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 Street 240's
tree shaded avenue next to the
Royal Palace harbors a
unique collection of quality
boutiques and souvenir shops, offering Cambodian silks and silk
fashions, South-east Asian art, handicrafts, curios and furniture as
well as a few restaurants and
bars, wine shops, a
bookstores and a travel agent interspersed along the way. After a
visit to the Royal Palace, stroll around the corner and up Street
240 to explore. Most of the shops are concentrated along the couple
of blocks between Street 19 and Norodom Blvd just behind the Palace,
though more places are beginning to pop up next to the Palace as
well.
At the corner of Street 240 next to the Royal Palace, the Supreme
Court building sits distinctively, particularly photogenic in the
late afternoon, the red roof and gold trim glowing in the low sun.
Before heading up Street 240, consider taking a short detour through
the park to Wat Botum to see the towering white 'Buddha Relic
Stupa.'
As you are walking up Street 240 from the Palace area note the well
preserved colonial era royal villas on the south side of the street.
Once across Street 19, highlights include the Tamarind bar and
restaurant, a Street 240 original offering up French/Mediterranean
ambiance and dishes; the Freebird Bar and Grill serving up
first-rate American bar food and a very comfortable, air-conditioned
atmosphere. Also recommended, The Shop is very popular, and
deservedly so. Excellent western-style deli food and baked goods,
salads, soups, sandwiches and more. Mid-block, frizz restaurant is
one of the best places in town to try Cambodian food, offering a
welcoming atmosphere and an easy photo menu. They also run Cambodian
cooking classes.
Street 240 also boasts some of Phnom Penh’s best boutique shopping,
from silks and art to fashions and furniture. There is also two of
the city’s most complete book stores: D’s Books carrying a selection
second-hand fiction and non-fiction and a good selection of kids
books and Monument Books, on the corner with Norodom Blvd, offering
Cambodia’s largest selection of new books and most extensive
selection of Cambodia related book. |
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