One of the best things about Chiang Mai is its amazing range of places to eat and drink – to give you an example, Trip Advisor currently lists about 1,125 restaurants for the (small!) city. I eat out for all my meals apart from breakfast – and I even eat breakfast out a couple of times a week. It’s very cheap to eat out – a meal usually costs between 100-200 baht (£2-4) including a drink. Much less for street food.

Whilst I usually rotate around four or five restaurants, when Mum visited recently I made sure we tried more. And we ended up being experts on the city’s French Toast (Ellen) and Pancakes (Mum) in particular.

So in addition to my post on fun things to do in Chiang Mai, here are 22 great places to eat and drink.

Please do leave your own recommendations in the comments below – I’m always excited to discover new places!

Note: I’m a veggie (so all the below are veggie friendly), but Mum’s not, so I have put a (v) after a place if it’s purely vegetarian. Stars go from 1 (don’t bother) to 5 (must visit). Most places have free wifi. Mum’s comments in italics! I’ve linked as much as possible to websites or Facebook sites, see these for addresses, directions, opening times etc.

1. ImmAim (v)

This and Freebird Café below tie for my favourite restaurants in Chiang Mai. ImmAim is a little out of the main city (too far for most to walk, but only a few minutes by tuk tuk or Songthaew), in Santitham, and is a friendly vegetarian place with healthy, delicious, non-additive-filled food. Thai fusion in style – classics like Penang curry are my favourite, but also interesting salads, and filling falafel and burritos. Some nice smoothies, love the passionfruit tea. Free wifi. Usually fine to hang out in and work. And I had Christmas dinner here last year!

My rating: 5 stars

Mum’s rating: 4 stars

2. Freebird Café (v)

A small café just North of the city (literally, across the moat) whose profits go to the Freedom House project, which teaches Burmese refugees English for free. The café serves tasty food, and also has a small second hand book and clothes shop. I think this is the best Pad Thai in Chiang Mai. Interesting Shan Salads you probably won’t find elsewhere, and fabulous (and huge) pancakes. Good coffee, and a lovely Chai Latte. Big range of fresh juices and smoothies. No MSG and much of the food can be made vegan. Great to hang out in, the large tables mean you’ll probably end up chatting to other travellers.

My rating: 5 stars

Mum’s rating: 4 stars. Great pancakes and friendly staff!

3. Akha Ama

This is a cafe that serves a huge range of coffees, and is linked with an organic co-operative of hill tribe villages which farm the coffee – the café itself was the brainchild of the first member of his village to go to university, Lee Ayu, whom Mum and I saw speak at TedxChiangMai. The coffee has won a number of awards, and the café itself is tucked away in a more student-y area of Chiang Mai, and has a balance of Thai and Western customers. Not much food – limited to some cakes.

My rating: 4 stars (would be more if they had just a little more food!)

Mum’s rating: 4 stars

4. Blue Diamond

One of the oldest and best-known semi-veggie restaurants in Chiang Mai, the Blue Diamond is slap bang in the middle of the backpackers’ quarter in the old city, and it’s the kind of place where I often see someone I know. They have a massive menu, and a small shop that sells fresh fruit and organic produce, as well as a bakery which produces vegan/gluten free (and not!) cakes, biscuits and bread. Huge range of breakfasts – Mum loved the pancakes here, I go for the scrambled eggs, hash brown potatoes, and freshly baked toasted brown roll. Great coffee. Can be busy, I wouldn’t tend to do my work here or hang out once I’ve eaten.

My rating: 4 stars

Mum’s rating: 4 stars. We took away some muffins which were delicious!

5. Rist8tto

Considered by coffee gourmets to be the best coffee in Chiang Mai, this café certainly has a lot of pizzaz. ‘Coffee art’ drawn in your latte foam gets ever more complicated in the evenings, and you can choose your own blend as well as your coffee. Food is limited – but delicious waffle fingers are worth getting if you can cope with the sugar/caffeine high afterwards! Always busy with take-away, not many seats.

My rating: 4 stars (not a place you could work, and limited food)

Mum’s rating: 4 stars – although it’s like being back in London!

6. Good Morning Chiang Mai

A huge café, with a big upstairs as well as shady garden area, this is a nice solid coffee shop with breakfast menu and some Thai mains. Great to work in, fun and nice staff, and in a quieter area of the old city. Food is mainly focused on breakfast, with some Thai staples like green curry. Breakfasts can be amended for veggies, main courses a bit more limited.

My rating: 4 stars

Mum’s rating: 4 stars. Very friendly staff.

7. Angel’s Secrets

A small but sweet French-influenced café in the old city which produces really excellent food. Great for breakfasts and lunches. Nice sandwiches as well as the usual Thai options – big menu overall. They serve my favourite French Toast in Chiang Mai, and I’ve heard the veggie Kao Soi is really good too. And unusually, the pictures in their menu actually bear a resemblance to the food served – it’s worth knowing if you’re eating in Thailand that usually a menu is an ‘indication’ not a representation!

My rating: 4 stars

Mum’s rating: 4 stars

8. Chiang Mai Women’s Correctional Institution

Right in the middle of the old city, this café and massage spa is part of the Women’s Correctional Institute. We only had time for the café, no massage at this point (the massage is supposed to be very good). The café was ok, we sat outside and there were quite a lot of mosquitos. The menu was a bit limited (very limited if you’re veggie), and when it came it was adequate rather than exceptional.

My rating: 2 stars (as a vegetarian)

Mum’s rating: 2 stars – but do go and support them

9. Three Little Pigs

An American South/ South West place to the North of the old city. Nice touches like warm cornbread on your arrival, and the food was tasty. More veggie options would have been nice, and the food can be deceptively spicy so let them know if you want it less so! Great milkshakes. Big portions.

My rating: 3 stars

Mum’s rating: 3 stars – warning: deceptively spicy doesn’t cover it!

10. Peppermint Coffee house

This is a popular café near to one of the main tourist areas in the old city. The food was good, although I think given the ratings on Trip Advisor I was expecting more. Food is Thai options, plus some nice alternatives like a veggie burger (and ‘normal’ burger) and fries, which was tasty. More sandwich options than usual.

My rating: 3 stars

Mum’s rating: 3 stars – Unfair I know, but this was one of the few places I got bitten by mosquitos while sitting outside, and that makes it hard to remember the food!

11. Prego

The food at this small place in the backpackers’ quarter is uniformly excellent. A Thai-Italian mix, everything I’ve had here has been delicious. Mum had a Mussaman which was much more spicy than she usually likes, but she ate every bit (despite tears in her eyes) because it was so tasty! Great veggie range of interesting Thai and Italian classics.

My rating: 5 stars

Mum’s rating: 4 stars: What El said is true! It was delicious, but definitely hotter than I anticipated. But I left a clean plate . . .

12. Bamboo Bee (v)

A tiny (10 seats?), intimate restaurant in the North East quarter which has shot to the top of the Trip Advisor listings due to its quirky proprietor and great food. An unusual and interesting range of veggie dishes, plus a different list of smoothies than the norm. Bee will do you a personal cooking course too.

My rating: 4 stars

Mum’s rating: 4 stars. I watched in amazement as she made me excellent spring rolls, with very basic equipment. I know I couldn’t do that! She also made me the best pineapple and coconut smoothie I had in Chiang Mai (and I sampled a lot of them).

13. Marble Arch

A coffee and cake shop. Disorientating London tube sign outside, along with a red phone box. London themed… Air conditioned and huge, it’s great for working in as there are loads of plug points, big tables and the coffee is excellent. The music tends towards the dreadful though, so bring earphones and your own choice!

My rating: 4 stars

Mum’s rating: 4 stars. We spent quite a lot of time here. I got to know the CD very well . . .

14. The Salad Bar

This is the restaurant in my building, Puri Piman. Popular with Thai locals, not surprisingly, its focus is organic salad. Very tasty and comes in huge portions along with various proteins (beans, fish, chicken, mushrooms etc). Great chips (fries) here! There are some limited alternatives to salad. Big drinks menu, and excellent coffee. No wifi.

My rating: 4 stars.

Mum’s rating: 4 stars.

15. La Terrasse

A proper French restaurant in the Night Market area. The food here was of excellent quality, but slightly higher priced than elsewhere – we went for a birthday meal. Food is French classics (unusually for Chiang Mai, they don’t serve Thai food!). More vegetarian options than usual in a French restaurant. Wine available.

My Rating: 4 stars

Mum’s rating: 5 stars. It was my birthday! Conversation with the proprietor was in French, the coq au vin was excellent, and the (home-made) bread fantastic. And it was lovely to have actual wine – not common in Thailand. No idea what Ellen had – wasted on her!

16. Birds Nest Café

A mostly vegetarian place with great food, a very convivial atmosphere and many digital nomads working away inside. It has a range of seating from tables, to the floor, sofa and even a hammock for hot afternoons. Good sandwiches and cafetiere coffee.

My rating: 5 stars

(I didn’t manage to take Mum to this one but it’s a favourite of mine if I want to eat and work)

17. Pun Pun (v)

We tried to visit here, as it’s behind ‘Monk Chat’ and one of the most well known veggie places in Chiang Mai, but it was closed for a refurb. I’ve been before though, and highly recommend it for its range of interesting veggie food at very low prices.

My rating: 4 stars

18.Tea Tree Café (v)

A healthy veggie place which also has a Monday night movie and usually people playing instruments in a corner, reading from the library, or sometimes doing one of the classes that are held in the space. A hang out as much as a café. You have to sit on the floor though, which is why I didn’t take Mum to this one!

Note from Mum – I could have sat on the floor!

19. iBerry

Another place I didn’t manage with Mum as there just weren’t enough eating opportunities! This is a really fun place with great cakes, ice-cream and coffee, and full of trendy Thais as well as visitors. A lovely place for afternoon tea and cake.

My rating: 5 stars

20. Take away – Meals on Wheels

The lazy option, this business will order for you, pick up and bring you takeaway from a range of restaurants and styles in the city. You pay a premium for this, but it’s still a good deal – and you can get your pint of milk for breakfast brought at the same time! Great if it’s a rainstorm and you don’t want to get wet, or if there are a few of you eating together who all want different cuisines. Menus in English.

21. Street Food

Hard to rate this one, as it’s pretty variable, but an intergral part of Thai life in Chiang Mai is the outdoor restaurant, or street food. This can range from a tub of sweetcorn to a pad thai. It’s great fun to look at all the tasty options available and try them out. If you’re a vegetarian, the word you need to say is ‘Jeh’.

Mum: this was a great favourite with me. I wanted to try everything, but my veggie daughter was a bit more circumspect. Top of my list was the pork in rich gravy with the ubiquitous boiled egg. Just 60p. I see a business idea for someone who can go round and write English translations on the stalls, so I’d have had some idea what I was eating!

22. Coffee only

If you’re working or just want to hang out and drink coffee, Chiang Mai has a huge range of places. Absolutely no need to go to Starbucks. I’ve covered some above, but two other good places to look are here:

Nomadic Notes – 30 Cafes to visit in Chiang mai

Am I Nearly There Yet – the 10 best Chiang Mai Coffee shops

Also, if you enjoyed this, you will probably also love my post: 17 Fun Things To Do in Chiang Mai! Have a read and see what you think…

You can also find my writing at my personal and professional development site EllenBard.com. I’d love to see you there too – there’s cool free stuff! 🙂

Now it’s your turn – share your own suggestions in the comments below.

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