Shopping in Phnom Penh, for most travellers, means Central Market and Russian Market. Two hours sweating between the stalls, three wooden elephants, a pair of patterned trousers you will never wear again. Done.
The Cambodian capital hides far better than that. Record shops selling 1960s Khmer vinyl, zero-waste fashion workshops, espadrilles cut to measure in krama cloth, jewellers working the country's own stones. You just need to know where to look.
So here are 9 unusual shops in Phnom Penh, all checked as open. 👉 Useful to know: five of them sit on or around Street 240, so you can do the lot on foot in a morning. The rest of our Cambodia addresses are on voyages-yolo.fr/blog.
1. Space Four Zero, the unlikeliest record shop in Southeast Asia
My first pick. Easily my favourite too. Space Four Zero is a pop art gallery crossed with a record shop, sitting in a row of shophouses on Street 240. New vinyl, rare vinyl, CDs, screen prints, posters, t-shirts.
The real treasure is the stock of 1960s Khmer records, the golden age of Cambodian music before the Khmer Rouge destroyed almost all of it. Finding those today is a genuine treasure hunt. The shop was set up in 2014 by Tony Lefferts with Julien Poulson of The Cambodian Space Project. It also hosts exhibitions and in-store gigs.
- Where: Street 240 (the exact address has moved, check their page before going)
- What you find: rare Khmer vinyl, limited-edition prints, posters
- Who for: collectors. And anyone who wants a souvenir nobody else will have
2. Daughters of Cambodia, the shop that changed lives
More than 1,100 reviews and a 4.7 rating. The best known on this list, and it has earned that. The Visitor Centre combines a shop, a café and a treatment space, all run by women who have left the sex industry and trained on site.
The products genuinely hold up. Bags, clothing, accessories, stationery. This is where you clear your whole gift list in one go, knowing exactly where the money goes.
- Where: Tonlé Sap riverside, north of the centre
- What you find: fashion, accessories, gifts, plus a café upstairs
- Who for: everyone, especially if you fly home soon
👉 Allow a good hour. Between the shop, the café and the fact that you end up talking to the team, nobody gets out in ten minutes.
3. Tonlé, zero-waste fashion
A perfect 5 out of 5 from travellers. Tonlé takes the offcuts from Cambodia's big garment factories and turns them into clothes, then takes the offcuts from its own offcuts and turns them into paper. Zero waste in the literal sense.
The cuts are loose, modern, wearable once you are home. And since the brand also sells online, you can reorder from abroad if you regret leaving something behind.
- Where: Phnom Penh
- What you find: women's and men's clothing made from production offcuts
- Who for: anyone tired of fast fashion
4. Watthan Artisans Cambodia, textiles by artisans with disabilities
4.8 average. Watthan employs Cambodian artisans with disabilities, many caused by illness or landmines. The textile and clothing collection is broad and the quality of the making shows immediately.
- Where: central Phnom Penh
- What you find: handmade textiles, clothing, accessories
- Who for: anyone after real cloth rather than a souvenir
5. A.N.D, the Street 240 essential
Another 5 out of 5. A.N.D, short for Artisandesigner, is a fair trade shop on Street 240. Clothing, fabric, bags, gifts, all made by artisans from disadvantaged backgrounds, including artisans with disabilities supported by Watthan. Prices stay very reasonable for the quality.
- Where: Street 240
- What you find: fashion, fabric, bags, gifts
- Who for: the first stop if you only have an hour
6. Garden of Desire, jewellery by a Cambodian artist
Small shop, big impression. Garden of Desire sells contemporary jewellery designed by a Cambodian artist, in a style a long way from the usual tourist craft. Visitors describe pieces that are frankly sculptural. Rated 5 out of 5.
- Where: Phnom Penh
- What you find: contemporary designer jewellery
- Who for: anyone wanting one piece rather than a market bracelet
7. D.Hindley, Cambodian stones
4.8 across about thirty reviews. The house works with Cambodian gemstones, notably stones from the Pailin region, long known for its sapphires and rubies. The pieces are fine and the shop takes time to explain where each stone comes from, which beats a window where someone just hands you a label.
- Where: central Phnom Penh
- What you find: jewellery in Cambodian stones
- Who for: the gift you bring back for an occasion
8. Confirel, Kampot pepper and palm sugar
The Confirel showroom is the right address for the edible half of your souvenirs. Kampot pepper, palm sugar, sweets made from the sugar palm. The team lets you taste before you buy, always a good sign. 4.7 average.
Kampot pepper carries a protected geographical indication. It is one of the products Cambodia is proudest of. And it travels well in a suitcase.
- Where: showroom in Phnom Penh
- What you find: Kampot pepper, palm sugar, confectionery
- Who for: office gifts, cooks, anyone greedy
9. Unlimited Shop, the Friends International store
180 reviews and a 4.6 rating, making it the most road-tested social enterprise shop in town after Daughters. Unlimited Shop sells clothing, accessories and crafts produced through the programmes of Friends International, the NGO that trains young people in difficulty across Southeast Asia in hospitality and craft trades.
- Where: central Phnom Penh
- What you find: fashion, accessories, crafts
- Who for: small gifts to bring back in quantity
Which part of Phnom Penh for shopping?
- Street 240: the independent shopping street. Space Four Zero, A.N.D and several silk houses are here. Allow a relaxed morning, terraces included.
- Around Russian Market (Tuol Tom Poung): craft workshops and social enterprise shops have settled in the surrounding streets, often cheaper than the centre.
- The riverside: more touristy, but this is where Daughters of Cambodia and several established names sit.
- BKK1: the expat district, concept stores and cafés. Handy for combining shopping with a sit-down.
Frequently asked questions
What should you bring back from Cambodia?
Kampot pepper leads by a distance, then krama cloth, silk and palm sugar. For something more personal, go for the craft in social enterprise shops rather than the tourist market stalls.
Should you haggle in the shops?
In the markets, yes, it is expected. In the shops on this list, no. Prices are marked and reflect fair pay for the artisans.
Can you pay by card?
At most of these, yes. Keep dollars in cash for the smaller ones anyway.
Can you fly with Kampot pepper?
No problem in checked or cabin baggage. Stick to the original sealed packaging, sturdier and clearer for customs.
How long do you need for all of it?
One full day. Street 240 in the morning, lunch in the area, Russian Market side in the afternoon, riverside at the end.
The verdict
If you only remember one address, make it Space Four Zero. For the object, for the story, for the fact that nobody around you will come home from holiday with a 1960s Khmer record. Daughters of Cambodia if you need to clear your whole gift list at once.
And if you enjoy that kind of hunt, our piece on the Anthony Bourdain spots in Thailand that are still open plays in exactly the same register.
A Phnom Penh shop I missed? Say so in the comments, this list is built to grow. 🙂