Best Restaurants & Food in Chiang Mai

Get there before 1pm or the khao soi's gone, and the bench you sit on won't be yours alone.

Pun Pun is the vegetarian institution in the garden of Wat Suan Dok — an open-air restaurant run by a sustainable-farming collective, serving Thai standards built on organic vegetables, house-made tofu, and seeds saved from its own farm.

Free Bird Cafe is Chiang Mai's feel-good vegan institution — a bright café whose profits fund Thai Freedom House, a language and arts centre for refugees from Myanmar and hill-tribe families.

Anchan Vegetarian Restaurant turned a tiny Nimman-side kitchen into one of Chiang Mai's most loved meat-free tables — a daily-changing blackboard of Thai dishes cooked vegetarian by default and vegan on request, from butterfly-pea-flower rice to herb-heavy curries and som tam.

Imm Aim Vegetarian and Bike Café pairs two Chiang Mai obsessions — plant-based Thai food and slow travel — in a leafy Santitham house where the khao soi is vegan, the fruit shakes are enormous, and bicycles hang from the walls.

Northern Thai done properly on Nimman, with a queue at dinner that moves faster than it looks.

Northern Thai cooking in an antique-stuffed old city house, and dinner is the meal to come for.

A no-frills local street food spot in Chiang Mai's Si Phum area, open weekday mornings only.

Charming Northern Thai café on Prapokklao Road serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch with authentic local flavour.

Upscale all-day dining lounge inside Chiang Mai's InterContinental hotel, open daily from breakfast to late evening.

Farm-to-table cooking at old city prices, evenings only, and the menu shifts with whatever's growing.

A well-regarded daytime eatery on Jhaban Road serving authentic Thai food in a casual, unpretentious setting.

An evening dining destination in Chiang Mai's Old City, open nightly from 6pm to midnight.

Indian cooking on Nimman Lane 9 that handles halal, vegan and gluten-free without fuss, and does it well.

A spotless western-style hostel and restaurant in central Chiang Mai, known for Alsatian cuisine and rooftop pool.

A laid-back cannabis dispensary and lounge in Chiang Mai's Old Town with a rooftop, PS5, and friendly staff.

A creative Western-Japanese fusion dining experience in Chiang Mai, built around an ever-changing chef's tasting menu.

A reservation-only fine dining experience in Chiang Mai's Hang Dong area, serving creative multi-course menus in an intimate woodland setting.

Home-style Thai cooking on a quiet Hai Ya soi, cooked the way it would be at home rather than for tourists.

Refined Thai dining in Chiang Mai's Old City, blending Lanna-inspired flavours with attentive, personalised service.

A family-run northern Thai kitchen in Hai Ya, beloved for its khao soi and warm, unhurried atmosphere.

A hidden gem café and rooftop restaurant serving South African cuisine in the heart of Chiang Mai.

A beloved Chiang Mai home cooking spot serving authentic Thai evening meals on Sridonchai Rd.

A highly regarded bistro on Samlarn Road serving delicious food and coffee in a relaxed terrace setting.