Lookbua thai food Restaurant
Red duck curry, a huge menu and a line at peak hours in the Old City's west corner.
Plan your visit
- Hours
- Daily 11:00–22:30
Learn the Spice Scale
Say 'mai pet' for no spice, 'pet nit noi' for a little spice, or 'pet mak' if you want it Thai-hot. Most cooks will default to a toned-down version for foreigners unless you specify otherwise.
Details
- Address
- 47, 5 Samlan Soi 7, Tambon Phra Sing, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Phone
- +66 95 721 6688
Full opening hours
Taste more of Chiang Mai
Street-food tours, market visits and Thai cooking classes near Lookbua thai food Restaurant.
Why go, and how to do it well
Red duck curry is the reason to walk in here, and it's the dish people keep coming back for. That's not a small thing in Chiang Mai, where a decent one at a fair price is harder to track down than you'd think. The rest of the menu is enormous, and the interesting corners of it are worth your time, like deep fried fish salad with lemongrass and shredded papaya, stir-fried squid with salted egg, chicken feet spicy soup, stir-fried sunflower sprouts. There's pineapple rice served in the pineapple and a steamed seafood curry served in a coconut if you want the photogenic option, and by most accounts they're good rather than just decorative.
It's a plain, busy room near the west gate of the Old City, not a place to linger over the fit-out. Diners mention noise and crowds, and the staff get consistent praise for friendly English. Prices sit low enough that ordering three or four dishes between two isn't reckless.
Written by Mac Kiley · Updated Oct 2026
Stay within reach of Lookbua thai food Restaurant
SponsoredSearch Chiang Mai hotels with your dates. Filter for free cancellation if you want to hold a room and decide later.
See hotels near Lookbua thai food RestaurantOpens Booking.com with your dates
Taste more of Chiang Mai
Street-food tours, market visits and Thai cooking classes near Lookbua thai food Restaurant.
Around here, on foot
Well-rated places within a short walk of Lookbua thai food Restaurant, nearest first. Minutes are at an easy pace in the heat.
- 1 min88 The Thai StreetRestaurants & Food · 60 m · 4.4★
- 1 minRachamaya Retreat Massage & SpaWellness & Spas · 100 m · 5.0★
- 2 minGhinRestaurants & Food · 120 m · 4.9★
- 2 minThe Meeting Room Art GalleryTemples & Culture · 130 m · 4.7★
- 2 minThe Inside HouseHotels & Resorts · 130 m · 4.8★
- 2 minPARI-Restaurants & Food · 130 m · 4.6★
Experience hints
Pair your visit. After Lookbua thai food Restaurant, round out your day in Chiang Mai with contrasting stops nearby.
Reviews from Google
As far as tourist-oriented restaurants in Chiang Mai’s Old Town go, this is one of the better options for reasonably authentic and affordable Thai food. I tend to avoid places that mainly cater to tourists, but I stopped here because I was in the mood for a red duck curry, which is surprisingly hard to find at a reasonable price. They had it on the menu, and it was good enough that I ended up coming back a few times. I also tried several other dishes, and everything fell into the same category: solid, well-prepared Thai standards. The service is good, the presentation is pleasant, and while nothing here is especially outstanding, it’s a reliable choice if you’re looking for decent Thai food in the Old Town. A 4.5 but I'll round up.
Lookbua is a popular spot with the locals and tourists alike. It was recommended to me by my Thai host. In the heart of the Old City, the restaurant has a phenomenally large menu. Some of their signature dishes include pineapple rice (served in a pineapple) and Thai steamed curry seafood (served in a coconut). I had the Thai curry with crab and the pineapple rice, and I took the green Thai curry soup to go. I just couldn't decide! The restaurant was a little crowded, and little noisy, and there was a lineup to get in, even on a Wednesday! But don't let this stop you. The food and service are top notch.
Very good local Thai food restaurant, located near the west gate of old city, have many varieties of food to choose from. We order roasted duck with red curry, chicken feet spicy soup, and Pineapple baked rice. All are very delicious dishes.
A sample of visitor reviews from Google. Read all 1,645 reviews on Google.
47, 5 Samlan Soi 7, Tambon Phra Sing, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Open in Google MapsMore restaurants & food nearby
All within a 2-minute walk of Lookbua thai food Restaurant.
88 The Thai Street
Lively Sichuan-Thai grill and skewer spot on Ratchamanka Rd, open daily until 1am with local prices.
Ghin
Refined Thai dining in Chiang Mai's Old City, blending Lanna-inspired flavors with attentive, personalized service.
PARI-
Michelin-recognized evening dining spot in Chiang Mai's historic Phra Sing district, open nightly from 6 PM.
Bistro Terrace
A highly regarded bistro on Samlarn Road serving delicious food and coffee in a relaxed terrace setting.
Tips for Visiting Restaurants & Food
Follow the Crowds
The busiest street stalls are almost always the best — high turnover means fresh ingredients and a recipe that locals vouch for. An empty restaurant at dinner time is a red flag.
Ice Is Safe
Factory-made tube or cylinder ice (used in virtually all restaurants and stalls) is made from purified water and is safe to consume. You don't need to skip the iced Thai tea.
Use Grab for Delivery
The Grab app works for food delivery across Thailand, letting you order from street stalls and restaurants alike. It's invaluable on rainy days or when you want to eat in your hotel.
Lookbua thai food Restaurant: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lookbua thai food Restaurant worth visiting?
Lookbua thai food Restaurant holds a 4.7★ rating from 1,645 Google reviews, placing it among the highest-rated restaurants & food in Chiang Mai.
What are the opening hours of Lookbua thai food Restaurant?
Lookbua thai food Restaurant is typically open 11:00–22:30 — see the full day-by-day schedule in the location info on this page. Hours can change on Thai public holidays, so check ahead for holiday visits.
When is the best time to visit Lookbua thai food Restaurant?
The best months to visit Chiang Mai are November – February, with the most reliable weather. Crowds peak in December – January & Songkran (April) — going early in the day usually means fewer people. Months to think twice about: March – May (smoke & heat).
Where is Lookbua thai food Restaurant located?
Lookbua thai food Restaurant is at 47, 5 Samlan Soi 7, Tambon Phra Sing, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, in Chiang Mai. Getting around Chiang Mai: Red songthaews (shared pick-up trucks); Grab (available in city center).
Also popular in Chiang Mai
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Chiang Mai
No riding and no tricks, just a day of feeding and mud with rescued elephants in the Mae Wang hills.
Jing Jai Market Chiang Mai
Come Saturday or Sunday morning for the farmers' market and the artisan pop-ups, and take a Grab.
Zoe in Yellow
Backpacker party central in the Old City, dead before nine and heaving by eleven.
Wat Phra That Doi Kham
Free hilltop temple where the crowd is mostly Thai worshippers, and the giant white-and-gold Buddha is visible for miles.
Similar Restaurants & Food across Thailand
Central Chiangrai
Air-conditioned escape with a cheap food court, an outdoor bazaar worth an evening, and immigration upstairs.
Centrico Pai Mexican Restaurant
Proper Mexican on Pai's main road, open ten in the morning till nearly midnight every day.
Khaothong Hill
Come for the view over Phang Nga Bay, order simply, and don't expect the food to match the scenery.
Three Monkeys Restaurant
A treetop village of a restaurant where the setting does half the work and the kitchen handles the rest.
