6 Best Restaurants in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Guests are invited to make themselves comfortable on plump, plush armchairs and sofas and even on large cushions scattered over the polished teak floor at this colorful restaurant, decorated like the home of your kooky bohemian cousin. The cuisine is eclectic, with plenty of Thai offerings as well as mixed Western fare like fish-and-chips. Nothing is too spicy, and everything, including rich curries, refreshing salads, and vegetable-packed summer rolls, is served in pretty ceramic bowls and plates.

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.

Trendy locals have been loving this iconic restaurant that serves creative Thai and pan-Asian fare since it opened in 2004. The walls are adorned with tropical motif wallpaper, the plush furniture is finished with dark velvets, and traditional Chinese pottery in bold colors sits on display, while the banquette seating is topped with colorful throw pillows that you can purchase in the shop. The Thai food is excellent and nicely presented, but expect to pay more than in simple Thai restaurants. 

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.

This handsome Lanna-style restaurant complex is next to Chiang Mai's historic Iron Bridge, and the spacious outside terrace has lovely views of the bridge and the Ping River. The chefs prepare the full range of authentic, if pricey, Thai dishes, along with a couple of continental options, including a cheeseburger.

Although the restaurant is fairly family-friendly, with a lawn on which kids can run around, there's not much on the menu for picky eaters.

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.