I love this kind of coffee shop: the kind where you walk through the door… except there isn't really a door. Tee Phnom Penh is completely open to the street, and that was one of the first things that won me over on my very first visit.

What catches your eye straight away are the green plants everywhere. Then there's the vintage wooden furniture, which gives the place a genuine, natural feel, a world away from the shiny, polished new cafés popping up all over the capital.

And there's one detail I absolutely love: the original old tiled floor. You can still spot these vintage tiles in some older Phnom Penh houses! Here they've been left exactly as they were, and that's what gives the place its soul.

My tip: go in the morning

Come in the morning, when it's calm and cool. Since the space is fully open-air, that's when it's at its best: the heat hasn't set in yet and you get to enjoy the quiet.

The space is fairly big, with several sofas and low chairs. It feels more like settling into a living room than sitting in a café, which is exactly what I'm after when I want a peaceful break.

A café to unwind, not to work

The WiFi is good, but Tee Phnom Penh isn't a laptop café. There are only low tables, and hunching over a keyboard on a coffee table isn't comfortable for anyone.

Honestly, that's a good thing. I file Tee Phnom Penh firmly under places to relax: you come here to read a few pages, catch up with a friend or simply do nothing at all. If you need somewhere to get work done, I've got other spots to recommend among my picks of the best coffee shops in Phnom Penh.

The drinks menu is pretty extensive:

• coffee
• matcha
• milk tea
• fruit teas, perfect when the temperature starts to climb

And best of all, the little extra that makes a real difference: waffles. A lot of coffee shops in town don't serve any food at all. Here they're made to order, which makes Tee Phnom Penh ideal for a late breakfast or an afternoon snack.

The perfect pause after Tuol Sleng

Good to know: Tee Phnom Penh is just a few minutes' walk from Tuol Sleng, the former S-21 prison that is now the Genocide Museum. The visit is deeply moving, and most people walk out needing a moment. I always leave feeling shaken, unable to jump straight into another activity. That's what makes Tee Phnom Penh the right place to go next: calm, green and full of light, it's somewhere you can take your time before carrying on with your day.

If you'd like to understand more about this chapter of Cambodia's history, I've also shared two books to help remember the Khmer Rouge genocide.

If you're in the area, stop by: you'll instantly want to settle in. That's exactly what happened to me: I'd barely sat down and already didn't want to leave.