New Leaf Eatery and Book Cafe

New Leaf Eatery and Book Cafe is a café with a cause and a good shelf of books. It occupies a renovated Chinese shophouse at 306 Street 9 in the Old Market quarter, one block from the riverside, and it combines a relaxed eatery with a book exchange where you can buy, sell or swap paperbacks for the next stage of your trip. The café has said that 100 per cent of its profits go to educational projects, so your breakfast also supports local learning.

The menu runs all day and covers a lot of ground, from all-day breakfasts to Khmer and international dishes, juices and cocktails. The coffee is Cambodian, which gives you a chance to taste local beans in a comfortable setting, and the juices are a good choice on a hot afternoon. Weekly events have included a Sunday brunch with live music and a Monday film screening, which make it a pleasant place to meet other travellers.

The appeal is as much the atmosphere as the food. The shophouse setting is cool and unhurried, and the shelves of second-hand books invite you to linger. It suits solo travellers, readers and anyone who wants an easy, affordable meal in the centre of town, and families will find something on the menu for most tastes. It is also a handy place to while away a rainy afternoon.

Opening hours have been listed as 8am to 9:30pm daily, which covers breakfast through to dinner, but check current times and events before you visit, as the café does not have its own website. Bring any books you have finished with if you want to swap, and allow time to browse.

New Leaf is in the heart of the Old Market quarter, a few minutes' walk from the market itself and from the river, so it is easy to fit in between sightseeing and shopping. The riverside, one block away, is pleasant for a stroll after a meal. If you are staying a few days, the book exchange is worth returning to, as the shelves change as travellers come and go, and the café's events offer an easy way to meet people in the evening.