Thai restaurants in Chiang Mai
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A
Huan Soontaree
Visiting Thais from Bangkok make the pilgrimage to this rustic restaurant, built on the west bank of the river, partly for the food but mainly for the owner, Soontaree Vechanont, a famous northern singer popular in the 1970s. She performs at the restaurant from 8.30pm to 10pm Monday to Saturday. The menu is a pleasant blend of northern, northeastern and central Thai specialities. This place is on the river about 4km north of the city.
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Implaphao Restaurant
Dining by the water is an appetising feature for Thais and this barn-like restaurant lures in the supping parties for þlah pŏw (broiled fish stuffed with aromatic herbs) and đôm yam gûng. It isn't the easiest restaurant to reach, 10km southwest of Chiang Mai, across from Talat Mae Huay, but it is an undiluted Thai experience.
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B
Pak Do Restaurant
Across the street from Wat Phra Singh, this morning curry shop displays its dishes in big metal bowls out front. Do as the Thais do and lift the lids to survey the contents. If your stomach has developed a hankering for rice in the morning, you'll be glad you peaked into the pots.
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C
Le Grand Lanna
Part of the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi complex, Le Grand Lanna is a 4000-sq-metre complex of restored northern Thai buildings filled with antique furniture, high-end art and handicrafts. The cuisine can be wonderful, especially the upmarket versions of northern Thai specialities.
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D
Khrua Phuket Laikhram
Khrua Phuket Laikhram, a small family-run restaurant near Chiang Mai University, is worth hunting down for its delicious, cheap, authentic homestyle southern Thai cooking. It has an upstairs dining room. There are no English menus so you may have to improvise with your phrasebook.
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E
Cafe de Nimman
Located at the front of the 'Room - boutique mall' (an open-air walkway with a row of shops and bars). Sit in the pleasant outside seating area or the small air-con section and choose from a large menu of Thai rice dishes, spicy salads and curries.
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F
Good View
Next door to the Riverside, Good View lives up to its name with open-air seating in a contemporary setting. The formula is similar to the Riverside, except the menu focuses more on Thai food and the nightly music covers a broader genre range. Try to nab a table beside the river for a romantic evening.
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G
Gallery
This elegant eatery, in a converted 100-year-old teak Chinese shophouse that's half gallery/shop, half restaurant, has a colonial feel. The quality of the food and service goes up and down, but the setting remains the primary attraction.
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H
Aomngurn
Located next to the New Mitrapap Hotel, this humble spot is an easy escape from Talat Warorot’s chaos and crowds. It specialises in Thai-Chinese dishes as well as grilled chicken and zesty yam (Thai-style salads).
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Yok Fa
This simple but popular place cooks up fresh food in the massive woks upfront. Try pat see lew (fried wide noodles with pork, soybean sauce, morning glory and egg) or the suckling pig and rice.
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J
Hong Tauw Inn
It's a relief to step through the doors at this old-fashioned, intimate Thai inn, decked out in an old-fashioned costume of aged pendulum clocks and antiques, and escape the fashionable haunts that have devoured this area. It's a really good spot to begin your Thai culinary adventures – there's an extensive menu that includes regional specialities such as naem mog sai ou (spicy grilled northern sausage with herbs). Relaxed dining, staff who speak English and decent quality, inexpensive Thai food – it ticks a lot of boxes for newbies. It's popular with Thais as well and the food is genuinely spicy. The sôm·đam, and curries are spot on.
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K
Si Phen Restaurant
This inexpensive stopover near Wat Phra Singh specialises in northern- and northeastern-style dishes, including sôm·đam (spicy green papaya salad).
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Sophia
Sophia serves good curries and khâo mòk kài (Thai-Muslim version of chicken briyani).
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M
Rachamankha
Tucked away behind Wat Phra Singh, in the sumptuous grounds of the boutique hotel of the same name, one dines at the Rachamankha to enjoy the crisp white linens and antique atmosphere just as much as the food. The menu is Thai-centred, along with hints of Myanmar (Burma), Yunnan and Europe at the periphery.
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N
Lemontree
The well-worn dining room tells you it's been around for a long time – plenty of local Thais eat here. Does good curries serving up a piping hot meal nice and quick. Servings are large and mains are much better than appetizers.
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La-Own
Tempting aromas waft down the street from this affable restaurant. Its grill-BBQ out front often seems empty; usually a bad sign. Not on this occasion. Dishes are thoughtfully prepared and include lots of seafood and chicken options. We enjoyed the seafood fried-rice with basil. Although it advertises itself as a 'grilled chicken restaurant' in fact the excellent Thai menu is much more extensive. This place is close to the river, on busy Th Charoen Prathet, just near the corner of Th Tha Phae.
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Boat
Popular with Thais for its comfy seating and cheap food – the real puller is the local people-watching. It's about 300m northwest of Th Khlorng Chonprathan on the left hand side of Huay Kaew as you head towards Doi Suthep from the city.
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O
Aroon Rai
The Aroon Rai is a basic, Thai-style, open-air eatery proclaiming to have the best curries in town. It certainly does have variety: soup, noodle and rice dishes along with the curries, even frog dishes, appear on the menu. It's very popular with Thais and budget travellers, and is an excellent cheapie; peruse the northern Thai sausage and pots of curry on the way in to warm-up your appetite.
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Palaad Tawanron
Set into a rocky ravine next to a waterfall (in wet season) near Doi Suthep, this is a spectacularly sited restaurant. The Thai menu is extensive and includes plenty of seafood such as serpent-head fish, freshwater prawns, and sea bass. There's an extensive outdoor seating area overlooking a small reservoir and the city of Chiang Mai beyond. It's a magical spot in the evenings and much cooler than in the city. Follow the signs at the end of Th Suthep.
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