Kampot Vegan Cafes and Ethical Eateries

As with any city that makes me long to stay, Kampot in Cambodia had plenty of vegan meals. While the cafes that serve plant-based food are limited, those that do have many options for vegan eaters. Here are the best Kampot vegan cafes and ethical eateries.

DEVA CAFE

Deva Cafe (GoogleMaps) is a part of the female empowerment Banteay Srey Project. Beneficiaries work in the 100% vegan cafe. Not only does eating at Deva support a social enterprise, but it’s also the best place in Kampot to enjoy delicious plant-based renditions of typical Khmer food. Be sure to make a whole day experience at Banteay Srey and attend a yoga class or indulge in a treatment at the women-only day spa.

They have a fantastic menu full of options made with organic ingredients from their garden and also includes vegan wines! The Deva garden cultivates moringa, white turmeric, lemongrass, bananas, papaya, cucumbers, bananas, coconuts, mangos, passion fruit, lemongrass, peppers, eggplant, morning glory, and fresh herbs. Be sure to try one of the juices. I had the Jackfruit red curry and it was incredible. I wish I had the time to eat everything on the menu but I know I’ll be back again someday.

EPIC ARTS CAFE

The Epic Arts charity also has a darling cafe by the same name in Kampot (GoogleMaps). As a continuation of their dedication to inclusivity, some of the staff at the Epic Arts Cafe are deaf. Please be mindful of the tone of your voice and use the provided instructions on how to order using sign language. The social enterprise eatery has plenty of vegan options on the menu from pancakes to spring rolls. If you’re looking for ethically-made souvenirs browse their shop full of trinkets made by their disabled beneficiaries.

SIMPLE THINGS

Simple Things (GoogleMaps) is my favorite vegetarian cafe, ever. The ground floor is a vegetarian cafe while the top floor space is a yoga studio. I signed up for a week’s worth of 2x a day yoga while I was here and am so glad I did! They’ve since added a free weekly meditation course.

The yoga practice was fantastic but more importantly, I became friends with the teachers and students—something that isn’t always easily done while traveling solo. Even though my trip was short, I felt very welcomed by the community here. We spent New Year’s Eve together, enjoyed post-yoga cocktails, and even got together to make eco-bricks to donate to a local nonprofit.

All of the food at Simple Things is fantastic and mostly everything can be made vegan—even pizza and cookies! They have loads of dishes with my beloved tempeh and plenty of healthy bowl options too.

Simple Things isn’t a social enterprise but they do have ongoing community projects. Recently they held a book drive for Hope Village School with the aim of collecting 500 books. They fully-funded the cost of building a local playground for the ACS school for disadvantaged children.

SUNBIRD CAFE

Sunbird Cafe (GoogleMaps) is also operated by the team from Simple Things but isn’t strictly veg. The vegan options here are much more limited so I only went one time. I loved my fresh dragon fruit smoothie and oatmeal bowl with peanut butter and chocolate. The environment is super welcoming and no fewer than 3 people were drawing while I was there.