23 BEST Chiang Mai Restaurants + TOP Digital-Nomad Cafes

If you might be in search of some nice eating places in Chiang Mai, you must arm your self with persistence… This is the most important metropolis in Northern Thailand (a part of the Mueang Chiang Mai District) and presents numerous scrumptious choices for foodies (phad thai, yuuuummm!)!

To prevent some treasured time, I wrote this publish in regards to the finest eating places in Chiang Mai, and divided by the two foremost areas in Chiang Mai: the Old City – the place most vacationers keep, and the fashionable Nimmanhaemin – tremendous widespread amongst digital nomads so you’ll be able to simply select one thing scrumptious and near you.

I’ve lived in Chiang Mai and stored coming again quite a few instances, and I completely love tasting all the highest eating places round! So right here you’ll discover choices for any style, whether or not it’s Chiang Mai eating places serving northern Thai delicacies, (like the standard Khao Soi), worldwide locations, cool cafes to work from and extra. I additionally included some sensible information about must-try meals in Chiang Mai, meals excursions and the highest meals supply apps.

P.S: Prices for nearly all of the eating places listed here are within the mid-range ($$), which corresponds to about $10 for a meal, however you’ll additionally discover many low-cost and native eating places in addition to some fancy locations on this record too!

Ready to go on a journey by way of one of the best meals and eating places in Chiang Mai? Let’s go!

If you might be in a rush

Here is a fast abstract of one of the best Chiang Mai eating places divided by class:

1. Best Chiang Mai eating places within the Old City

Chiang Mai Old City is the place the vast majority of Chiang Mai vacationer sights are situated. As common, that additionally means it hosts a lot of the eating places serving native delicacies. If you’re keen on Thai meals, right here is the place you’ll discover it!

So let’s take a look at one of the best Chiang Mai eating places within the Old City, one of many finest areas the place to remain in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for vacationers:

Blue Diamond – for one of the best natural breakfast

Blue Diamond ($$)

If you’re keen on beginning your day with a good breakfast, that is the place for you, that includes an excellent good inside courtyard with a small fish pond. Here they accommodate actually any meals request, from veggie to vegan and gluten-free (they produce their very own gluten-free bread and cookies). They have a huuge menu that appears like a e-book, and you may order actually something from that. If you’re undecided, begin with a vegan cinnamon roll, it’s simply scrumptious!

Khao Soi Khun Yai – for conventional northern Thai meals

Khao Soi Khun Yai ($)

This small, open-air place is certainly top-of-the-line eating places in Chiang Mai, Thailand, if you wish to strive conventional northern Thai meals! In truth, right here they serve one of the best bowls of khao soi in Chiang Mai (take a look at the bonus of must-try meals in Chiang Mai to know what Khao Soi is) and an especially flavorful curry, filled with spices that may be served with pickled mustard greens, additional roasted chilies, and purple onions. If you want spicy meals, you’ll love that!

Fruit Plus+ Cafe – for a recent breakfast

Fruit Plus+ Cafe ($$) 

If you need to have a wholesome breakfast or lunch, that is undoubtedly the place to be, serving very scrumptious meals, from fruit yogurt and acai bowls to recent smoothies, avocado toasts, eggs, and way more… all in large parts! The Wi-Fi additionally works nice, which makes this restaurant considered one of few locations in Old Chiang Mai metropolis the place to work (if you wish to see extra, take a look at part 3!).

Khun Kae’s Juice & Smoothie Bar – for one of the best smoothies

Khun Kae’s Juice & Smoothie Bar ($$)

If you need to have a break whereas visiting the sights of Old Chiang Mai, cease on this juice bar to have a refreshing, wholesome and scrumptious smoothie product of recent fruit! Here you may as well get regular juices, protein shakes, smoothie and yogurt bowls, power pictures, fruit plates, and extra. Another plus? The employees is tremendous pleasant and can make you are feeling instantly welcomed!

Fried Chicken Lady Street Cart – for one of the best avenue meals

Fried Chicken Lady Street Cart ($)

If you’re keen on fried rooster, you’ll be glad to know that Thailand makes among the finest fried rooster on this planet, and in Chiang Mai you’ll find it at this meals stand on Mun Mueang Road, on the left aspect of Aroy Dee restaurant. You’ll acknowledge it from the lengthy line of taxi drivers and other people in entrance of the cart, and if you strive it, you’ll perceive why they have been cueing. Just unbelievable!!

Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center – for dinner with a present

Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center ($$)

Have you ever had a khantoke dinner or lunch, throughout which you get pleasure from northern Thai dishes whereas gazing at conventional Thai Lanna dances? Then you need to go to the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center, the place you’ll be able to attend cool reveals on any day of the week whereas consuming scrumptious dishes like Burmese pork curry, minced pork in tomato-chili paste, fried pork and extra… an unforgettable expertise!

By Hand Pizza Cafe – for one of the best pizza

By Hand Pizza Cafe ($$) 

It’s all the time time for a very good pizza, proper? If you agree with me, it is advisable take a look at this wonderful restaurant in Chiang Mai Old City, serving scrumptious pizzas baked in a wood oven (strive the Hawaiian one, it’s undoubtedly a should in Thailand!). NOTE: The restaurant is open just for dinner and it’s all the time full, particularly at peak time round 8.30 pm, so ensure you e-book prematurely if you wish to discover a spot. Also, costs are just a little greater than common, however they’re undoubtedly value it!

Fahtara espresso – one of the best espresso store

Fahtara espresso ($$)

If you need to have a very good espresso in a tranquil surroundings, this cafe is situated in a tiny avenue hidden from the crowds and it’s simply pretty! They have indoor and out of doors seating and other than drinks, additionally they serve scrumptious Thai meals like papaya salads and Pad Thai or truffles and baked items… you’ll adore it!

Huen Phen – giant parts for affordable costs

Huen Phen ($)

If you need to have very large parts of scrumptious northern Thai meals (or Lanna delicacies) for affordable costs, that is undoubtedly top-of-the-line eating places in Chiang Mai Old City! Here some must-trys are the wonderful Khao Soi, served with sticky rice or rice noodles with veggies or meat, or the jackfruit salad (simply unbelievable!). The restaurant has an excellent handy location in the course of the Old City, south of the Wat Chedi Luang temple.

Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak – for essentially the most scrumptious meat dishes

Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak ($) 

The Khao Kha Moo stall really sits proper exterior the border of Chiang Mai Old City but it surely is among the hottest eating places within the metropolis for meat lovers, so I needed to embrace it on this record! Here they serve slow-stewed pork leg cooked in a Thai-style candy sauce, served on a plate of steamed rice with a medium-boiled egg: it’s so scrumptious and fall-apart tender that you just gained’t consider it! Ps: You’ll acknowledge the Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak stall from the cowboy hat woman serving from a large pan of pork ribs!

Suki Koka – for one of the best Thai suki

Suki Koka ($)

Located in the identical space of meals stalls because the Cowboy Hat Lady, this stall serves the BEST bowl of Thai suki ever: a dish consisting of greens cooked with rice noodles and a mixture of seafood or meat of your alternative, served moist or dry. This is a favourite amongst locals (you’ll find only a few vacationers) excellent if you wish to have dinner in a standard place with a vibrant vibe!

SP Chicken – one of the best roast rooster lunch

SP Chicken ($)

Located within the coronary heart of previous city Chiang Mai, this restaurant serves Isan dishes, but it surely makes a speciality of grilled and roast rooster. You will acknowledge it from the roast chickens spinning on a vertical charcoal rotisserie on the entrance of the restaurant. They cook dinner the rooster with garlic and lemongrass, which makes it so juicy and flavorful, you’ll fall in love with that!

NOTE: This place is open just for lunch, so if you wish to have a scrumptious roast rooster for dinner (it is going to be an early dinner tho!) take a look at Cherng Doi Roast Chicken!

Dash – a number of variation and an excellent location

Dash ($$) 

This resto-bar, is situated in the course of the motion of Chiang Mai Old City, particularly on Moon Muang Road (only a brief stroll from Tha Pae Gate), which makes it the right place to recharge your energies after a night strolling tour. In truth, right here they serve Thai and western dishes, each scrumptious, and lots of beers and drinks, excellent to get pleasure from whereas listening to a dwell band!

Ploen Ruedee Night Market – with one of the best ambiance

Ploen Ruedee Night Market ($) 

Ploen Ruedee Night Market is among the most fashionable locations to hang around at night time in Old Chiang Mai, providing numerous meals stalls serving every thing from Chiang Mai meals to Western dishes subsequent to dwell music and dance flooring! The ambiance may be very full of life and vibrant, so additionally it is the right place to simply seize a beer or a drink with your folks at night time.

During the markets, these streets get full of numerous avenue meals stalls promoting all types of Thai meals, from actual pad Thai to the standard Khao Soi, and the weirdest issues like cockroaches or scorpions… Do you dare to strive them?

P.S.: If you’re keen on avenue meals, on Saturday and Sunday, there are 2 wonderful night time avenue markets taking place on 2 completely different streets: Wua Lai Walking Street on Saturday and Tha Phae strolling avenue on Sunday.

2. Best Chiang Mai eating places in Nimmanhaemin

As I mentioned to start with, Nimmanhaemin (additionally referred to as Nimman) is the good and trendiest space in Chiang Mai, attracting an enormous group of digital nomads. It is situated about 10 minutes by automobile from the Old Town and also you undoubtedly don’t need to miss it, it’s superior!

Here you’ll discover many worldwide eating places, however I additionally included some nice native Thai locations. Let’s take a look at one of the best Chiang Mai eating places in Nimmanhaemin!

Healthy Junk – for wholesome meals

Healthy Junk ($$) 

If in the future you might be bored with the heavy and spicy Thai meals, this tiny place serves many wholesome and nutritious dishes, from poke bowls (strive the salmon one!) to large salads, scrumptious breakfasts, and smoothies. The surroundings is so clear and relaxed, and costs are just a little greater than common, however, once more, they’re undoubtedly value it!

Smoothie blues – for one of the best egg dishes

Smoothie blues ($$) 

If you’re keen on to begin your day with an enormous plate of eggs, that is the place for you, serving tons of egg choices (all scrumptious), and additionally it is one of many few eating places on this Chiang Mai space that opens early (at 7.30 a.m!). My tip? Try the banana bacon french toast with recent juice. Juices listed here are fully recent with out added sugar, fairly uncommon to seek out in Thailand!

Larder Cafe – one of the best espresso store

Larder Cafe ($$)

If you need to have one of many finest coffees in Chiang Mai accompanied by even higher meals, you need to take a look at this wonderful cafe. I got here again 5 instances simply to have their easy scrambled egg with sourdough bread and tomatoes…easy and scrumptious! P.S.: Don’t thoughts the critiques, at one level there was apparently some scandal, however I guarantee you the meals is nice!

The Salad Concept – for a wholesome meal

The Salad Concept ($$)

If like me, you’re a fan of large wholesome salads, that is one of the best place in Chiang Mai for that. The restaurant interiors are pretty, and the meals is wholesome, recent and attractive (in addition to the juices and smoothies!). They have a really large menu, so you would have a tough time selecting… my tip? Have the papaya salad (spicy!), you’ll be able to’t go flawed!

SS1254372 Cafe – a cool artsy cafe

SS1254372 Cafe ($$)

This is a distinctive artsy cafe with very revolutionary interiors and funky design, trying like an industrial bohemian spaceship! This place is ideal if you wish to have an excellent breakfast with quick service: the meals is all recent and attractive, and so they put numerous effort into the presentation!

Italics – one of the best Italian meals

Italics ($$$)

If you need to have among the finest Italian meals in Chiang Mai in a fancy ambiance, that is THE place to be. Here you’ll be able to have unbelievable pizzas, gnocchi, burrata and extra, accompanied by good-quality wine. Prices are greater than common, however nonetheless very cheap – we spent US$60 for 3 folks (with out alcoholic drinks).

Office of Fish Omakase – one of the best sushi

Office of Fish Omakase ($$)

Do you need to have the finest sushi on this planet… or at the very least top-of-the-line ones? Then take a look at this restaurant, the place the chef will clarify to you all of the unbelievable programs you’re going to get (strive the omakase!). The place is tremendous small, internet hosting actually simply 7 folks, so it’s excellent for an intimate dinner along with your particular one, however be certain to e-book a spot prematurely!

Why Not? – a comfortable Italian restaurant

Why Not? ($$)

This is one other Italian restaurant (and wine bar) the place you’ll be able to have very good Italian meals in a really cozy and informal ambiance. The place is large, and so they have an excellent good spacious patio filled with inexperienced, excellent if you wish to have a pleasant dinner exterior, however ensure you e-book a desk earlier than visiting: the place will get fairly crowded by night time!

Tong Tem Toh – for one of the best northern Thai dishes

Tong Tem Toh ($)

If you need to eat some scrumptious northern Thai dishes, this restaurant serves one of the best meals on this Chiang Mai space. It is a really native place (fairly uncommon to seek out in Nimmanhaemin) serving inexpensive large parts of spicy conventional meals. Again, you can’t go flawed with the standard Khao Soi or with Gopchan in the event you love meat!

UPDATE: One Nimman – new place on the town that you’ll certainly love! It is a hipster avenue meals/night time market place with occasional dwell performances. It additionally has a meals court docket and a few tremendous cool fashionable boutiques. Seriously, don’t miss this place – it’s model new and it situated very near Maya Mall (you’ll most likely acknowledge it by a clock tower, you’ll be able to see it from afar.

BONUS: Best cafes in Chiang Mai to work from

Chiang Mai has turn out to be tremendous widespread amongst digital nomads, who collect principally across the Nimmanhaemin space.

That is why you’ll find numerous cafes with high-speed Wi-Fi and/or coworking areas round right here! Feel free to spend the day getting some work completed when you have a scrumptious espresso or dish – nobody will kick you out!

Let’s take a look at one of the best ones right here beneath, all situated in Nimmanhaemin:

• Camp Cafe ($$) – Located on the highest flooring of the Maya mall, this can be a artistic house/ large library with a espresso store the place many native college students come to check… The ambiance is simply excellent to pay attention (FUN FACT: I really began this web site proper there!). To use the Wi-Fi, you simply want to purchase a espresso and you may keep there the entire day!
• Baristotel ($$) – This cafe is simply wonderful, with very minimalist decorations, good Wi-Fi, plug-ins, and artistic espresso choices (strive the Black Coconut: recent coconut juice with a shot of espresso!). My tip? Go to the ground upstairs to work, it’s quieter and simply nice!
• Brown Cafe ($$) – This is certainly top-of-the-line spots in Nimman to get some work completed, focus, or simply learn a e-book in a very tranquil ambiance. The cafe presents very cozy seats, an excellent menu with espresso, tea, and more healthy bubble tea choices, and is among the few cafes open until 9 pm… excellent in the event you’re working with different time zones!
• Nine One Coffee ($$) – If you need to work with an enormous and scrumptious cup of espresso, this cafe is the place to be, serving among the finest espresso in Chiang Mai and providing a calming surroundings with bar seats for laptop computer staff, quick Wi-Fi and tremendous pleasant service!
• Wake Up WAKO Bake – This is the one cafe on the record which isn’t situated in Nimmanhaemin, however within the again streets of Chiang Mai, and undoubtedly one of many high locations to work from in Chiang Mai. Why? Here you’ll discover a backyard with a number of tables, assembly rooms, and a coworking house with air con the place you’ll be able to conceal from the warmth!
• Food4thought ($$) – If you need to get some work completed whereas having some good meals, take a look at this pretty restaurant situated a bit exterior of Nimman: you’ll need to drive for 10 min or stroll round 20 minutes however it’s undoubtedly value it! Here you’ll be able to have a recent breakfast bowl and different worldwide meals choices, like pasta and sandwiches.

• Taste Cafe ($) – This is among the most cost-effective cafes within the Nimman Chiang Mai space, situated near Chiang Mai University so you’ll find a number of college students, which supplies the place a vibrant and funky vibe. The desks listed here are excellent to work with a laptop and have many plugs in!
• Ombra Caffe ($) – Looking for a spot with a cozy and cozy ambiance, the place you are feeling such as you’re working from your private home? Then cease right here! This pretty cafe has dependable and quick Wi-Fi, it is vitally silent, and even presents free, candy sticky rice for company… How nice is that?
• Passion Project Cafe & Creative Space ($$) – If you need to work in a spot the place you’ll be able to keep the entire day, this cafe & coworking house is for you, serving among the most scrumptious meals in Chiang Mai (wholesome breakfasts, smoothies, fruit bowls and many others.) and options cozy sofas and seats.
• MeCafe de Oasis ($$) – If, like me, you like to work within the open-air, take a look at this nice cafe and restaurant providing an out of doors seating space with numerous inexperienced crops, creating a really tropical vibe. Here they’ve excellent Wi-Fi, espresso, and meals choices.. the pizza is to die for!
• Roast8ry Lab – This hipster-style cafe has one of the best espresso in Chiang Mai (the latte artwork is unbelievable, take a look at the photographs!) and a really artistic ambiance: the right place to focus and get some work completed surrounded by different digital nomads.
• Yellow Coworking – if you’re in search of an precise coworking, that is the one I can advocate! This might be one of many finest coworking areas in Chiang Mai, I labored right here many instances and the vibe is tremendous good, the employees are so pleasant and so they supply many rooms: a personal assembly room, a restaurant, absolutely outfitted studio to file your movies and even daybeds to take a nap. Day passes are $7 to enter however it’s undoubtedly value it!

Practical information about meals in Chiang Mai

Food supply companies in Chiang Mai, Thailand

If throughout your vacation in Chiang Mai, you’ve got a type of days if you don’t really feel like going out and also you simply need to order meals to eat from the consolation of your couch/mattress, the next meals supply app will save your life:

I personally desire FoodPanda merely due to the comfort of the language. While Grab has an computerized translation throughout the app, if you click on to take a look at the precise menus it’s all in Thai so you actually don’t have any clue what you’re looking at.

MUST-try meals in Chiang Mai, Thailand

You don’t go to Chiang Mai for actual till you strive all of the northern Thai meals and conventional dishes that it presents, just like the well-known Khao Soi, the pork satay, the som tam (papaya salad) and many others.

Here’s an inventory of one of the best Chiang Mai meals you NEED to eat in Chiang Mai:

• Phad Thai – One of essentially the most well-known Thai dishes, well-known exterior of the nation (and for good motive). You completely should strive the nationwide dish product of sir fried rice noodles with peanuts and bean sprouts while you’re right here in its start place!
• Khao Soi – Khao soi is an excellent well-known northern Thai meals product of yellow egg noodles and served in a coconut milk curry along with your alternative of rooster, beef, pork and even tofu. There are numerous locations in Chiang Mai the place you’ll be able to do this scrumptious dish, however among the finest (and most cost-effective ones) are served at Khao Soi Lam Duan.
• Street meals – One of the preferred Chiang Mai meals is (after all) the road meals that you just discover in numerous markets. It’s merely an expertise that it is advisable have in Asia. In Chiang Mai, you’ll see numerous Sai Oua (a pork sausage), sticky rice with mango, banana crepe cake, and peculiar issues like scorpions or cockroaches.
• Gai Tod (fried rooster) – As easy because it sounds, fried rooster is a really typical avenue snack in Thailand: you’ll find it wherever in Chiang Mai.
  P.S.: in the event you love rooster in all its kinds, you additionally want to take a look at Cherng Doi Roast Chicken, serving one of the best roast rooster in Chiang Mai!

• Satay – This is an excellent widespread dish all through many international locations in Southeast Asia, and it consists of seasoned, skewered, and grilled meat normally served with peanut sauce. In Chiang Mai they notably love pork satay or rooster satay, you’ll discover it in every single place!
• Som Tam (papaya salad) – Papaya salads are extraordinarily widespread in Thailand, and they’re SO scrumptious, combining all of the tastes in a single: salty, chili, candy, and bitter. The papaya salad is normally accompanied by Thai sticky rice, excellent to dip it within the inexperienced papaya salad dressing!
  P.S.: Another unbelievable Thai-style salad is the pomelo salad with crab paste and dried shrimp… considered one of my favorites!

• Tom Yum Soup – This one actually interprets to “boiled mixed soup” however is normally served filled with prawns, lemongrass and different recent herbs and spices. The bitter and spicy flavors are positive to clear your sinuses and this soup is definitely thought-about to be a pure antimicrobial!
• Mango Sticky Rice – For dessert, don’t miss this widespread dish which might be discovered throughout southeast Asia. As the title suggests, this sweat consists of a mound of sticky rice accompanied by recent mango slices coated in coconut milk.

Best meals excursions in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Another option to uncover the standard meals in Chiang Mai is to affix one of many meals excursions and cooking lessons by way of Chiang Mai’s finest eating places. During which you may as well learn to make scrumptious Chiang Mai dishes your self and even get secret household recipes from locals!

This is one of the best memento you would take house from Thailand!

• Street Food Tour – During this small group night tour you’ll discover Chiang Mai’s colourful night time markets with an area and pattern 8 market meals. The tour lasts about 2.5h and prices $35, together with pickup and drop-off at your Chiang Mai lodge.
• Chiang Mai Traditional Dinner + Performance – Explore Chiang Mai’s largest moist market and have a standard northern Thai dinner when you get pleasure from Asian cultural performances! This cool tour lasts about 4 h and prices $39.
• Private Food Tour – Try 10 Thai specialties on this half-day tour by way of the streets of Chiang Mai! The tour takes place both within the morning or afternoon, relying in your alternative, and prices $56.
• Half Day Cooking Class – Learn how one can cook dinner genuine Thai meals on this half or full-day cooking class on an natural farm. During the tour, you’ll purchase recent elements at an area market and make traditional Thai dishes with an professional cooking teacher for $29.

FAQs about finest Chiang Mai eating places

Conclusion

You lastly reached the tip of this in depth information about one of the best eating places in Chiang Mai, Mueang Chiang Mai District, serving every thing from northern Thai delicacies to Lanna Cuisine, or western meals.

We additionally noticed some digital nomad-friendly cafes in Nimmanhaemin, one of many finest areas the place to remain in Chiang Mai, and three bonuses providing you with all the small print on meals supply apps, meals you NEED to eat in Chiang Mai, and one other of the highest meals excursions and cooking lessons within the metropolis.

I hope you loved my information, and in the event you nonetheless have some questions for me or need to counsel different good eating places, please try this within the feedback beneath, I’m trying ahead to studying all of them!

Have some yummy meals!

Yulia

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