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$ | Old City |
Founder Lee Ayu Chuepa studied the art of roasting and brewing coffee in Italy, then brought his know-how back to his home village on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, where he grows organic coffee. The vibe is casual, with a few seats to hang out and enjoy your beverage.
175/1 Rachadamnoen Rd., Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
Known For
- Single origin monthly selections
- Homemade cold brew
- Coffee blossom honey
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$$$ | |
A charming courtyard garden leads to the cozy dining room of this predominantly Indian restaurant, where you'll be welcomed as if you were at a friend's home. The menu focuses on Indian selections, with a few Thai and Western options, but everything is delicious.
94 Moo 2 Donkaeo, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50180, Thailand
Known For
- Tasting menu
- Vibrant decor
- Accommodates dietary restrictions
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$$ | |
Lampang native, Achareeya Chapin, studied baking and pastry at the Culinary Institute of America, and worked at a highly acclaimed restaurant in Napa Valley before returning home to set up shop. The restaurant, on a sleepy little river evoking the feeling of times gone by, has a selection of Thai and Western dishes, all prepared to perfection. Leave room for dessert.
80/2 Monkrating Soi 15 Bo Haew, Lampang, Lampang, 52100, Thailand
Known For
- Macadamia cheesecake
- Riverside dining
- Roast chicken
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
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$$$$ | |
Dress up for this award-winning restaurant owned by a warm and welcoming British-Thai husband-wife front-of-house team and an excellent Thai chef. The three pride themselves on their old-fashioned hospitality, so don't be surprised if one of them greets you at the door and walks you out at the end of the night. The modern European cuisine, also endearingly old-school, makes for a wonderful change from Thai if you’ve been traveling in the country for a while. The braised lamb shank with red-wine sauce and mashed potatoes is superb washed down with a big red, but save room for the sticky-toffee pudding. The set menu, B1,450 for a four-course dinner, is a fantastic value.
113 Bamrungrad Rd., Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Known For
- <PRO>crêpes suzette and sticky toffee pudding</PRO>
- <PRO>curated (if pricey) wine list</PRO>
- <PRO>rich pastas</PRO>
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Old City |
Guests are invited to make themselves comfortable on plump, plush armchairs and sofas and even on large cushions scattered over the polished teak floor at this colorful restaurant, decorated like the home of your kooky bohemian cousin. The cuisine is eclectic, with plenty of Thai offerings as well as mixed Western fare like fish-and-chips. Nothing is too spicy, and everything, including rich curries, refreshing salads, and vegetable-packed summer rolls, is served in pretty ceramic bowls and plates.
199 Moon Muang Rd., Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
Known For
- <PRO>eclectic Thai-boho decor</PRO>
- <PRO>pretty presentation</PRO>
- <PRO>zingy cocktails with fresh herbs</PRO>
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$ | City Center |
The cuisine is eclectic Thai, with ingredients sourced from Ginger's own farm on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, at this vibrant Thai bistro decorated with vintage furniture, large patterned cushions, and hanging plants. Nothing is too-too spicy, and everything, including rich curries, refreshing salads, and vegetable-packed summer rolls, is served in pretty ceramic bowls and plates.
One Nimman, Nimmanhemin Rd, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
Known For
- Eclectic Thai-boho decor
- Pretty presentation
- Zingy cocktails with fresh herbs
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$ | Old City |
The young Thai couple behind the superb Graph Café have followed it up with this stylish yet casual trattoria nearby. The chef, who learned to cook Italian from a Sicilian-born friend, crafts authentic, fresh, handmade pastas and pizzas made to order. The produce used is local and organic as much as possible. The fantastic breakfasts include the Monet, eggs with mashed avocado and salad. The coffee is excellent.
Moon Muang Rd., Soi 6, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Known For
- <PRO>coffee with unusual ingredients, like charcoal</PRO>
- <PRO>thin-crust pizzas</PRO>
- <PRO>cold brew on tap </PRO>
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$$ | Old City |
A meal at the Rachamankha hotel's elegant restaurant is a must whether you're a guest or not. The menu focuses on Lanna, Burmese, and Shan cuisine, a sensible approach given the entwined history of these northern neighbors. The formal dining room inside, decorated with tasteful antiques, is best during the day, but reserve a table in the softly lit, brick-lined courtyard if you'll be here after dark. The servers are discreetly attentive, and the prices are reasonable for such impeccably prepared food.
6 Ratchamankha, Soi 9, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
Known For
- Romantic courtyard
- Not the typical Asian dishes
- Live Lanna folk music and other entertainment
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$ | |
This simple Thai restaurant sits on the banks of the Wang River, 2 km (1 mile) down the main 1034 highway in the village of Ko Kha. Fresh fish is a daily specialty, but try the plump fish cakes or a crispy version of larb, a popular minced-pork dish.
Ko Kha, Lampang, 52100, Thailand
Known For
- <PRO>frills-free seafood</PRO>
- <PRO>quiet tables in a riverfront restaurant</PRO>
- <PRO>catch-of-the day river fish</PRO>
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No credit cards
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$ | |
This airy shophouse-turned-café, art gallery, and boutique is the kind of warm, homey space that makes you want to linger. The selection of pastries and cake are enticing and the barista makes excellent coffee. The boutique carries coffee, honey, chocolate, local textiles, and ceramics with an emphasis on local community enterprises. Exhibitions in the upstairs gallery, featuring the works of contemporary Thai artists, change every few months.
102 Intharayongyot Rd., Lamphun, Lamphun, Thailand
Known For
- Rotating art exhibits upstairs
- Hummingbird cake (banana-pineapple spice cake)
- Good coffee
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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$$ | Old City |
Trendy locals have been loving this iconic restaurant that serves creative Thai and pan-Asian fare since it opened in 2004. The walls are adorned with tropical motif wallpaper, the plush furniture is finished with dark velvets, and traditional Chinese pottery in bold colors sits on display, while the banquette seating is topped with colorful throw pillows that you can purchase in the shop. The Thai food is excellent and nicely presented, but expect to pay more than in simple Thai restaurants.
199 Moon Muang Rd., Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
Known For
- International cuisine
- Long-standing favorite
- Trendy atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$ | |
This simple, open-sided restaurant just outside the city walls has been preparing such traditional northern dishes as frogs' legs fried with ginger for more than 30 years. Try the tabong (boiled bamboo shoots fried in batter) and sai ua (pork sausage with herbs). There is take-out service, too.
45 Kotchasarn Rd., Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50100, Thailand
Known For
- Zesty sai ua (fermented pork sausages)
- Packets of curry mix to go
- Cheap and cheerful northern Thai fare
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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$$ | |
If you find yourself craving Western fast food, skip the global franchises and make a beeline for this restaurant, which grew out of a popular food truck. Run by two young Thai siblings and open from 11 am until 10 pm or when sold out, Beast's burgers are made with premium-quality ingredients and are perfectly cooked. The veggie patty is great, too. Choose from onion rings or fries for the perfect accompaniment.
14 Nimmanhaemin, Soi 17, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50100, Thailand
Known For
- Cool crowd
- House-made sauces, like Korean ketchup and blue cheese
- Good value
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
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$$$ | |
This French restaurant, located in Chiang Mai's perfectly safe "red-light district," is consistently full of locals and foreigners enjoying excellent coq au vin and creamy pâtés. It's run with Gallic flair by Franco-Japanese chef Marco, and has doubled in size with the acquisition of neighboring premises, but still has a tiny, stylishly intimate, street terrace.
15/7 Loi Kroh Rd., Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50100, Thailand
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$ | Old City |
In a beautiful, traditional, two-story teak house with a balcony overlooking a garden, Dash is one of the Old Town's best midrange restaurants. Guests receive a warm welcome from the Thai mother--son team who returned to Thailand to open the restaurant after living for many years in the United States. Expect generous servings of classic Thai food from across the country. The khao soi (chicken curry noodle soup), gaeng hang lay (pork curry), and other Lanna specialties stand out. Those not in the mood for Thai can avail themselves of pasta and burgers.
38/2 Moon Muang Rd., Soi 2, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
Known For
- Tranquil garden seating
- Lanna dishes like gaeng hang lay (pork curry)
- Tasty Western fare for those tired of Thai
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$ | |
The focus at this stylish modern restaurant in an old ice factory is the wood-fired oven in the open kitchen, visible throughout the dining room. The menu tours the globe, with popular dishes including the fire-grilled pork jowl with spicy pineapple glaze and arguably the most authentic tacos in town.
12/8 Wualai Soi 3, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50100, Thailand
Known For
- Homemade tortillas
- A favorite of trendy locals
- Mouth-watering beef brisket
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$$ | Wat Ket |
Tucked away in a corner of a former businessman's mansion, this small, open-sided restaurant specializes in inexpensive curry dishes from India, Burma, and Thailand, with some Japanese-inspired dishes as well. Daily specials, accompanied by two varieties of rice or a selection of Indian breads like pillowy naan, are written on a blackboard. The tiny terrace overlooks the grounds of the mansion, whose present owners run the restaurant.
8/1 Na Watket Rd., Soi 1, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50300, Thailand
Known For
- Airy, plant-filled dining room
- Great Indian breads
- Homemade sorbets and ice creams
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$ | |
Ask a Thai chef where to find Chiang Mai's finest and most authentic Lanna food, and you'll likely be directed to this rustic restaurant a 30-minute drive south of the Old City. The place occupies an old timber house and several air-conditioned rooms in a contemporary building that wraps around the back garden. Start with the nam prik num (roasted green-chili relish) and kap moo (pork crackling), and don't miss the rich, aromatic gaeng hang lay. Few staff members speak English, and you’re unlikely to see groups of foreigners, but there is an English menu (you might have to ask for it). Prices are exceedingly reasonable for the quality. The only issue is transportation. If you're carless, the best strategy is to take a taxi or tuk-tuk and pay the driver to wait. They're only open for lunch.
65 Moo 4 San Kamphaeng Rd., Tambon Buak Khang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Known For
- Lunch only
- Big bowls of fermented pork sausage sai ua
- Cheerful groups of Thai families
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$ | |
On a backstreet in an increasingly cool local neighborhood dotted with cafés and small eateries, this restaurant in a traditional teak house serves authentic Lanna cuisine. Try the nam prik ong (tomato, minced-pork dip) served with crispy vegetables, the larb moo (a rich minced-pork salad), or the locally revered gaeng hang lay (pork belly curry). Don't be surprised if you find yourself returning for another meal. Most patrons do. Before you leave, check out the framed wall photos of the owner-chef's appearance on Iron Chef Thailand.
24 Ratchpruek Rd., Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50300, Thailand
Known For
- Open-air dining room surrounded by greenery
- Solid vegetarian options
- Fried bamboo shoots filled with minced pork
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
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$ | |
The colorful plastic stools and small wooden tables at this open-air khao soi spot are packed with a mix of locals and tourists slurping egg noodles in curry soup. Get yours with beef, chicken, or pork, each bowl topped with an addictive handful of crunchy noodles. To drink, there's refreshing longan juice.
Sri Poom Rd., Soi 8, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
Known For
- Heaping bowls of khao soi
- Spicy and more moderate khao soi options
- Fresh-pressed longan juice
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
