience,” says Vanna Sann of ethical clothing brand Dorsu. The still-evolving regulatory environment in Cambodia also allows faster experimentation and implementation than in more regulated cities, enabling collaborations that foster sustainable supply chains and local sourcing.
That energy is visible across the city’s food, drink, fashion, and arts scenes. Tuk-tuks remain the most common transport, tai-chi groups gather in parks, and traffic lights are still uncommon, but Phnom Penh’s compact scale makes it easy to explore.
Where to drink
Phnom Penh’s cocktail culture has surged, becoming one of Asia’s fastest-rising scenes. Bars and distilleries are interpreting Cambodian identity in craft palates: Kravat Bar is a speakeasy tucked down a laundry-lined alley; Seekers distills Mekong-inspired gins and hosts laid-back bar nights that occasionally evolve into underground events. “When we arrived 13 years ago, there was no real cocktail scene,” says Tania Unsworth, co-founder of Seekers. “Now the city is full of locally owned cocktail bars.”
Sora, the Rosewood’s rooftop bar, became the first Cambodian bar included in Asia’s Best Bars and showcases local talent and ingredients—herbs from its rooftop garden and spirits from Cambodian producers like Seekers and rum-maker Samai—while offering one of the best skyline views in the city.
What to eat
Street food in Phnom Penh can be challenging for some travelers, but restaurants are elevating Khmer flavors. Bai Sor, led by young chef Tim Pheak, reinterprets home-cooking into bold, refined plates; try the grilled beehive—leaf-wrapped bee larvae with a sweet, cornlike succulence. Pisa (by chef Sothea Seng) blends Khmer and French sensibilities in a graceful space near the Old Market, sourcing from the day’s freshest produce. Leay Bistro, on a breezy rooftop, highlights seafood from Sihanouk with dishes like Kampot-pepper shrimp and crab with lightly fermented rice noodles.
What to do
Fashion and design are central to Phnom Penh’s creative resurgence. As a global garment-production hub that generates substantial textile waste, the city has catalyzed designers focused on upcycling and ethical production. Boutiques such as Dorsu, Interwoven Atelier, and Nary transform deadstock fabrics into earth-friendly pieces, often made by tailors just steps away—an advantage of proximity to the supply chain. Interwoven’s founder Jess Kalisiak notes the transparency that closeness affords, from label printing to final stitching.
ReMade In Cambodia takes the approach further, partnering with environmental agencies to retrieve textile waste from the Mekong and upcycle it into high-fashion collections shown at Phnom Penh Designers Week and sold at Pteah ReMade. Street 240, a tree-lined boulevard near the pedestrian zone, is a hub of independent boutiques and creative spaces: The Gallerist presents established and emerging Cambodian artists, A.N.D. operates as a fair-trade hub, and Paradise offers resort-inspired homeware. Maloop, a green oasis with cafés and markets in a pre-war villa, is an under-the-radar spot about 15 minutes from downtown. On the riverfront, The Last Stage—run by The Acting Art Academy—revives the country’s cinema and theater traditions with contemporary, often challenging work.
Cultural and social life has also shifted. Pride Fest Cambodia—an exuberant mix of a city run, drag concert, and tuk-tuk-style Amazing Race—now draws thousands, reflecting growing visibility and acceptance for LGBTQ+ communities. Organizer Ath Rattanack says the scene is “flourishing,” with a younger generation more comfortable being openly themselves.
Juxtapositions of past and present are part of the city’s texture. Independent fashion stores can be steps away from sites like the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a reminder of Cambodia’s recent history even as the city reinvents its future.
Where to stay
Phnom Penh’s international hotels offer a mix of contemporary luxury and historic charm. Rosewood Phnom Penh sits at the city’s creative heart, with elegant contemporary rooms, strong community ties, public art programming, and sustainability initiatives—an immersive base for exploring the pedestrian zone, Old Market, and Royal Palace. Nearby, Raffles Hotel Le Royal brings old-world grandeur and suites that recall guests like Charlie Chaplin and Somerset Maugham. The newcomer Shangri-La Phnom Penh adds a modern luxury option on the river and joins a small but growing roster of international brands raising hospitality standards.
Why go now
Phnom Penh is a city of contrasts—quiet reinvention amid memorials to the past, grassroots creativity alongside ambitious public projects. Its emerging cocktail bars, progressive restaurants, ethical fashion studios, independent galleries, and new public spaces make it compelling for travelers who want to witness a capital in the midst of cultural and civic renewal. Whether for food, design, nightlife, or simply the evolving riverside energy, Phnom Penh rewards curiosity.
