\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Phnom Penh has become far more confident in its own voice,\u201d says Vanna Sann, founder of the Phnom Penh-based ethical clothing brand Dorsu<\/a>. \u201cA few years ago, much of the retail and lifestyle scene felt either NGO-adjacent or heavily expat-driven. Now there\u2019s a noticeable shift toward Cambodian-led creative businesses that are designing for a more discerning local audience.\u201d Industry insiders ascribe this to a younger generation of entrepreneurs who are more worldly and grew up without memory of the war. \u201c[They] are bringing a sharper design sensibility and a stronger understanding of global standards while rooting their work in Khmer identity,\u201d says Sann.<\/p>\n Cambodia\u2019s still-evolving regulatory framework also paints the capital with an electrifying sense of creative freedom. \u201cAs a developing country, it\u2019s a lot easier to implement change,\u201d says Jan van Dyk, Rosewood Phnom Penh<\/a>\u2019s director of culinary, who is building a sustainable supply-chain network of local producers that other businesses are now tapping on. \u201cIf you were, say, in Hong Kong<\/a> or Singapore<\/a>, it would be much more difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n All of this has catapulted Phnom Penh into the limelight as a modern travel destination\u2014even as traffic lights remain a rarity in this compact city of 2.5 million, tai chi-performing aunties rule the parks, and tuk-tuks are the most common mode of transport.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what to pay attention to in this emerging\u2014and hugely captivating\u2014creative capital.<\/p>\n At Seekers, craft gins are inspired by the Mekong River delta.<\/p>\n <\/span>Seekers<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Perhaps nothing is evolving as quickly in Phnom Penh as its cocktail scene, which has turned the city into one of Asia\u2019s fastest-rising cocktail hubs. Industry players new and old are experimenting with what Cambodian identity looks like in a glass, from vibey Kravat Bar<\/a>, a young speakeasy tucked deep in an alley lined with laundry racks and motorbikes, to Mekong-themed craft gin distillery Seekers<\/a>, where a laid-back bar-in-a-shed atmosphere occasionally gives way to thumping underground raves. \u201cWhen we arrived 13 years ago, there was no real cocktail scene to speak of,\u201d says Tania Unsworth, co-founder of Seekers. \u201cNow the city is full of cocktail bars that are locally owned. Everything has kind of leveled up.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking of up, Sora<\/a>, Rosewood\u2019s rooftop bar that in 2025 became the first in Cambodia to be included in Asia\u2019s Best Bars<\/a>, is not to be missed. In this sophisticated show of local talent and bounty, the drinks draw inspiration from traditional dishes, play off herbs plucked from an on-site garden, and star spirits produced with local partners, including Seekers and the country\u2019s first rum producer, Samai<\/a>. It\u2019s also the best perch for unblocked skyline views. (From here, I counted at least six new skyscrapers that had mushroomed in the year since my last visit.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhere to drink in Phnom Penh<\/h2>\n