King's Road Angkor

King’s Road Angkor may be a world away from London’s upscale shopping mecca, but it pleasantly surprises with a host of international-standard restaurants and shops that help to collectively raise the quality of offerings in temple town at the higher end of the scale.

Having opened in late 2013, King’s Road Angkor has imported restaurant chains from abroad so will satisfy those on a hunt for broader culinary flavours while in Cambodia that offer a more refined ambience than Pub Street and its environs. Costa Coffee is one option and Hard Rock Cafe is set to open in early 2014 — with planned seating for up to 300 — yikes!
Still, you can get a local take on international food here too. From the capital Phnom Penh, Terrazza, an Italian eatery, has made it up north with a new branch. Blue Pumpkin now adds another location to its list, featuring in the centre of the complex, which also helps balance out the average cost of a meal with the restaurants all providing far more premium offerings than your average local beer garden – you’ve been warned.

A few boutiques similarly target the upper end of the tourist market. It is very quiet and easy to wander and browse – somewhat of a different experience at the Old Market, less than a five-minute stroll over the river, which offers the greatest quantity, though not necessarily quality, of souvenirs.
The restaurants and shops are found in traditional wooden houses, inspired by the designs of stilted houses you find in the countryside and on the margins of the Tonle Sap Lake. The result is a slightly contrived twee village feel to the development – just like the sort of purpose-built shopping village you may come across in tourist-heavy cities or out-of-town complexes abroad; however, it is smart, polished and exudes a sophisticated vibe, if that’s what you’re seeking.

The name was chosen as a nod to fashionable King’s Road in London and the royal history of Angkor. Though it may not attract the volumes of London’s premium shopping street, with tourist numbers rising in Siem Reap, it provides another option for those with a bit more money to spend.