10 Best Chiang Mai Cafes by Neighborhood and Purpose

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

Best Cafes in Chiang Mai at a Glance

Pick by purpose first, then by area. Pourover fans should head east of the Old City or to Nimman. Cheap-coffee hunters belong in Santitham, and temple walkers can stop on Rachadamnoen Road. Every venue in this table is covered in the numbered list below.

10 Best Chiang Mai Cafes by Neighborhood

Figures below are dated reference points from 2019 and 2023, so menus have likely moved. Check each cafe's Instagram or Facebook for current prices and hours. We list venues Old City first, then Nimman, Santitham and the east bank.

1. Akha Ama, Old City

Akha Ama has poured specialty coffee since 2010 and sits on Rachadamnoen Road, a short walk from Wat Phra Singh. That makes it a natural cool-down after a temple circuit. Its menu has 13 coffees: six special single origins and seven standard ones.

Order a honey-process piccolo and add the banana bread for breakfast. Plan 45 minutes. Skip it if you want a stall-priced cup. This is a specialty menu, so expect specialty prices.

2. Good Morning Chiang Mai, Old City

Good Morning Chiang Mai draws photographers for its decor and has a large outdoor patio. An americano cost ฿50 in a 2019 report. A full food menu makes it a better lunch stop than most cafes on this list.

Signs on the wall say you must pay to charge devices. Skip it for a long laptop session, since outlet fees add up.

3. Borijinda Café, Old City

Borijinda Café sits in the northeast corner of the Old City. A shared french press cost ฿90 in a 2019 report, and the lychee smoothie is a cold alternative on a hot afternoon. Wifi was reported as strong, but seating is limited.

Come for a short, good cup between sights. Skip it if you need a big table for a group or a full workday.

4. Graph Ground, Nimman

Graph Ground is the roastery of the Graph Coffee group, which dates to 2009. It occupies an old warehouse-style building at 141 Siri Mangkalajarn Road with a tiled green coffee bar at its centre. Its hand-brewed menu lists three northern Thai coffees, so this is the pourover pick in Nimman.

Tables fill fast, and one seat is often all that is left. Skip it for a phone call, because the room runs loud and full.

5. Ristr8to Original, Nimman

Ristr8to has served latte art since 2011 at 15/3 Nimmanahaeminda Road. Order a milk drink here, since the art lasts to the bottom of the cup. An americano cost ฿88 in a 2019 report, among the steepest in town.

Tables spill outside the front, and late Friday afternoon is busy. Skip it for focused work. Wifi was reported down on one visit, and seats are scarce.

6. Thanin Market stalls (Choy, Curry Puff, Miracle), Santitham

Choy Coffee, Curry Puff Coffee and Miracle Coffee run stalls at Thanin Market, also called Siri Wattana Market. A hot americano cost ฿25 in a 2019 report, the cheapest cup on this list. Most customers take it to go, with a few stools for those who stay.

Add a market snack and you have a full morning for under ฿100. Skip it for a long sit or a laptop session. There is no room for either.

7. Respect Coffee, Santitham

Respect Coffee is a small corner shop with indoor and outdoor seating. A 2019 report put a coffee at ฿40, with wifi described as great. It suits a long, quiet sit that costs far less than Nimman.

Santitham is a local district, so expect few tourists. Skip it if you want a polished design room. This is a neighborhood cafe, not an interior showpiece.

8. Gateway Coffee Roasters, east of the Old City

Gateway Coffee Roasters opened in 2018 and roasts in house. The entrance is on Chang Moi Road Soi 2, just off Tha Phae Road, through a sliding door and upstairs past the tasting room. The brew bar lists four single origins, and sweet treats and retail bags are sold.

Remote workers use it, so arrive early for a table. Skip it if you want to sit outside. The main room is upstairs and indoors.

9. khna Coffee Brewers, east of the Old City

khna sits near Wat Ket Karam and the Ping River at 150 Charoen Raj Road. It has a wooden coffee bar, a small roaster and seating on two floors. It roasts in small batches on site, and the retail bags are home-compostable.

Choose it for a calm morning cup away from the Old City crowds. Skip it if you want the biggest menu. Order the espresso blend or one of the filter coffees.

10. Graph Contemporary, east of the Old City

Graph Contemporary stands at 177 Charoen Muang Road, east of the Old City and the river. Inside, a metal counter leads to a living-room style seating area at the back. The signature drinks stand out, including a nitro cold brew with tomato and lime.

It is also a good place to buy coffee gifts, as Graph carries a strong range of merch and packaging. Skip it if you only want a plain filter cup. Graph Ground is the better pourover stop.

How to Choose a Chiang Mai Cafe

Start with your purpose, then check seating, power and payment. Specialty shops suit pourovers and short sits. Stalls suit a quick cup, and neighborhood cafes in Santitham suit a long, quiet seat. Cash is common at specialty shops, so carry baht. Wifi time limits and charging fees appear at some venues. Ask before you unpack a laptop. For a venue-by-venue list beyond this page, see our Chiang Mai coffee shops guide. Our pick for pure cup quality is covered in 8 Places for the Best Coffee in Chiang Mai.

Costs, Payment, and Opening Hours

Cafe prices span a wide range, from ฿25 at a market stall to ฿300 for a single-origin pourover. A 2023 report put a piccolo near ฿80 and pourovers at ฿120 to ฿300. Those were Bangkok-level prices, and almost no specialty shops took cards. Hours vary by venue, and we found none we could state plainly. Check each cafe's Instagram or Facebook before you go.

A Sample Cafe Day by Neighborhood

Three or four stops is a realistic day. Pick one area and stay inside it, rather than crossing the city between cups. We'd start in the cooler morning and keep indoor rooms for the afternoon heat.

• Old City: Akha Ama for breakfast, Wat Phra Singh, then Good Morning Chiang Mai or Borijinda Café in the afternoon.
• East bank: khna in the morning, Gateway Coffee Roasters at midday, then Graph Contemporary for a signature drink.
• Nimman: Graph Ground for a pourover, then Ristr8to Original for latte art.
• Santitham: a Thanin Market stall for a ฿25 cup, then a long sit at Respect Coffee.

Go Deeper on Coffee

Many Chiang Mai menus feature beans grown in northern Thailand, such as Maejam and Khun Chang Kian. To see where they come from, read our Chiang Mai Coffee Farm Tour: How to Choose and Book (2026) guide. For highland coffee outside the city, try the Mae Kampong Coffee: Cafes & Day Trip Guide day-trip option.