Artara Coffee, New York City’s first Cambodian Coffee Shop, opened in August 2025 at 214 East 82nd Street.

Thong and Lynn Leng, the husband and wife duo behind Artara, named the shop after their daughter. 

That personal, family touch is part of how they run their business, and part of why they chose to open up shop here in Yorkville.

When I asked how they chose this neighborhood, Thong told me, “Before we had the shop, we were just roaming around New York City for many months, and then we just thought that the Upper East Side and Yorkville is very fitting to who we are, and our family.” 

He continued, “We did not want to put ourselves in a very busy tourist area that we would not be able to handle. We wanted to start off very slow, very personal.” 

“Like how I know you,” he told me. 

In addition to a warm neighborhood vibe, Artara serves hot and iced coffees and matchas, along with pastries. The shop also stocks specialty items, like teas and candies, imported from Cambodia.

“I was born and raised in Cambodia,” Thong says. “I feel there are a lot of things Cambodia has to offer to the world, like its culture, its nature, its food, friendly people.”

Artara’s menu offers not only a taste of what Cambodia has to offer, with items like Phnom Penh Coffee and Black Pepper Tea, but also showcases the Leng’s personal tastes and experiences: 

“All these items on the menu are something, like our signature, that I grew up drinking,” Thong says. “Our desserts, I grew up having that. I feel it’s something that is unique, and I think that people will love it, so I want to put it out there.”

When it comes to building the menu, Thong has one rule: “My number one rule is, everything here, I have to like…Anything we put on our menu, we both have to agree that we like it.”

But when it comes to Artara’s striking, stylish decor, “All from my wife!” Thong says, “I’m a very simple guy…My wife came up with all the decor and put it together piece by piece.”

The shop’s unique personality is one of Thong’s favorite things about the business. “I love being who we are,” he says. “I try not to be on the trendy side in the business aspects of it, or menu creating aspects. We try to just be who we are, and create something that we’re comfortable with…and we get to meet different people every day.”

For excellent coffee, and a place to be who you are, check out Artara Coffee, 214 East 82nd Street.

Listen to our full interview with Thong Leng below!