Brunch in Chiang Mai: Best Cafés by Area & Budget

Featured image: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Quick Answer: Where to Brunch in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai brunch is a café-breakfast habit rather than a weekend ritual. Western plates sit beside Thai classics on the same menu. Hours below are reported as of 2026 where marked. Baht prices were reported in 2020 and have likely risen since.

• Prettiest setting: Fern Forest Cafe, a garden courtyard in the Old City.
• Best value and friendliest welcome: Hanna Restaurant & Cafe, a three-minute walk from Wat Phra Singh.
• Earliest start: Nice Kitchen Breakfast & Brunch, open from 7am Tuesday to Sunday.
• Nimman all-day breakfast: Rustic & Blue, open since 2012.
• Vegan breakfast: Vegan Heaven, with breakfast sets served until 1:30pm.

Brunch Spots at a Glance

This table groups the cafés by area. Opening times marked 2026 are fresher than those marked 2020. Price levels are relative, so treat them as a guide to how the spots compare.

Old City Brunch Spots

Inside the moat, brunch means family-run kitchens, garden courtyards and slow mornings. Most cafés here switch on at 8 or 9am. Anyone up at dawn is better off at Somphet Market. For more options nearby, browse our Old City restaurant picks. Hanna, Nice Kitchen and Fern Forest sit a few minutes apart by scooter.

• Hanna Restaurant & Cafe: down a soi off Samlarn Road, under a half-outdoor canopy. Order the granola, the curry chicken panini or the Hanna club sandwich. It cooks without MSG, and the Thai tea is the standout drink. Open 8am–4pm daily as of 2026.
• Nice Kitchen Breakfast & Brunch: on Moon Muang Soi 6, near Somphet Market. The owner's mother opened it almost twenty years ago. Expect Thai plates, granola, paninis and a full page of fresh smoothies. Open 7am–3pm Tuesday to Sunday as of 2026.
• Fern Forest Cafe: a renovated family house on Singharat Road with a fern-filled courtyard. The family has run it since 2003, with coffee from Doi Saket. Order the smoothie bowls, all-day breakfast or coconut cream pie. Open 8am–8pm daily as of 2026.
• Overstand Cafe: on Ratchamanka Road Soi 2. It serves Western brunch such as roasted mushrooms on sourdough, plus board games on the tables. Hours were reported as 8am–3:30pm in 2020.
• Clay Studio Coffee in the Garden: a shaded garden with terracotta statues and fountains, good for reading or working. Hours were reported as 8am–5pm in 2020.

Nimman Brunch Cafés

Nimman suits design-minded cafés and later starts. Rustic & Blue opened in 2012 and has served all-day breakfast since. Expect a wide menu with French toast and smoothie bowls. It was reported open from 8:30am on Nimmanhaemin Road Soi 7. For wider choices in this district, see our Nimman restaurant guide. Many Nimman cafés open later than Old City kitchens, so arrive after 9am.

• Rustic & Blue: Nimmanhaemin Road Soi 7. Fresh, seasonal ingredients and a chocolate banana protein smoothie bowl.
• The Laboratory Hotel & Across The Universe Cafe: between Nimman Soi 9 and 11 on Sirimangkarajarn Road. A lab-themed gallery café with a greenhouse seating area. Reported open from 10am in 2020.
• Gallery Seescape / SS1254372 Cafe: on Nimman Soi 17, with a space-themed interior and an open-air gallery. Reported open Tuesday to Sunday, with the kitchen closing at 3pm in 2020.

Elsewhere and Specialty

A few good breakfast stops fall outside both districts. Cat House on Chayapoom Soi 1 serves breakfast all day and opened at 7am in 2020. Its breakfast enchiladas cost ฿110 in 2020. Libernard Cafe is known for banana pancakes and closes on Mondays. Vegan Heaven on Loi Kroh Road has three breakfast sets until 1:30pm, from ฿140 in 2020. It has two locations. The Barn Eatery and Design opened in 2013 and works better for a late brunch. Its 2020 hours ran from 10am. Check each venue's Facebook page or Google Maps listing for current hours, since these listings date from 2020.

Costs and Budget Levels

Old City cafés mostly sit at the budget-to-mid level. Hanna and Nice Kitchen are fairly priced for the Old City as of 2026. Fern Forest runs roughly ฿200–400 a head, reported in 2026. Older 2020 prices give a sense of scale. Overstand breakfast started at ฿100, and Fern Forest muesli was ฿145. Its French toast was ฿175 and its big breakfast ฿215. Libernard's American breakfast was ฿225. Expect today's menus to cost more. For cheaper plates outside café hours, try our cheap eats guide.

Timing, Closures and Getting Around

Arriving before 8am usually means a closed door. Nice Kitchen opens at 7am and Cat House was reported open from 7am. Everyone else mostly starts at 8 or 9am. Monday is the day to plan around. Nice Kitchen is closed Mondays, Libernard is closed Mondays, and SS1254372 does not open Mondays. Hanna, open daily from 8am, is the easy Monday fallback in the Old City. Fern Forest queues on weekends and in afternoons, so go on a weekday morning. Between zones, a scooter, songthaew or Grab will connect the Old City and Nimman. Fares vary, so agree the price or use the app. Garden seating is pleasant in cool season but hot at midday, so choose an air-conditioned café in hot months.

How to Choose

Decide by area first, then by what the morning needs. These rules cover most situations.

• Cheapest: Overstand or Cat House, by 2020 prices.
• Vegan: Vegan Heaven, before 1:30pm for breakfast sets.
• Laptop time: Clay Studio Coffee in the Garden, for its shade.
• Mixed group: Hanna, with both Western and Thai plates.
• Late riser: Cat House or Rustic & Blue, both with all-day breakfast.
• Mistake to avoid: arriving before 8am.
• Mistake to avoid: assuming Monday is open.
• Mistake to avoid: joining the weekend queue at Fern Forest.

Where to Eat Next

Once brunch is sorted, return to our best Chiang Mai restaurants for lunch and dinner. If you want a Thai breakfast instead, try our Thai restaurant guide. For a broader dinner shortlist, MICHELIN Guide Thailand listings cover restaurants across the country.