Meaningful Meals: 7 Restaurants Supporting a Better Cambodia 🍲 💗

As a fundamental part of our daily lives, food is not just the fuel that keeps us alive, it can also be a powerful force for change in our communities. Going meatless or buying from local family farmers are just a couple of examples of how our choice of food can support the issues that matter to us, and ultimately help create the world we want to live in. 

As travelers, we don’t forgo this responsibility to eat ethically when we step into a new country. And luckily, there’re lots of ways to do so! From Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, Kampot to Battambang, Cambodia offers several opportunities for you to make a real difference in local communities — just by choosing what restaurant to eat at! 

Read on to learn about seven social enterprise restaurants offering not just great food, but a chance to support impactful missions across the country.

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7 Places for Ethical Eats in Cambodia 😋

Offering a wide range of unique and delicious flavors, Cambodia is an amazing country to expand your palate and try incredible new foods. Experimenting with local street foods or discovering a hole-in-the-wall family restaurant can not only be a fun and valuable cultural experience; it can also be a great way to support local families and businesses. But it’s not the only way to have a positive local impact through food. Here’s seven of our favourite ethical eateries in Cambodia.

1. Connecting Hands Training Cafe, Phnom Penh 🤝

Located in the heart of Cambodia’s capital, Connecting Hands is a training cafe offering a refuge for women escaping the human trafficking industry. By offering them employment, medical care, accommodation, and any other practical support they may need, Connecting Hands gives these women the holistic support they need to rebuild their lives.

Their quaint little cafe is a great option for those looking for a pick-me-up during a busy day of exploring Phnom Penh. Offering a blend of Khmer and Western dishes, you can take advantage of the cafe’s all-day breakfast options, including muesli, poached eggs, muffins, and coffee. 

With all their profits reinvested into supporting the women they serve, you can take comfort knowing that your purchases are helping empower women to escape abuse and exploitation.

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2. Epic Arts Cafe, Kampot 🎨

Epic Arts Cafe in Kampot is part of Epic Arts, a UK- and Cambodia-registered charity providing inclusive opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Their name is derived from their inspiring art programs, which encourage participants to explore, celebrate, and advocate for the beauty of their diversity through creative expression.

But arts are far from their only focus. They run education programs and help children access schools, as well as provide employment and capacity development opportunities for adults in their cafe.

As an inspiring model for an inclusive workplace, Epic Arts Cafe offers a delectable blend of Cambodian, Western, and Middle Eastern options. From toasties to amok to couscous, you simply cannot go wrong with any of their breakfast and lunch options. And for their veggie-loving visitors, don’t worry, they are very vegan- and vegetarian-friendly!

They also have a lovely little gift shop upstairs, where they sell beautiful and unique art made by their students and artists in the community. Be sure to check it out; it’s a nice way to further support the organization and the individuals they serve.

“I was so pleased to discover Epic Arts Cafe during my trip to Kampot. Not only was I tempted to try every dish on the menu and buy out their adorable gift shop, but I really admired their mission to support this often-overlooked community in Cambodia. I was even lucky enough to meet one of my best friends through the people I dined with at Epic Arts!” Bethany Hansel, South East Asia Backpacker Contributor

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3. Footprints Cafe, Siem Reap 👣

A cozy book cafe and coworking space nestled within Siem Reap’s Wat Bo neighborhood, Footprints Cafe is the perfect place to spend a rainy afternoon with a friend and a good book. 

The vision for Footprints was to build an ethical business model focused on helping tourists have a positive and sustainable impact on local communities.

The cafe provides an encouraging and supportive work environment for their employees, with an emphasis on investing in their future through job training and skills development. They’re also revered for using all ethically and locally sourced products, making them one of the leading sustainable business models in Siem Reap.

And if that’s not enough, all of Footprints’ net profits are given back to the local community as educational and entrepreneurial grants — all decided upon fairly by a local committee. 

Footprints Cafe offers lots of nourishing comfort foods, from pancakes to curries to burgers. There are tons of vegan and vegetarian options, as well as plenty of options to entice the meat-lovers. 

Grab a book off one of the shelves, get cozy, and enjoy the vibes!

“Footprints Cafe is my go-to spot to eat, work, and relax in Siem Reap. The staff are so friendly, the food is incredible, and the warm, cozy atmosphere makes it the perfect place to spend a few leisurely hours. I can’t recommend it enough!” Bethany Hansel, South East Asia Backpacker Contributor

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4. Friends the Restaurant, Phnom Penh 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Friends the Restaurant is part of Friends-International, one of the earliest Cambodian-founded, youth-led NGOs working with street children in Cambodia. Founded in 1994, Friends-International is now a large and respected organization working with marginalized youth in Cambodia.

Centered primarily around child protection, Friends-International ensures children have opportunities to grow up and thrive in safe, healthy environments. 

Providing employment and social innovation opportunities for youth is a key part of their work. Friends the Restaurant offers vocational training programs for at-risk youth, helping them gain real-world skills and employment opportunities that allow them to support themselves and their families. All their students receive free meals, clothing, medical care, and safe housing, eliminating many of the common barriers these young adults face.

The restaurant serves a wide range of Asian dishes, from Thai chicken curry to Cambodian fish amok. Veggie lovers can enjoy dishes like fried oyster mushrooms or green mushroom curry, while seafood lovers can indulge in delicacies like squid and salmon.

And food isn’t all there is to enjoy at Friends the Restaurant! The restaurant is part of an entire hub of youth-run businesses. So, if you want to treat yourself with a visit to the beauty salon, nail bar, or gift shop, be encouraged knowing your purchases are directly supporting local youth. 

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5. Haven, Siem Reap 🌴

Haven is the perfect restaurant to spend an intimate, tropical evening under warm fairy lights and the peaceful hum of chirping crickets. The inviting atmosphere makes it a perfect place to enjoy good conversation over a delicious and meaningful meal.

Haven offers job training and skills development for vulnerable individuals. Working with young adults coming from shelters and very poor areas of Cambodia, their employment and career training provides hope for those with few opportunities to support themselves and their families.

Their supportive and enriching environment also offers their employees key life skills and opportunities for personal development, designed to help them prosper both in and out of the workplace.

Haven offers delicious Khmer classics, including curry, lok lak, and amok. If you prefer Western dishes, they also offer equally delectable pastas and burgers. Combined with a great selection of drinks, anything you try at Haven is almost sure to be incredible. 

You can stop by for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but I would recommend coming during the evening hours to take full advantage of the magical evening atmosphere.

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6. Jaan Bai, Battambang 🍚

Established in 2014, Jaan Bai is the social enterprise division of Cambodian Children’s Trust (CCT), an organization dedicated to empowering children and families to escape poverty. They are focused on dismantling the root causes of poverty by pioneering locally owned, public systems of social support. 

CCT’s Village Hive model addresses every aspect of social protection and poverty alleviation, including strengthening public health and schooling systems, offering financial literacy and vocational training programs, and establishing crisis services like counselling and disaster relief. This holistic model has now been adopted as the national framework for social protection in Cambodia. 

Jaan Bai provides valuable employment for Cambodian youth. Dedicated to using organic, locally sourced, and seasonal ingredients, the restaurant offers a variety of nourishing Khmer and Asian dishes. In typical Cambodian fashion, Jaan Bai encourages you to share and taste lots of different dishes—so don’t limit yourself to just one! 

With some of Asia’s best flavors at Jaan Bai, be prepared to treat yourself to dishes like wholesome baos, a mouthwatering chicken satay and both traditional Khmer and Thai curries. 

With a great mission and some of the best food and drinks you’ll find in Battambang, you won’t regret indulging in their tasty dishes.

Fun fact: “Jaan Bai” means “rice bowl” in Khmer!

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7. Sister Srey Cafe, Siem Reap 👭

Started as a social enterprise by two Australian sisters, Sister Srey is now an entirely Khmer-owned cafe committed to supporting the local community. 

For many Khmer students, it can be difficult to balance pursuing an education with the need to support their family. Sister Srey’s mission is built upon the belief that they shouldn’t have to choose. 

The cafe employs Khmer students, helping put them through school while offering holistic job training, English language education, and personal development opportunities. Working to fit around students’ busy schedules, the cafe offers them the chance to earn an education while making money to support themselves and their families. 

On top of that, all of Sister Srey’s profits are funneled into supporting APOPO, an NGO dedicated to clearing landmines across Cambodia.

A haven for plant and meat eaters alike, Sister Srey is a must-visit while in Cambodia’s prime tourist city. Juicy burgers, fresh salads, rich desserts, and colorful stir fries are amongst their tasty offerings. And coffee lovers won’t want to miss trying one of their freshly brewed cups, as good coffee is a cornerstone of what they serve at Sister Srey. 

“There’s a reason Sister Srey is such an iconic Siem Reap brunch spot. The food and coffee are some of the best around, and the cafe has become known as a blueprint for ethical and sustainable business practices in Cambodia. I really admire the work they do, and I love having a spot I can always rely on for exceptional food, service, and coffee!” Bethany Hansel, South East Asia Backpacker Contributor

Have you been to any of these ethical eateries? Let us know about your experience in the comments!