10 Best Restaurants in Chiang Mai: Where to Eat by Area

Featured image: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Chiang Mai Restaurants at a Glance

Start here if you want a fast answer. Each row matches a common situation to one pick, its area and a guide for more options. Old City picks are walkable from one another. Nimman is the evening and trendy-cafe zone. Riverside suits special nights out.

10 Best Chiang Mai Restaurants, Grouped by Area

Prices and hours checked November 2026. Items 1 to 5 are in the Old City. Items 6 to 8 are in Nimman. Item 9 sits on the river, and item 10 is a night market for the cheapest meal on the list.

1. Khao Soi Khun Yai (Old City)

Khao Soi Khun Yai sits in a garden off Sri Phum Road, next door to Wat Khuan Khama. Khao soi is a mild coconut curry soup with soft noodles and a crispy noodle topping. This is the bowl many visitors rank first in town. Hours are 10:00 to 16:00, Monday to Saturday. A bowl costs about ฿35, and you will probably wait for a table at lunch.

Add shallots, pickled mustard greens and lime from the condiment tray. Skip it on Sundays or for dinner, when it is closed. For more northern dishes, see our northern Thai restaurant guide.

2. Huen Phen (Old City)

Huen Phen at 12 Ratchamanka Road has the strongest reputation for northern Thai food inside the moat. Order sai oua sausage, nam prik ong, nam prik noom and gaeng hanglay, a slightly sweet Burmese-style pork curry. Sharing a few dishes between two costs about ฿150 per person. Hours are 09:00 to 22:00 daily.

There is a long-running restaurant and a plusher room on the top floor of Baan Huen Phen Boutique Hotel opposite. Skip it if you want street-stall prices. Our Old City restaurant guide lists cheaper neighbors.

3. Kanjana (Old City)

Kanjana is tucked down Ratchadamnoen Soi 5 and looks like many nearby cafes from outside. Its classic Thai and Chiang Mai dishes are a step above the neighbors, and service is good. Seafood fried rice tops out at ฿170. Tom yam and tom kha kai run ฿100 to ฿200, depending on portion.

Hours are 10:00 to 21:00, Sunday to Friday, so Saturday is closed. Vegetarians eat well here, which is rare among older Old City cafes. Skip it if you want local-stall prices.

4. Dash Teak House (Old City)

Dash occupies an old teak house with an adjoining garden off Moonmuang Road. You pay for the setting and presentation rather than a dramatically different dish. Its khao soi costs ฿170, far above a ฿35 bowl elsewhere.

Hours are 10:30 to 22:00 daily. Tables are hard to get after 19:30, so arrive earlier or book. Western tourists fill it most evenings. Skip it on a tight budget, or send that money toward fine dining in Chiang Mai.

5. Joke Somphet (Old City)

Joke Somphet at 59-3 Sri Phum Road is a Sino-Thai shop on the inner moat road. Open 24 hours, it is the practical answer to a midnight hunger pang.

Order jok, the silky rice soup, and add a soft egg. Dim sum and roast chicken are also on the menu. Plan on a simple room with fast service. Skip it if you want atmosphere or a long, slow dinner.

6. Tong Tem Toh (Nimman)

Tong Tem Toh fills an old teak house at 11 Nimmanhaemin Soi 13. Northern Thai plates are the draw, and most mains cost under ฿100. Vegetarian dishes are plentiful. Hours are 11:00 to 21:00 daily. Expect a queue at both lunch and dinner.

When weather allows, a grill outside the front door sends pork smoke down the soi. Compare it with other picks in our Nimman restaurant guide. Skip it if you hate waiting.

7. Kao Soy Nimman (Nimman)

Kao Soy Nimman is at 137 Nimmanhaemin Soi 7, in a small garden with indoor and outdoor seating. Its signature khao soi comes with original variations, including seafood and pork versions. A full northern Thai menu sits alongside it, with English menus.

Hours are 11:00 to 22:00 daily, which makes it a rare khao soi stop that serves dinner. Skip it if you want the traditional chicken or beef bowl at the lowest price. Go to Khao Soi Khun Yai instead.

8. Cherng Doi Roast Chicken (Nimman)

Cherng Doi is a simple roast chicken spot on Soi Sukasem, between Nimman Soi 2 and 4. Order crispy chicken, laab moo, papaya salad and sticky rice. Dishes here are plain, cheap and consistently good, which makes it a dependable first dinner.

Hours are not posted widely, so check the current listing on Google Maps before you walk over. Skip it if you want a polished room or a long cocktail menu.

9. Good View (Riverside)

Good View is a long-running riverside restaurant that locals and visitors both use. Thai mains cost ฿90 to ฿150, which is a fair price for live music and a river setting. Western dishes such as steak and chips are on the menu if your group is split.

Go in the evening for the best atmosphere. Skip it for a quick lunch. See our riverside restaurant guide for other tables on the water.

10. Chang Puak Gate Market (North Gate)

Chang Puak Gate market runs along the central strip of Manee Nopparat Road, one block west of the gate. Hours are 17:30 to 24:00 daily. Most dishes cost under ฿50. Look for the khao kha moo vendor, who sells stewed pork leg over rice and often has the only long line.

For a second market, Chiang Mai Gate on Bumrung Buri Road runs 17:00 to 22:30. Skip it if you need a seat and air-conditioning. More ideas sit in our Chiang Mai cheap eats guide.

How to Choose: Area, Budget and Meal Time

Old City restaurants cluster inside the moat and suit walking. Nimman is better after 17:00, when evening food stalls open along Nimmanhaemin Road between Soi 1 and Soi 13. Locals usually eat dinner between 18:00 and 20:00. Lunch-only places like Khao Soi Khun Yai close at 16:00, so plan them first. Use the tiers below to match your budget.

Street Food, Vegetarian Picks and Late-Night Eats

Su Meut Night Market opens Thursday to Saturday, 17:00 to 22:00, on Huay Kaew Road outside Central Huay Kaew. Grilled sausage and khanom krok coconut pancakes are the draw, and the pancakes are vegetarian-friendly. Pun Pun sits inside the grounds of Wat Suan Dok and serves cheap vegetarian dishes. Jay Mai Jumjay is a Shan vegan shack known for its nam ngiao broth. Salad Concept has an outlet on Nimmanhaemin Road. After midnight, Joke Somphet is the dependable stop.

International and Other Asian Restaurants

Burmese and Shan food is easy to find. The Swan on Chaiyaphum Road opens 11:00 to 23:00 and has plenty of vegetarian dishes. Nong Bee Burmese Food is known for tea leaf salad. For Indian, try Grill of India on Phrapokklao Road, open 10:00 to 21:00. Italian choices include La Fortuna on Ratchamanka Road and Arcobaleno behind Wat Ket. Our Italian restaurant guide compares them.

Fine Dining, Michelin Recognition and Brunch

Chiang Mai has Michelin recognition for several casual and mid-range restaurants. Check award status on the official Michelin Guide listings. Our Michelin restaurant guide sorts the Chiang Mai entries. For a table at a special-occasion restaurant, book ahead, especially at weekends. David's Kitchen serves French dishes and is a popular choice for celebrations. Late-morning cafes cluster in Nimman, and our Chiang Mai brunch guide covers them.

Getting Around and Booking Tips

Walk between Old City picks. Huay Tung Tao is a lakeside lunch about 1 km past the 700 Year Stadium on the canal road, so take a taxi. Khao Soi Prince is roughly 20 minutes outside town, so call ahead. Closing days matter: Khao Soi Khun Yai closes Sunday, Kanjana closes Saturday, and Roumjai Kaiyang-Somtam runs 10:00 to 20:00 and closes Wednesday. Tipping is optional in Thailand.

Chiang Mai Cafes and Brunch in Nimman

Nimman is Chiang Mai’s most practical area for a late-morning café stop before an evening meal. Start with the city’s brunch guide for dedicated cafés, then keep Nimmanhaemin Road as your base for lunch and dinner. Salad Concept has an outlet on Nimmanhaemin Road, while Tong Tem Toh on Nimmanhaemin Soi 13 opens from 11:00 to 21:00.

This area works especially well when rain disrupts sightseeing or when a group wants coffee, vegetarian-friendly choices and a proper meal nearby. Kao Soy Nimman, on Soi 7, serves from 11:00 to 22:00, so it can bridge the gap between a daytime café visit and dinner. After 17:00, stalls along Nimmanhaemin Road between Soi 1 and Soi 13 add inexpensive evening options. For a quieter daytime alternative, Pun Pun is inside Wat Suan Dok’s grounds and focuses on vegetarian dishes.