Ethical Restaurants in Cambodia

Jessica Toale
The Conscious Traveller
4 min readNov 11, 2019

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Khymer Root Cafe, outside Kampot. Photo: Jessica Toale

Cambodia has undergone a major transformation over the past few decades. Dogged by the brutal history of the Khmer Rouge, it has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, slashing poverty rates in the process.

Now a popular tourist destination, it attracts visitors from all over the world eager to see its world-famous temples and beautiful beaches.

As travellers become increasingly interested in sustainability, the range services that meet that demand has also been expanding. On my last visit to Cambodia, I was impressed by the number of restaurants and cafes for travellers that support innovative social and environmental projects.

These restaurants took a number of forms: they sourced their produce or materials locally, they supported social enterprises and helped young people gain the skills they needed to succeed in the new Cambodian economy, and they advocated for important causes like child protection and environmental safeguarding.

These ethical enterprises are key actors in Cambodia’s journey towards sustainable development.

Here are some of my favourites.

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