Seeking Suggestions For Fine Dining Restaurants In Chiangmai Hotels

[Oneman]

.

Looking for good restaurants in Chiangmai hotels.

Can anyone suggest:

1. Fine dining
   (white table cloth style)
   or very good dining
   (without the table cloth).
   
   
2. European/American food.
   (Many hotels have Thai/Japanese/Chinese, but not looking for that.)
   
   
3. Must be in a hotel (in Chiangmai).
   (Not asking about stand-alone restaurants.)
   
   
4. No buffets.
   Buffets suffer from moral hazard trying to serve a lot of food at a little cost.
   
   

A few examples are:

• - Le Meridien - Favola (Italian)
  
  
• - Pornping Tower - Nimmanoradee Grill (steak)
  
  
• - Kantary Hills - Nimman Grill (steak)
  
  
• - Montri - Brix (not "fine dining", but consistently very good).
  
  
• - D2 Hotel - Moxie (terrible food, but it fits the request)
  
  

Are there others?

Reason for asking:

No, I'm not writing a travel guidebook.

This is purely self-interest.

In my travels, I've learned that in most places, one can usually get a dependably good meal, at a decent price, it the dining room of a good hotel.

So, I'm looking for more of that in Chiangmai.

And I will continue to post reviews here, as I have in the past.

Thank you for any suggestions.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

Edited March 2, 2010 by Oneman

[millwall_fan]

Sorry to throw a spanner into your pre-assumptions, but in my experience the hotels in Chiang Mai do not provide the best restaurants. Chiang Mai's finest are 'stand alone' places. Try Le Coq D'Or, The House, Le Crystal, Mi Casa, The Italian place near the Empress hotel, or at a cheaper level St Germain des Prés.

If you really push me to choose a hotel restaurant, probably La Gritta at the Amari Rincome. maybe that Italian/ Mediteranean place at the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Devi

The food generally is not so good in hotel restaurants and you have to contend with ++ prices and ridiculous wine charges. Most stand alone retaurants will negotiate with you on corkage for your own (reasonably priced) wine, particularly on weeknights.

I can't pander to your preconceptions, but I hope you'll accept my comments in good faith!!

[Maccheroncini]

What about Shangri la

[alant]

anyone tried the manderin oriental?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Sorry to throw a spanner into your pre-assumptions, but in my experience the hotels in Chiang Mai do not provide the best restaurants. Chiang Mai's finest are 'stand alone' places. Try Le Coq D'Or, The House, Le Crystal, Mi Casa, The Italian place near the Empress hotel, or at a cheaper level St Germain des Prés.

I was going to say the exact same thing. There may be some truth to your point in places like Bangkok, but for Chiang Mai I think the issue may be that there just isn't the consistent higher end / business crowd to cater to. Some try, and even manage to sustain it for a little while, but then they revert to where the customer base is. Favola is a good example of this. Strangely fancy without actually being particularly good. And Meridien is just not doing enough business to make it a reliable choice.

Typically what happens about a year after an opening with an international chef and a lot of fanfare is that the business just doesn't merit the expense, then the chef leaves to work for another hotel somewhere in Bangkok or Hong Kong or Singapore, and the restaurant reverts to pretty unremarkable but still with sky high prices.

In Chiang Mai I would avoid hotel restaurants like the plague (there are probably exceptions, long may they last. )

[caf]

I would concur with Millwall. And the Amari is probably the only exception to my rule not to eat in hotels ( except breakfasts which can usually be very good)

Hotels are good for accommodation. Restaurants are the niche market for fine dining. To use only hotels means you are missing out on some good dining experiences.

For basic food and atmosphere don't forget the pubs

caf

[elektrified]

I would give a pass on the Shangri La.

[Oneman]

only hotels means you are missing out on some good dining experiences.

Thanks, Caf, but I thought it was clear in the OP that my goal is to discover restaurants in better hotels in Chiangmai.

Nothing said about eating only in hotels.

Certainly not asking for advice on "dining experiences".

Found another one just today -- lunch at a small hotel with a very cozy restaurant and delicious food.

Quick service, too.

I'll go back a few more times, and, if it is consistent, I'll write a review about it.

So, seeking more good restaurants in hotels.

Appreciate all suggestions, but no buffets, thanks.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

Edited March 3, 2010 by Oneman

[Oneman]

What about Shangri la

The "Kad Kafé" restaurant in the Shangri-La is mainly a buffet.

See #4 in the OP:

No buffets. Buffets suffer from moral hazard trying to serve a lot of food at a little cost.

I won't explain any more about here, but the trend to more and more buffets might be interesting in a separate topic.

I would give a pass on the Shangri La.

Thanks, Elek, but here I'm just trying to discover more hotel restaurants, not to evaluate them.

Once I know about those restaurants, then I'll go and do my own evaluation.

However, I do agree with you about Shangri-La.

It was with exactly that restaurant in mind that I wrote point #4 in the OP.

If others know of restaurants in the better hotels, I hope you'll mention them -- either on this topic or in a private message.

Thank you.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

.

Edited March 3, 2010 by Oneman

[caf]

only hotels means you are missing out on some good dining experiences.

Thanks, Caf, for posting but I thought it was clear in the OP that my goal is to discover restaurants in better hotels in Chiangmai.

Nothing said about eating only in hotels.

Certainly not asking for advice on "dining experiences".

Found another one just today -- lunch at a small hotel with a very cozy restaurant and delicious food.

Quick service, too.

I'll go back a few more times, and, if it is consistent, I'll write a review about it.

So, seeking more good restaurants in hotels.

Appreciate all suggestions, but no buffets, thanks.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

Actually you did limit responses to hotels and fine dining

1. Fine dining

2.

3. Must be in a hotel

4.

I'm intrigued though. Why restrict yourself to hotels. Millwall made a similar observation.

caf

[Oneman]

I'm intrigued though. Why restrict yourself to hotels.

Fair question, but I don't want to get into a discussion about it on this thread.

It's difficult enough to keep any thread here on topic without offering more temptation to those who persist in going off topic.

So I will acknowledge your question here, and answer in a private message.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

[millwall_fan]

OK, you've obviously got your reasons for being so restirctive!

Unfortunately your criteria rules out the China Palace at the Holiday Inn which would be one exception I'd make to my earlier maxim about hotel retaurants.

add the restuarant at The Chedi - the Chef is a Westerner. Not sure what the restaurant's name is

Fai Kum at the Chiang Mai Plaza

Rio at the Ratilanna (Chiang Mai's only Brazilian restaurant)

Restaurant a de Naga hotel French and Italian cuisine

not recommending these or detracting from them just trying to answer your post!

Interested to hear your opinions when you've tried them all!

[Oneman]

criteria rules out the China Palace at the Holiday Inn

There are some superb Chinese restaurants in hotels here.

However Chinese restaurants may be a future research project for me -- not this year.

That's why my OP stated:

3. European/American food. (Many hotels have Thai/Japanese/Chinese, but not looking for that.)

restuarant at The Chedi

Fai Kum at the Chiang Mai Plaza

Rio at the Ratilanna (Chiang Mai's only Brazilian restaurant)

Restaurant a de Naga hotel French and Italian cuisine

Thank you, those are exactly the sort I'm looking for.

And we're on the same wavelength, because I've been to two already: Faikum and deNaga.

I will add Rio and The Chedi to my list.

Restaurant at deNaga didn't occur to me, because it is in a separate building, out front, at the corner of the soi, but, certainly, it is a hotel restaurant.

So I thank you for jogging my memory on that one.

However, Faikum at Chiangmai Plaza hotel is a buffet.

Or it was last time I was there, about 6 months ago.

Has it reverted back to an ala-carte restaurant?

If so, I'd be happy to go back there.

The buffet was exceptionally good, but any buffet automatically comes with moral hazard attached.

By the way, I mentioned in the OP that Moxie (in the D2 Hotel) had terrible food.

I didn't finish the meal there, but, instead, walked down the street to Burger King.

It was better than Moxie!

Does anyone else know of other Western restaurants in hotels in Chiangmai?

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

Edited March 3, 2010 by Oneman

[neilrob]

I ate some time ago at Akaligo in the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi. Very good Mediterranean food. I've never tried Farang Ses (sp?) there---it is supposed to have excellent French food.

[Oneman]

Akaligo in the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi. ...Farang Ses (sp?) there---it is supposed to have excellent French food.

Thank you, "neilrob", for offering those locations.

I just looked at the web site:

There is even one option to be served by the chef at a table inside the kitchen.

Now that's tempting!

Those suggestions helped me to think through and refine my request.

Special restaurants for special occasions are great experiences.

But I'm more seeking restaurants where one could enjoy eating often.

What hotel restaurants do we have in Chiangmai that are suitable for frequent visits?

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

.

Edited March 4, 2010 by Oneman

[naammanow]

Akaligo in the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi is closed now, only open for breakfast and Sunday Jazz lunch. One of my favorites and think business must be slow.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I'm intrigued though. Why restrict yourself to hotels.

Fair question, but I don't want to get into a discussion about it on this thread.

It's difficult enough to keep any thread here on topic without offering more temptation to those who persist in going off topic.

So I will acknowledge your question here, and answer in a private message.

Now I'm REALLY intrigued.. Anything to do with having accommodation nearby after luring womenfolk to go have dinner with you? Cause for the life of me I can't think of any other reason why it would make sense to dine in hotels..

Edited March 4, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[millwall_fan]

Agree with you Winnie, but this guys on some very specific mission here!