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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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$ | 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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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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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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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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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.
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The name of this restaurant derives from its origins as an ice-cream parlor—and nine flavors are served—though the menu these days is much more expansive, covering Chinese, Thai, and Indian food as well as some Western favorites. The interior is modern with two private dining rooms and is surprisingly quiet for being on a main highway. Try the sensational lamyai fried rice.
37/9 Moo 2 Lamphun-Doiti Road, Lamphun, Lamphun, 51000, Thailand
Known For
- Ice cream sundaes and banana splits
- Air-conditioned respite with free Wi-Fi
- Good coffee, hot or iced
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
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$ | Old City |
Owned by a Thai-Aussie couple, this cool little café in the Thapae Gate area serves excellent coffee sourced from local roasters, along with hearty breakfasts and healthy Aussie-style sandwiches and salads made with organic ingredients. The breakfast pizza paired with an iced coconut espresso is a treat for those up early with jet lag. There are always several vegetarian and gluten-free options. The café closes at 3:30 pm but occasionally reopens in the evenings for special events such as craft-beer, cocktail, or wine tastings. There's also a branch on Nimmanhaemin Rd.
19/3 Ratchamankha, Soi 2, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
Known For
- <PRO>speedy Wi-Fi</PRO>
- <PRO>Australian iced coffee espresso-ice cream concoction</PRO>
- <PRO>good vegetarian options</PRO>
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. No dinner
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The menu at this tranquil teahouse is fairly short, with a selection of curries, salads, sandwiches, satay, and desserts, but the cool interior of this exquisitely restored century-old Chinese merchant's house is a wonderful respite from the bustle of the city. It doubles as a showroom of fine celadon pottery and has an adjoining courtyard with a shop selling Lanna fabric and the pottery used in the restaurant. There are indigo dyeing, textile weaving, and ceramic painting workshops available here, too.
158 Thapae Rd., Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50100, Thailand
Known For
- Pretty home goods in its shop
- Peaceful garden tables
- Housemade tea blends
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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Part tearoom, part casual eatery, this rustic place, whose furnishings include tables made of recycled wood, focuses on food crafted from fresh organic ingredients sourced from local farmers and artisanal producers. The all-day breakfasts are hugely popular—try the brioche French toast brûlée with fresh fruit—but the tacos and salads, among them a fine one with quinoa and pumpkin, have many fans, too, especially among trendy locals. The house-made ice cream in flavors like blueberry basil (sherbet) and peanut butter stout with chocolate is just the ticket after a long day temple-hopping.
Nimmanhaemin Rd., Soi 7, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50300, Thailand
Known For
- <PRO>all-day breakfast</PRO>
- <PRO>vegan and gluten-free baked goods</PRO>
- <PRO>house-made ice creams</PRO>
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$ | Old City |
This family business is famous for their juicy charcoal-grilled rotisserie chicken, stuffed with generous amounts of fragrant local garlic. Papaya salad, sticky rice, and other Northeastern/Isan favorites such as pork larb and grilled beef with sweet, spicy, tart jaeow dipping sauce are all recommended, too.
8/1 Samlarn Road Soi 1, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
Known For
- Around the corner from Wat Phra Singh
- No MSG
- Can accommodate your preferred level of spiciness
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$ | City Center |
At rough-hewn wooden tables surrounded by hill tribe textiles, hungry lunch-goers at this casual spot dig into heaping plates of colorful, vegetable-filled pan-Thai fare. The fruit shakes, especially mango and watermelon, are a cooling balm after a morning of sightseeing.
20 Taeparak Road, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Known For
- Pan-Thai fare that skews healthy
- Fresh fruit shakes
- Pretty textiles on tables and chairs
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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Follow your nose to the street-side barbecue at this cool and casual Lanna restaurant that's popular with young Thais, who love the great, affordable food and the beer-garden atmosphere. Start with the northern Thai hors d'oeuvre platter that includes fermented pork sausages, pork crackling, spicy relishes, and raw vegetables. Also delicious is the ant-egg and glass-noodle soup. Get here on time—the kitchen closes sharply at 9 pm.
11 Nimmanhaemin Rd., Soi 13, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Known For
- Long lines for dinner
- You order dishes by number as you wait for a table
- Northern dishes like larb and sai ou (pork sausages)
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$ | Old City |
You don't have to be a journalist to dine at Chiang Mai's unofficial press club—the regulars include not only media types but artists and eccentric local characters. Expect the typical pan-Thai dishes, including salads, stir-fries, and curries, as well as decent and sensibly priced house wines. Reservations are essential on Friday and Sunday, as this is the spot for taking a break from wandering the Sunday market.
141/3 Ratchadamnoen Rd., Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
Known For
- Popular with media types
- Some of the best value wine in Chiang Mai
- A respite from the Sunday Market
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sat., Reservations essential
