Restaurants
Chiangmai is a town full of restaurants – hundreds, and it would be harder to find a bad one than a good one. Our main advice would be avoid the extremely expensive International Restaurants they are generally not worth it, also the hotel restaurants are pricey and pretty average. There follows a list of ones that we regularly use. Mai Muen (Wooden City) recently opened on Chotana Road a few hundred metres before Lanna Golf Course, excellent Thai food and live music, this restaurant is quite small and can get busy, price wise this is about as good value as you will find. Pasta Café not that far from the Chiangmai Orchid, but you would still need a Tuk-Tuk or transport to get there, very well run Pasta Restaurant in pleasant surroundings, both indoor and outdoor seating, great food and very low prices. The Lasagne sells out everyday, its just that good and the home made Ice Cream is amazing. Sila-Aat – this basic street restaurant is situated in Galare Centre just a short distance from the central part end of the Night Bazaar, their Pad Thai is out of this world, either with prawn, mixed seafood or chicken this famous Thai one plate dish is cooked to perfection here, also the Khao Soi (Northern Thai Curry with crispy noodle) is very good. The Riverside, opened since 1987 this riverside venue is a must visit, excellent entertainment beginning with a superb acoustic guitarist who plays from 8.00pm till 9.00 then several different style talented bands who play through to the early hours. The food is excellent – make your choice from a huge menu of Thai and International dishes, average price for a meal here is as little as 300 baht per head with drinks. Other good riverside restaurants are the Good View and the Gallery (to the north of the Riverside) and the Cottage and the Antique House 2 to the south. Chiangmai is famous for its Noodle Stalls, they are situated all around the City and a great meal can be sampled at any of these for between 15 and 30 baht per person, look out for the vendors with the big yellow signs. Chiangmai also has some of the best Foodmarkets in Thailand; at a Foodmarket you buy vouchers at a booth and exchange them for delicacies from the many different food stalls in the market. A very fair way of doing business, the stallholders cash the vouchers in later; less a % for their rent. Unused vouchers can be refunded after you have had your meal. Foodmarkets are a great way to try out the many flavours of Thailand. There are many Foodmarkets in Chiangmai, our favourite is the one at Central Airport Shopping Plaza but they are all good – and if the stalls aren’t good they can’t survive. If you are feeling that a steak is required try the German Hofbrauhaus near to Macdonalds in the Night Bazaar, two other expat style restaurants adjoin Haus Munchen and the Red Lion. The Irish Pub O’Malley’s in Anusarn Market is probably the best of the bunch, excellent breakfasts, roasts and other great meals. Other International Restaurants worth a mention are The Pub, set in a large plot in Huay Kaew road, a visit here is like going to an English Country Pub – except it’s a lot cheaper, nice ambience and good food, turn left out of the hotel, across 2 sets of lights and its on your left just past a large open air market. Under new management its becoming very popular. New additions to our recommended list serving fine cuisine are The House, inside the moat on Moon Muang Road 200 yards North of Tapae Gate, excellent International and Nouveau Fusion Cuisine. Newly opened by the river, a superb restaurant serving the very best Thai / Fusion cuisine is the Mahanaga, this is the most elegant Thai Restaurant visited, beautiful tasteful surroundings, a real touch of class – with excellent food, need to be booked transport can be laid on. Pumpui’s is the oldest Italian Restaurant in Chiangmai and now under Franco’s care it provides excellent Italian food from a substantial menu. Buenissimo on the river near to Mahanaga is a huge Italian restaurant with a high class Italian delicatessen and wine cellar, choose from the best selection of wines in Chiangmai, excellent restaurant and Sergio is a good host. Last but not least Yoy’s River Bar, excellent Thai food, good music and cheap prices, best value in Chiangmai. BEWARE – some restaurants offer big commissions to guides and Tuk Tuk drivers, so be firm with where you want to go. One restaurant in particular offering high commissions is the overpriced Piccolo Roma (Italian) – quite often a Tuk Tuk will attempt to take you there even when you have asked for one of the better quality and value Italian Restaurants in Chiangmai.

Sila-Aat, this basic street restaurant is situated in Anusarn Market just a short distance from the southern end of the Night Bazaar, their Pad Thai is out of this world, either with prawn, mixed seafood or chicken this famous Thai one plate dish is cooked to perfection here, also the Khao Soi (Northern Thai Curry with crispy noodle) is very good.

Saphan Kung Pao, this large but quiet outdoor restaurant is near Lanna Hospital north of the ring road. The prawns here are quite special, they farm their own fish and prawns and cook them in many styles – but the flavour always seems best straight from the Barbeque. Giant Prawns are 269 baht a kilo cooked to your order; whole Tubtim Fish and Sea Bass are 99 baht per fish. Take you own wine and they don’t even charge corkage – Chiangmai value at its best.

The Riverside, opened since 1987 this riverside venue is a must visit, excellent entertainment beginning with a superb acoustic guitarist who plays from 8.00pm till 9.00 then several different style talented bands who play through to the early hours. The food is excellent – make your choice from a huge menu of Thai and International dishes, average price for a meal here is as little as 300 baht per head with drinks.

Other good riverside restaurants are the Good View and the Gallery (to the north of the Riverside) and the Cottage and the Antique House 2 to the south.

Chiangmai is famous for its Noodle Stalls, they are situated all around the City and a great meal can be sampled at any of these for between 15 and 30 baht per person, look out for the vendors with the big yellow signs. Chiangmai also has some of the best Foodmarkets in Thailand; at a Foodmarket you buy vouchers at a booth and exchange them for delicacies from the many different food stalls in the market. A very fair way of doing business, the stallholders cash the vouchers in later; less a % for their rent. Unused vouchers can be refunded after you have had your meal. Foodmarkets are a great way to try out the many flavours of Thailand. There are many Foodmarkets in Chiangmai, our favourite is the one at Central Airport Shopping Plaza but they are all good – and if the stalls aren’t good they can’t survive.

If you are feeling that a steak is required try the German Hofbrauhaus near to Macdonalds in the Night Bazaar, two other expat style restaurants adjoin Haus Munchen and the Red Lion.

Other International Restaurants worth a mention are:

The Pub, set in a large plot in Huay Kaew road, a visit here is like going to an English Country Pub – except it’s a lot cheaper, nice ambience and good food, turn left out of the hotel, across 2 sets of lights and its on your left just past a large open air market.

La Villa, great Italian food, particularly Pizza from a wood-fired oven, set in an old Teakwood house amongst tropical gardens, located in the centre of the old city at 70 Ratchadamnoen Road.

New additions to our recommended list serving fine cuisine are:

The House, inside the moat on Moon Muang Road 200 yards North of Tapae Gate, excellent International and Nouveau Fusion Cuisine.

Georgio’s, the best Italian in town on Changklan Road south of the Nightmarket.

The Salad House, is the healthiest place to eat, just past Airport Shopping Plaza on the Airport Road all salad vegetable grown on site hyroponically

Mai Muer (Wooden City) is our current favourite Thai Restaurant it opened around June 2005 the food is excellent as is the ambience. Live music from talented Thai musicians all night and prices very low. The music is mostly Thai folk and set at a reasonable volume so it is easy to talk as well as enjoy the great sounds. Stuated on Chotana Road on the left hand side going towards Mai Rim, about 400 yards before Lanna Golf Course and just after a pub called Jazz.