Places to EAT around Chiang Mai - reviews and discussion

[Trujillo]

It's time to roll this one out again.... 

 

BEST PLACES TO EAT IN CHIANG MAI

 

I'm looking for something really noteworthy. Price is not a consideration unless it's fabulously overpriced for what you get. 

 

Some of the well-known names have their ups and downs quality-wise over time. What's the state of play these days? 

Thanks

[Lacessit]

IMO the best restaurant in Chiang Mai, is Le Coq D'Or, near the Nong Hoi market. Impeccable service, ambience and food, they even send a London taxi to pick up and return customers.

 

I use it for special occasions, IIRC it's 2000 - 4000 baht PP, depending on what's ordered by way of wine and food.

 

An honorable mention to Antonio's, off ChangKhlan Road. Very good osso buco and lamb shank, reasonably priced carafes of wine.

[JBChiangRai]

SOMM Wine & Dine, great steaks, beef cheeks and an exceptional wine cellar.

[neilrob]

I have eaten at many restaurants in Chiang Mai, including many times over the years at Coq d'Or and Somm. Both are worthwhile. However, my hands down winner, for food, atmosphere and service is L'Elephant. Great place.

 

Ikigai, near Meechok Plaza, is worth trying for their quirky, inventive cuisine

[Chetzee]

17 hours ago, Trujillo said:

It's time to roll this one out again.... 

 

BEST PLACES TO EAT IN CHIANG MAI

 

I'm looking for something really noteworthy. Price is not a consideration unless it's fabulously overpriced for what you get. 

 

Some of the well-known names have their ups and downs quality-wise over time. What's the state of play these days? 

Thanks

WanLamoon great food not over priced .    HuenPen ( daytime ) excellent Lanna food inexpensive . Restaurant in The Bridge Eclectic hotel is very good / stylish decor 

[JBChiangRai]

Finland Deer, a little out of town near San Kamphaeng but probably the best (and most expensive) for Beef steak.

[jschorr]

I agree with L'elefant and for Thai, Wanlamoon, another very good restaurant is Le Crystal.  I also like Ginger Cafe at the House.

[Cameroni]

Depends what you mean by best "Redbox" near Maya and "Chef's Table" in San Kamphaeng have excellent modern cuisine if you want to drop 10000 or 15000 Baht for two people.

 

Rock Me Burger has the best burgers in the world for 600 or 800 Baht for two people.

 

Welladee in Mae Rim is superb higher quality Thai, at maybe 1500 or 2000 Baht for two.

 

Baan Landai is excellent too, if you can get a table,also at 1500 to 2000 for two.

 

House by Ginger the same.

 

Huang He is best for braised beef noodles Mala Style with gyoza

 

Duke's has the best Pizza.

 

There's so many great restaurants in Chiang Mai, impossible to just pick one.

[Keeps]

Pulcinella Da Stefano near Thapae Gate for Italian. Consistently high quality.

 

https://pulcinellath.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Pulcinella-da-Stefano-menu-1.pdf

 

Contrary to what Cameroni mentions above, I personally do not rate The Duke's pizza although I have enjoyed many other dishes I have tried from there.

[CM4Me]

2 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

There's so many great restaurants in Chiang Mai, impossible to just pick one.

Agree, 100%

[watchcat]

17 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Finland Deer, a little out of town near San Kamphaeng but probably the best (and most expensive) for Beef steak.

 

Exactly where?  Thanks

[JBChiangRai]

9 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

Exactly where?  Thanks

 

35/16 Chiang Mai Outer Ring Rd, San Klang, San Kamphaeng District, Chiang Mai 50130, San Kamphaeng 50130 

 

Facebook

 

 

062 290 5333

 

 

[Wandr]

19 hours ago, Chetzee said:

WanLamoon great food not over priced .    HuenPen ( daytime ) excellent Lanna food inexpensive . Restaurant in The Bridge Eclectic hotel is very good / stylish decor 

Huen Phen in the old city offers pre-prepared food from a buffet like setting.

Something like that shouldn't even be considered amongst decent restaurants.

It's cold food, looks unappealing, and is just slapped on to the table.

[gamb00ler]

38 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

Exactly where?  Thanks

https://maps.app.goo.gl/8mruoNFVvc35W96f6

 

[watchcat]

2 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/8mruoNFVvc35W96f6

 

 

Sorry I dont use Google

[JBChiangRai]

45 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

Exactly where?  Thanks

 

 

[BKKKevin]

29 minutes ago, Wandr said:

Huen Phen in the old city offers pre-prepared food from a buffet like setting.

Something like that shouldn't even be considered amongst decent restaurants.

It's cold food, looks unappealing, and is just slapped on to the table.

There are actually two Huen Phen restaurants… The corner is a lunch place as you describe but at night they have a diner restaurant next door that serves Traditional Thai in a museum like atmosphere…

 

 

[Trujillo]

Wai La Dee was great long ago, then something went wrong. The dishes were clearly prepared by staff without the chef's supervision. Then they got their A game back. 
But I went last month and not only was the food pedestrian (again) the mainland Chinese have put this place on their radar and 70 percent of diners are loudly shouting at each other and otherwise showing no respect for other diners. There is solo piano music in the background on the PA system but you can't hear it anymore over the Mandarin din. A real pity on both fronts. 

When I see this (Le Crystal) -- 15g of gelato? -- I have to sneer. Unless, of course it's free....

 

 

Are there any restaurants with ethnic food (not French) you would recommend? African/Indian/Middle Eastern?
 

[Cameroni]

I'd say Welladee still make the best Masaman Curry in Chiang Mai. I was there recently and service was very good, but the atmossphere has changed a bit. Best to go early before the hordes hit.

[Chetzee]

6 hours ago, Wandr said:

Huen Phen in the old city offers pre-prepared food from a buffet like setting.

Something like that shouldn't even be considered amongst decent restaurants.

It's cold food, looks unappealing, and is just slapped on to the table.

what absolute rubbish you are talking ...... I wouldn't mind being a £ behind them ,.... and their food is very good and the cooks excellent . there is no Buffet option to my knowledge, though I only eat there daytimes , in case you had not noticed a lot of Thai food is served cold having been batch cooked for the day  ....  perhaps you are more over priced gourmet burger and fries sort of person  ?   

[gamb00ler]

2 hours ago, Cameroni said:

I'd say Welladee still make the best Masaman Curry in Chiang Mai. I was there recently and service was very good, but the atmossphere has changed a bit. Best to go early before the hordes hit.

I haven't tried We-La-Dee's version of that dish, but it's not surprising that other versions of it in CM are not that good.  It's a dish that originates in Southern Thailand but is also common in Central Thai provinces.

 

Since my wife is from Central that's the regional food that I know best.  She's a great cook and source of knowledge about Thai cooking and ingredients.

[Cameroni]

17 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

I haven't tried We-La-Dee's version of that dish, but it's not surprising that other versions of it in CM are not that good.  It's a dish that originates in Southern Thailand but is also common in Central Thai provinces.

 

Since my wife is from Central that's the regional food that I know best.  She's a great cook and source of knowledge about Thai cooking and ingredients.

 

That is a fair point I suspect in the south they have the best Masaman.

[Wandr]

On 8/10/2024 at 2:08 PM, Chetzee said:

what absolute rubbish you are talking ...... I wouldn't mind being a £ behind them ,.... and their food is very good and the cooks excellent . there is no Buffet option to my knowledge, though I only eat there daytimes , in case you had not noticed a lot of Thai food is served cold having been batch cooked for the day  ....  perhaps you are more over priced gourmet burger and fries sort of person  ?   

You consider a restaurant that serves food cooked 3 hours earlier good?

You obviously enjoy eating crap. Well there's a lot of it in Chiang Mai, so go for it.

Another poster mentioned an evening setting. I haven't been to it, maybe it's decent food.

[TooPoopedToPop]

If Duke's pizza isn't the best in CM, where can you get a better NY style pizza?

Asking for a friend of mine from Brooklyn.

[novacova]

1 minute ago, TooPoopedToPop said:

If Duke's pizza isn't the best in CM, where can you get a better NY style pizza?

Asking for a friend of mine from Brooklyn.

Personally I don’t really care for Duke’s, though the wife does when she wants western food.

[novacova]

Restaurant preferences are such a variable, personally both of us prefer northern food when we go out, usually at luk khoei northern or huen muan jai. Rim Natee is nice, good food, though personally I can care less about the ambience of a restaurant as opposed to my wife. Not impressed with western restaurants in cm. Though there are a couple of places in Lampang that are ok, The Papa and Mr Lasagna.

[Cameroni]

1 hour ago, TooPoopedToPop said:

If Duke's pizza isn't the best in CM, where can you get a better NY style pizza?

Asking for a friend of mine from Brooklyn.

 

Duke's pizza is the best in CM, but there was a guy in Jing Jai market who made excellent pizza. But I think he stopped going there because he said he was going to open a pizzeria in Mae Rim. If you find a new pizzeria in Mae Rim you could be pleasantly surprised.

[Wandr]

3 hours ago, TooPoopedToPop said:

If Duke's pizza isn't the best in CM, where can you get a better NY style pizza?

Asking for a friend of mine from Brooklyn.

There's a fairly large pizzeria in Nimman called Pizza My Heart (or Pizza Your Heart).

They have good stuff. However I wouldn't care to judge if it's better than Dukes or not.

Try it out, let us know your opinion.

[Chetzee]

On 8/11/2024 at 4:12 PM, Wandr said:

You consider a restaurant that serves food cooked 3 hours earlier good?

You obviously enjoy eating crap. Well there's a lot of it in Chiang Mai, so go for it.

Another poster mentioned an evening setting. I haven't been to it, maybe it's decent food.

Yawn ..... !

[newbee2022]

On 8/8/2024 at 6:49 PM, Trujillo said:

It's time to roll this one out again.... 

 

BEST PLACES TO EAT IN CHIANG MAI

 

I'm looking for something really noteworthy. Price is not a consideration unless it's fabulously overpriced for what you get. 

 

Some of the well-known names have their ups and downs quality-wise over time. What's the state of play these days? 

Thanks

McDonald's or KFC?