10 Best Restaurants in Chiang Mai: Local Picks by Area and Meal

Featured image: David McKelvey from Brisbane, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Quick Picks by Situation

Start here if you only have a few dinners. Each row names one venue, its area, and the one thing to verify first. Tong Tem Toh is listed daily from 8:00 to 23:00, which makes it the easiest Nimman fallback.

The 10 Best Restaurants in Chiang Mai, by Area

These ten picks cover northern Thai, vegan, and late-night dining. Distances and hours below come from a third-party directory, not from the venues. Treat them as leads and re-check each on the venue's own page or Google listing.

• 1. Huen Phen (Old City, northern Thai)
  • Listed as a 0.3 km walk from the city-centre reference point, with hours of 8:30 to 16:30 and 17:00 to 22:00.
  • Best for a first plate of northern Thai food. Skip it if you want a quiet meal at peak lunch.
• 2. Khao Soi Khun Yai (Old City, Khao soi)
  • A dedicated Khao soi stop for curry noodle soup with crisp noodles on top.
  • No hours are supplied in our sources, so check current opening times. Skip it if you dislike coconut-curry richness.
• 3. Dash (Old City, Thai)
  • Listed 0.9 km from the centre, on MoonMuang Road Lane 2. Hours show 10:00 to 14:00 and 17:30 to 21:30 on Mon to Wed and Fri to Sun.
  • Thursday is missing from that listing, so confirm before you plan around it.
• 4. Coconut Shell Thai Food (Old City, all-day Thai)
  • Listed on Ratchamanka Road, 0.7 km from the centre, with hours of 7:00 to 23:00.
  • Wednesday does not appear in the listing. Best for an early meal when other places are still closed.
• 5. Its Good Kitchen (Old City, Thai)
  • Listed on Rachadamnoen Road, 0.2 km from the centre. Hours show Tue to Sun, 11:30 to 21:00.
  • Monday does not appear, so treat it as a likely closed day.
• 6. Tong Tem Toh (Nimman, northern Thai)
  • Listed on Nimmanahaeminda Road, 2.1 km from the centre, with daily hours of 8:00 to 23:00.
  • Best for northern Thai dishes when you are already in Nimman.
• 7. Ginger Farm Kitchen at One Nimman (Nimman, modern Thai)
  • Listed inside One Nimman with daily hours of 11:00 to 22:00.
  • Best for a comfortable, indoor meal. Skip it if you want street-level local feel.
• 8. Goodsouls Kitchen (Old City, vegan)
  • Listed on Sinharat Road Lane 3, 0.6 km from the centre, with daily hours of 8:00 to 22:00.
  • Best for plant-based breakfast through dinner.
• 9. The Good View Bar & Restaurant (riverside, late night)
  • Listed with hours of 17:00 to 2:00, which suits a late dinner.
  • Best when you want view and drinks together. Food is secondary here, so confirm the menu.
• 10. Galae Restaurant (Suthep Road, Thai)
  • Listed 4.2 km from the centre, with daily hours of 10:00 to 21:00.
  • Best if you have transport and want a Thai meal away from the Old City crowds.

How We Chose and How to Use This List

Our selection criteria are northern Thai relevance, a clear situation fit, and a listing that shows hours. We have not claimed first-hand visits here. Hummus Chiang Mai appears in the same directory but is Middle Eastern, so we left it out. Cash and reservation rules vary by venue, so check each venue's own channel before you plan a group dinner.

Old City or Nimman: Which Area for Restaurants

Old City is walkable inside the moat, and most picks above sit within 1 km of the centre reference point. Nimman is trendier and sits more than 2 km west of the Old City. Tong Tem Toh is listed at 2.1 km, so plan a songthaew, Grab, or a long walk. We have no sourced fare figures, so check the current price in the app before you ride. For deeper lists, see our Old City restaurant picks. Our Nimman dining guide covers the west side. Ristr8to is coffee-focused, so pair it with a meal on Nimman Soi 1 or Soi 17.

Northern Thai Dishes to Order

Khao soi is curry noodle soup, and Sai ua is northern Thai sausage. Order both at Huen Phen or Tong Tem Toh for a proper introduction. Khao soi works as a lunch, so save a second bowl for another day. Our Khao soi comparison goes deeper on bowls. Ask about spice level before you order, since northern dishes can run hotter than first-timers expect.

Breakfast, Brunch, and Vegan Options

Coconut Shell Thai Food is listed from 7:00, which makes it the earliest option in this list. Goodsouls Kitchen opens at 8:00 and closes at 22:00, so one stop covers breakfast and dinner for vegan travelers. For sit-down morning menus, read our Chiang Mai brunch guide. Coffee-first readers should open our cafe roundup. Plant-based travelers can also browse our vegan restaurant guide.

Mistakes to Avoid When Eating Out

Closed days cause most wasted trips. Its Good Kitchen is listed Tuesday to Sunday only, 11:30 to 21:00. Dash and Huen Phen both show split lunch and dinner hours, so arriving mid-afternoon can mean a locked door. Skip menus with photos for every dish on a main road, and ask what the kitchen cooks best instead. Do not assume every restaurant takes cards; carry cash for smaller places.

Eat Beyond Restaurants: Markets and Cooking Classes

Night markets and street stalls give you cheaper, faster meals than a sit-down restaurant. Our Chiang Mai food overview maps those options. If you want to cook what you ate, book a Chiang Mai Cooking Class: How to Choose (Half Day vs Full) early in your trip so you can order more intelligently afterward.