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Chiang Mai Restaurant - An introduction

Wherever you are in Thailand, a good look around will show you that Thais are eating almost constantly. How can one resist to food and fruit carts on nearly every street corners, noodle shops everywhere and endless restaurants with choices ranging from top international cuisine to rustic little bars with a kitchen?

Mostly Thai food is definitely part of Thailand's appeal and as a visitor to the Kingdom you will be spoiled for choice when it comes to such an array of culinary delight, .

Chiang Mai restaurants are numerous and cover a broad range of food. As a tourist town, there is a particularly good selection of restaurants for the foreign palate, offering toned down spicy Thai food, Northern specialities and Isarn food as well as menus laden with favourites from France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Vietnam, China, the Middle East, India, Pakistan and Mexico. There are also a number of American-styled steak houses and diners and the proverbial British fish and chips.

Price wise the range equals the choicer with mom-and-pop family affair to five star gourmet establishments!

Entertainment restaurants

• The Riverside, Chiang Mai (editor's recommendation)
  Lively and popular with two live bands, broad mixed menu and indoor/outdoor seating, romantic setting alongside the river. 9 Charoenrat rd (053) 243 239
• The Good View Restaurant, Chiang Mai
  cavernous, noisy and popular with locals, romantic band, abundant and tasty food, riverside. 13 Charoenrat rd (053) 241 866
• The Gallery Restaurant (editor's recommendation)
  quiet, lovely interior with art gallery, variable food and service quality. It is the Riverside venue institution. 13 Charoenrat rd 053 302764, 053 241866
• All three are located along a stretch of the Ping River's east bank, just north of Nawarat Bridge.

Ambience restaurants

• Antique House
  a beautiful 100-year-old teak house with good service and food, and a peaceful ambience. 71 Charoen Prathet rd (053) 276 810
• The House Restaurant (editor's recommendation)
  one of Chiang Mai’s most commendable restaurants, serving exceptional dishes of Asian Fusion and other cuisine, in an exclusive atmosphere. The tapas bar and menu is a lighter choice. 199 Moon Muang road. (053) 41 9011
• Khun Nai Dern Sai
  roughly translated as ‘the lady wakes late’ is the delightful creation of Khun Noi, complete with an unusual Thai menu, cute décor, perfect background music and a nice ambience that attracts the bohemian trendies. Soi 11, Nimminhemin Road. (053) 22 2208
• River Ping Palace
  lovely, quiet riverside location in old teak house, with creative food and friendly staff. Charoen Prathat rd, south, near the Sheraton Hotel
• Palaad Tawanrod
  enjoys an unbeatable location among the forest on the lower slopes of the moutain above the zoo. The views are great, but it gets busy so be prepared for a long wait for your food. Follow the signs from the right turn near the top of Suthep Rd., behind Chiang Mai University (053) 053 216039, 216576
• The Moxie
  situated in Chiang Mai’s hippest new hotel, the D2, this fine dining experience for the trendy is accompanied by the Mix bar and it’s good looking staff, convenient location. D2 Hotel 100 Chan Klan Road. (053) 99 9999

Khantoke Restaurant

Khantoke restaurants are a popular feature of Chiang Mai, combining great food with cultural entertainment. Khantoke refers to a round wooden tray, or low table, on which the component dishes for the meal are laid out. Diners sit on the floor and it is a good introduction to the various northern dishes while the meal is accompanied by a traditional Lanna (northern Thai) music and dance. The meal usuallly consists of  sticky rice, chicken and pork curry, mince-meat salad, chilli paste and a noodle soup. Accompanying the traditional food is a performance of Dancers weave intricate patterns in the air with their hands and describe complex circles of movement with their feet. The music, setting and ambience is such that visitors often feel as if they've been transported back through the centuries to the height of the Lanna Kingdom.

• Khantoke Dinner Show
  The most established Khantoke restaurant in Chiang Mai with excellent food and entertainment.
  Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre
  183/5 Wualai Rd.
  Tel: +66 (0)5 327 5097, +66 (0)5 327 4540
• Khum Khantoke(editor's recommendation)
  A rather new venue and rapidly becoming the most popular Khantoke experience in the city.
  139 Moo 4 Nong Pakrung
  Tel: +66 (0)5 330 4121 ext 3, +66 (0)5 326 0504

Chiang Mai Restaurants