Cafeography
Phnom Penh

Bakery cafés in Phnom Penh

Num pang baguettes, The Shop on Street 240, bakery cafés around the Russian Market.

Photo: Cá Bảo, Pexels License

Bread came with the French. King Norodom signed the treaty that put Cambodia under French protection in 1863, and France granted full independence on 9 November 1953.1 The baguette stayed and became num pang (នំបុ័ង), a short loaf with a thin, crisp crust and a soft, airy crumb, usually split lengthwise and filled like a submarine sandwich.2

Cambodian bakers changed the recipe. By the mid-20th century they were adding rice flour, plentiful locally, to the wheat dough, which gave a crisper crust and a lighter crumb; the loaves were also baked shorter than French ones, sized for one person.3

Local tip: Go to the Chocolate Shop at #35 Street 240 before it closes at 15:00; for an evening pastry, The Shop's branches on Street 337 in Toul Kork and Street 102 stay open until 20:00.

Where these cafés are: Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market) (6), Riverside & Royal Palace (3), Sen Sok (3), Toul Kork (3), Daun Penh & Central Market (2), Teuk Laak (2), BKK2 & BKK3 (1), 7 Makara & Olympic (1).

At a glance

21Cafés listed
4With opening hours
06:00Earliest opening
21:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: The Coffee Tree, from 06:00 (Daily 06:00–19:00).
  • Closes latest: ALPHA Coffee & Bakery, until 21:00 (Daily 07:00–21:00).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (24%), brunch (10%), open by 6am (10%).

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Phnom Penh.

What goes into a num pang

The classic version starts with pork liver pâté spread inside the bread. Then comes grilled pork, pork belly or chicken marinated in kroeung (Khmer herb paste) and roasted over charcoal, with pickled green papaya added last so it stays crisp; cucumber, cilantro and bird's eye chilies finish it.3

Other fillings have their own names: num pang brahet with pork meatballs, sach ko with grilled lemongrass beef skewers, and trey khaw with fish simmered in tomato sauce.2 Most add pickled vegetables and fresh herbs.2

The Shop and Street 240

Griet Lorré founded The Shop on Street 240 in 2001, and its pastries, breads, cakes and chocolates are still made by hand each day.4 The Chocolate Shop at #35 Street 240 opens 07:00–15:00, while the branches at #38 Street 337 in Toul Kork and #1B Street 102 run daily 06:30–20:00.4

Lost Plate calls Shop240 a Phnom Penh institution, with an all-day breakfast, house-smoked salmon, Belgian hot chocolate and a back room where a tree grows through the ceiling.5

Bakeries with a social mission

Joma Bakery Café, which has a branch in Toul Kork, started in Vientiane: a Canadian opened a bakery there called Much and More in 1994 to employ returning Hmong refugees.6 Two couples bought it in 1999 and renamed it Joma in 2003, from their first names Jonathan, Jocelyn, Michael and Aun.6 The company puts 10 percent of its profits into community projects and gives preference to hiring people without formal skills.6

Where the bakery cafés are

Toul Tom Poung has the most bakery cafés, with Toul Kork, the riverside and Sen Sok next. Around the Russian Market, Kilik Bakery & Cafè bakes for a 06:00 start and closes at 18:00. Xotique Coffee and Bakery is at 32 Street 456, Sinai Cafe and Bakery at 24a Street 450 and The Twin Bakery & Cafe at #34A Street 123. On the same street, Mr. Piccolo Coffee at No. 30 serves homemade bakery snacks with Feel Good coffee and runs a bring-your-own-cup scheme.5

Toul Kork adds 66° Café and Bakery to Joma. Near the river, ALPHA Coffee & Bakery at 20B Street 184 opens 07:00–21:00, and The Shop Café & Bakery is at No. 39 Street 240. In Daun Penh, Rosemary Bakery Cafe is on Oknha Pich Street (242). In Sen Sok, The Coffee Tree serves from 06:00 to 19:00, and Dimanche Café & Boulangerie is on Street 1003.

Sources

  1. Le protectorat français du Cambodge (1863-1953) : aperçu historique, Le Petit Journal Cambodge (Pascal Médeville, December 28, 2025), accessed October 2026
  2. Num pang, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Num Pang, Savory Baguette Specialty from Cambodia, Seasia (Muhammad Robith Faizi, August 5, 2026), accessed October 2026
  4. The Shop Cambodia, The Shop, accessed October 2026
  5. Phnom Penh's Best Coffee Shops & Cafes, Lost Plate, accessed October 2026
  6. Coffee, bagels and a loving push, Champa Meuanglao (July 1, 2017), accessed October 2026
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By area: Riverside & Royal Palace Daun Penh & Central Market 7 Makara & Olympic BKK2 & BKK3 Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market) Toul Kork

FAQ

Bakery cafés in Phnom Penh: questions

What is num pang, the Cambodian baguette sold in Phnom Penh bakeries?

Num pang is a short baguette with a thin, crisp crust and a soft crumb, adopted from the French during the protectorate. Cambodian bakers added rice flour to the dough by the mid-20th century. A classic num pang has pork liver pâté, grilled pork, pork belly or chicken, pickled green papaya, cucumber, cilantro and chilies.

When did The Shop bakery café open on Street 240 in Phnom Penh?

Griet Lorré founded The Shop on Street 240 in 2001. Its Chocolate Shop at #35 Street 240 opens 07:00–15:00, and the branches at #38 Street 337 in Toul Kork and #1B Street 102 open daily 06:30–20:00. Pastries, breads, cakes and chocolates are made by hand each day.

Which Phnom Penh neighborhood has the most bakery cafés?

Toul Tom Poung, around the Russian Market, ahead of Toul Kork, the riverside and Sen Sok. Kilik Bakery & Cafè there opens 06:00–18:00, Xotique Coffee and Bakery is at 32 Street 456 and Sinai Cafe and Bakery at 24a Street 450. Toul Kork has Joma Bakery Café, 66° Café and Bakery and The Shop's branch on Street 337.

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