Eating out

You can literally find everything in Chiang Mai! Enjoy authentic thai food, and well prepared western food… but not only: indian, filipino, vietnam, japanese, mexican and all other kinds of exotic food you could think about are out there.

Check out the restaurants and good food venues in Chiang Mai on a map or browse the categories on the right side.

Markets, stalls and shacks

Want to do it thai-style? Head to the closer market, or food stall area (usually on the main roads) and get yourself some quickly cooked (yet perfectly mastered) noodle soup, fried rice or pad thai.

Thai restaurants

There is a bunch of thai restaurants inside the moat, but if you want to dig the proper local eateries you better head a little bit outside the moat (Nimmanhaemin Rd, Universitary area, or near the river). Prices are excellent, and food too, of course, and you’ll usually get a singer, or a live band, in a nice garden. I don’t mind eating in shacks and market stalls, but I have a tendency to better appreciate a good meal in a good setting.

Mukata, a thai buffet

You’ll see plenty of those in Chiang Mai or around Thailand: literally tons of locals are gathered around huge buffets of raw or cooked food, and sitting around barbecue tables with lots of companions, be it friends or family. The principle is simple: eat all you can! For a fixed fee (120-200bht) you will get access to the buffets (and sometimes also to the drinks).

Raw meat of all sorts, seafood, fish, balls, vegetables, noodles… and often all sorts of cooked foods and snacks (curries, spring rolls) including desserts (ice creams, sweets, fruits, etc). You take a few baskets of stuff and you cook it into your barbecue pot. It’s cool, and delicious.

Imported goods

There are several shops selling imported products (like good wine and cheese, which have to be several of the most difficult thing to find in the restaurants). It’s usually a bit pricey though. There is Nutella, yaaaaay!

Water and safety

As most of you probably heard about it, western doctors give constant warnings about water. Please don’t be afraid to drink water and get ice in the markets and food stalls – it always comes from big drinking bottles even if sometimes it looks a little bit weird. The locals here wouldn’t drink tap water anyway, and they also buy the ice they use and serve. It’s also more ecological than to buy a plastic bottle in the nearest 7-Eleven, if you get what I mean.