Surprisingly, there are other things to do in Sihanoukville besides drinking beer. One of our favorite things to do is to sit down with a coffee and watch the world go by. Cafe culture is booming in Sihanoukville, and it seems that every week another coffee shop pops up that serves coffee, frappes, and more. We feel duty bound to try them all and share the secrets of Sihanoukville’s coffee culture.

The sweetest rocket fuel you’ll ever drink.

Cheap local-style iced coffee is widely available from street vendors everywhere for around 1,000 riel, but if you fancy something more sophisticated or require air-conditioning or WiFi, here’s a rundown of some of our favorite places to grab a caffeine fix.

Pos Cafe

One of the first Western-style coffee shops to pop up was Pos Cafe on Ekareach Street. The decor is modern and clean and staff are attentive and speak good English. The air-conditioning is cold, the WiFi is fast, and the drinks are tasty. An iced coffee at Pos Cafe will set you back $1.80, and they serve a full range of other drinks from frappes to smoothies. Check their Facebook page as they often have promotions.

Open Daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Ekareach Street, opposite International Clinic, Sihanoukville
T: 077 733 763
facebook.com/Pos-Café

Popular with local teens, Clans Cafe serves a wide range of icy cold coffee drinks.

Clans Cafe

Further up Ekareach, strategically situated next to the 168 bus depot, is the recently opened Clans Cafe. We really liked the feel of this place; there is lots of comfy seating and really good WiFi, and they even have charging sockets available! Clans Cafe serve a range of bakery goods including pastries and creamy Cambodian-style cakes, plus fruity smoothies and frappes. Prices are reasonable; our iced coffees — which were strong and full of flavor, just how we like them — were $1.80 each.

Open Daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Ekareach Street, next door to 168 Bus depot, Sihanoukville
T: 016 686 865
facebook.com/Clans-Cafe

Bobi Coffee and Green Tea

On an unnamed street running parallel to Ekareach Street is Bobi Coffee and Green Tea. We’d been past a couple of times before venturing in and were surprised by how big and airy the place is, and also how busy! It’s popular with local teens and is very light and bright with music videos playing, giving it a fun vibe. They serve a range of coffee drinks from cappuccinos to espressos as well a large selection of teas and smoothies. We enjoyed a bubble tea and passion fruit tea which were huge and tasty. Prices are a little bit higher than other places but not by much, both were under $2. They also serve snacks, cake, and ice cream.

Open daily 7.30 a.m to 9.30 p.m.
Street parallel to Ekareach, turn right at The Pizza Company then first right heading towards Golden Lions, Sihanoukville
T: 093 826 868
facebook.com/bobicoffeeandgreentea

Need a French pastry to go with your coffee? You’re in luck!

Doucer De Cambodge

Our favorite place to sit and people-watch is probably Doucer De Cambodge on Makara Street just up from Samudera Market. As the name implies, it’s a French cafe/patisserie that serve a fantastic range of homemade cakes, tarts, and other delicious goodies. They offer a basic range of coffee — you won’t find any fancy frappes here — but what they do serve they do very well and at very reasonable prices; an iced americano is only $1.25. Doucer De Cambodge is popular with French expats, especially at breakfast time when they offer a breakfast deal for $3 which includes eggs, bacon, and tomatoes with a generous serving of bread and a drink; it’s enough for two to share. Be sure to try one of the delicious fresh cakes, but get there early as they often sell out.

Open Monday to Saturday from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.
46 Makara Street (between Samudera and the market), Sihanoukville
T: 092 610 680

Escape Cafe

In the Serendipity Beach Road area a decent place to sit and watch Sihanoukville’s finest is Escape Cafe. Their drinks are reasonably priced, an iced coffee is usually $1.75 even though the menu states $2 (you might want to check before ordering). They offer the usual range of coffee-based drinks as well a whole menu dedicated to banana splits! They also serve a full food menu and cocktails later on — or for breakfast if that’s your thing. Wifi is available; it’s not the quickest but gets the job done.

Open daily 7 a.m to 9 p.m.
Serendipity Beach Road (opposite Reef Resort), Sihanoukville
T: 015 252 511

Escape the heat with an ice-cold coffee from Cafe Awaken.

Cafe Awaken

One of the latest places to open is the Western-run Cafe Awaken. The decor is modern contemporary — almost New York loft style — with some cool industrial-chic lighting. We were at first reluctant to try the place as it seemed a bit pricey, but a friend gave us vouchers so we thought why not, and were pleasantly surprised. There place is well designed with a range of comfortable seating. The coffee is strong and delicious, and they also serve frappes and smoothies. We’ve heard the the cinnamon rolls are delicious, but we didn’t have the room on this visit. Prices are bit higher than other places with some drinks over $4 for large sizes, but it doesn’t seem to have deterred people though as on our visit it was pretty full. Hot drinks start at $1.90 and our iced americano was $2 and cappuccinos are $2.25. Service at Awaken was nice and attentive and they are also kid-friendly; they even have a children’s play area at the back. Overall, a nice addition to the coffee scene in Sihanoukville.

Open Monday to Saturday 7 a.m to 5 p.m. Closed Sundays
Makara Street (opposite Snooky’s), Sihanoukville
T: 012 420 019
www.facebook.com/cafeawaken