Phnom Penh Cafes and restaurants

Café Sontheipheap , Street 86, halfway between Monivong and the lake. Good food, generous portions and backpacker-friendly.

Capitol Guesthouse Restaurant , 14 Street 182. Cheap and cheerful travellers' fare at this busy street-corner café.

Favour Restaurant , 429 Monivong Blvd. One of the most popular of the early-evening Monivong Khmer/Chinese restaurants. Get here early for a table.

Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) , 363 Sisowath Quay (tel 023/724014). Fine dining in this famous riverside colonial building. Bar snacks also available, or just pop in for a soothing ale.

French Bakery , 99 Sihanouk Blvd. Continental cakes and pastries, washed down with good coffee.

Globe , First Floor, 389 Sisowath Quay (tel 023/215923). Great views of the river and the Royal Palace from this pleasant fan-cooled restaurant. Check out the daily specials - fish and chips on Friday, and Sunday roast. Good service, and the barbecue's a winner.

Happy Herbs Bistro , 345 Sisowath Quay. Cheap pizza and pasta. A large Special pizza will get you nicely full - the extra Happy topping will get you nicely stoned.

Khmer Surin , 9 Street 57 (tel 023/363050). A very popular restaurant serving authentic Khmer and Thai cuisine to hungry expats. Thai-style seating upstairs.

Mamak's Corner , 118 Street 114. Nasi Goreng, Roti Pratha, Satay and other Malaysian delights for $2 a plate, tasting as good as anything you'd buy at a KL street stall.

Mex , 115 Norodom Blvd. Air-con restaurant serving generous portions of burritos, nachos, tacos and other Mexican favourites.

Mount Everest , 98 Sihanouk Blvd. An indoor, air-con restaurant serving Indian and Nepalese cuisine from $2. Does top-notch lassies.

Phnom Khiev , 138 Sihanouk Blvd. Wide selection of French and Khmer dishes for $2-4, served in a pleasant outside seating area.

Lucky Burger , 160 Sihanouk Blvd. Phnom Penh's attempt at American burgers and fries.

Ponlok , 319 Sisowath Quay. Illustrated menus in English and French make ordering good Khmer food here easy. Attentive service and a busy, breezy balcony.

Red , 56 Sihanouk Blvd (tel 023/360676). This French-Canadian-owned restaurant with a leafy balcony is the place to splash out on a succulent steak, a large goblet of red wine and if you've still room, a slice of Red 's famous chocolate cheesecake. Expect to pay around $10 per head.

Riverside , 273 Sisowath Quay. Pavement terrace partially shielded from the passing shoe-shine boys by a jungle of potted plants. Reasonably priced European, Khmer and Russian dishes; Cuban cigars; and a pool table.

Tamarind , 31 Street 240 (tel 023/721478). The best Sunday brunch in town. Try out traditional Khmer breakfast dishes alongside European favourites on the roof terrace for a bargain $3. The food is excellent, and $4 daily lunchtime specials are very good value.

Veiyo Tonlé , 237 Sisowath Quay. This relaxed, family-run, riverside restaurant serves Khmer and international cuisine. Try a Happy Gourmet Pizza from the charcoal burning oven, or get there early in the day for an authentic Khmer breakfast.