#1
SP Chicken
4.2 (2,237)·Chiang Mai
Price level$$$$Budget
A charcoal-grilled chicken shop on Soi Samlan 1 in the Old City. Order the chicken with som tam and sticky rice, bring cash, and come for lunch, since it closes at 17:00 and can sell out.
The 15 Best Restaurants in Chiang Mai, Ranked
Fifteen places to eat, from SP Chicken and the khao soi shops to the Cowboy Hat Lady's pork leg and a riverside fine-dining dinner. Hours on each card come from Google.
15 places$ to $$$$ price levelAvg 4.4 on GoogleUpdated Oct 2026
If you only read one line
SP Chicken leads this list, with Khao Soi Mae Sai, the Cowboy Hat Lady's pork leg and Suki Changphuak next. It leans toward local shops and stalls.
Khao soi is the dish to plan around. Khao Soi Mae Sai, Khun Yai and Lung Prakit are three of the city's best-known bowls, and most of them close by mid-afternoon or run out earlier. In the evening, the Chang Phueak Gate night market has the Cowboy Hat Lady and Suki Changphuak side by side.
For a sit-down dinner, Dash Teak House and Tong Tem Toh are the reliable mid-range picks, and the Anantara's Bodhi Terrace and The Service at 1921 House are the special-occasion ones.
- #2
Khao Soi Maesai
4.5 (6,006)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$BudgetA khao soi shophouse in Chang Phueak just across from Nimman, open from 08:00 to 16:00 and closed Sundays, with a lunchtime queue. Go in the morning.
- #3
Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak
4.2 (1,918)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$BudgetThe Cowboy Hat Lady's braised pork leg on rice at the Chang Phueak Gate night market, every evening from 17:00 to midnight. Use the pickles and chili vinegar.
Where to stay
Best Hotels in Chiang Mai
My pick at each price level in Chiang Mai, going by Google's hotel class. Hotels from my ranked list of the 10 best come first, then the best-reviewed. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#1Luxury · 5-star
Shangri-La Chiang Mai4.6 (4,289 reviews)
Upscale hotel near Chiang Mai's Night Bazaar, offering spacious rooms, a pool, spa, and Szechuan dining.
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#3Mid-range · 4-star
U Chiang Mai Hotel4.8 (2,000 reviews)
Chic boutique hotel on Rachadamnoen Rd offering a fitness center, European bistro, and open-air bar.
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#9Budget · 3-star
Cross Chiang Mai Riverside4.8 (994 reviews)
A boutique riverside resort in Chiang Mai offering stylish rooms, a spa, pool, and upscale dining.
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- #4
Suki Changphuak
4.4 (2,688)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$BudgetThai-style suki done cheap and fast at Chang Phueak Gate from 17:00 to midnight, right beside the Cowboy Hat Lady, so one stop covers both.
- #5
Khao Soi Khun Yai
4.6 (2,931)·Chiang MaiChiang Mai's standout khao soi, at a simple stall where you share the bench. Get there before about 13:00, since the soup runs out.
- #6
Dash Teak House
4.5 (3,257)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$Mid-rangeA family-run Thai restaurant in a teak house on Moon Muang Road, open from 10:00 to 22:00 and closed Sundays, known for its tamarind chicken and evening live music.
- #7
Tong Tem Toh
4.2 (6,686)·Chiang MaiNorthern Thai food done properly on Nimman, with a line at dinner that moves faster than it looks.
- #8
Kiat Ocha
4.0 (2,048)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$BudgetA short-menu Hainanese chicken rice and satay shop on Intha Warorot Road in the Old City, open from 06:00 to 15:00, so plan it for breakfast or lunch.
- #9
Cherng Doi Roast Chicken
4.3 (3,264)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$BudgetNorthern Thai grilled chicken on Suk Kasame Road off Nimman, best with fried papaya salad and sticky rice. Open 11:00 to 20:00, closed Mondays.
- #10
Bodhi Terrace
4.7 (189)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$LuxuryThe Anantara's riverside dinner terrace on the Ping, open in the evening, for an elegant outdoor dinner by the water.
- #11
The Service at 1921 House
4.5 (643)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$LuxuryFine dining inside the Anantara in a wooden building that reviewers say was the old British consulate, open from noon to 22:30. A special-occasion bill, so book ahead.
- #12
Khao Soi Lung Prakit Kad Kom
4.4 (3,851)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$BudgetA khao soi shop on Suriyawong 5 Road in Hai Ya with a rich, creamy broth, open from 09:30 to 16:30. The large beef bowl is the one to order.
- #13
Aroy Dee
4.5 (2,197)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$BudgetA small Thai restaurant on Mun Mueang Road in the Old City with a strong khao soi and plenty of vegetarian dishes, open from 11:00 to 22:00 and closed Sundays.
- #14
Neng Earthen Jar Roast Pork
4.6 (4,238)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$BudgetCrispy pork belly roasted in clay jars on Rattanakosin Road in Chang Moi, open daily from 10:30 to 22:00, with an air-conditioned room upstairs.
- #15
Kat's Kitchen
4.4 (4,052)·Chiang MaiPrice level$$$$BudgetA busy corner Thai restaurant on Ratchamanka Road in the Old City with generous portions, open daily from 09:00. Order the tom yum, and bring cash.
Frequently asked questions
What dishes is Chiang Mai known for?
Khao soi, the curry noodle soup with crispy noodles on top, is the one to eat first, at about ฿50–80 a bowl. Khao kha moo, braised pork leg on rice, and grilled chicken with som tam and sticky rice are the other dishes the lists keep coming back to.
How much is a meal in Chiang Mai?
Most of the places on this list cost under ฿200 a head, by Google's price ranges, and a bowl of khao soi is about ฿50–80. A mid-range sit-down dinner runs ฿200–600, and the hotel fine dining at the Anantara starts around ฿2,000.
Where did Anthony Bourdain eat in Chiang Mai?
At the Cowboy Hat Lady's braised pork leg stall at Chang Phueak Gate, according to many of its reviewers. It's open every evening from 17:00 to midnight, next to Suki Changphuak.
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