Nominations for best farang restaurant/bar owner.....

[KhonKaenKowboy]

"yes, WTK, read my post...put the RL at the Games location and their business would fall off a cliff. Conversely, If the Game had taken the place of the RL, it could easily still be in business (although it wouldn't be mine), like their location on Sukhumvit....bland and boring sports bar, with nothing exceptional about it (except high prices), but if you were a first timer in BKK; you might give it a chance, while you're trying to figure out where NEP is."

Nana Entertainment Plaza is purely for Tommy tourists and nothing else,the in-the-know people in Bangkok head for Soi 33/1 and the Robin Hood,Dubliner and best of the bunch the Royal Oak in little Tokyo!

The Kiwi/old Soi 8 bar is 100 times better than the Game or NEP BTW!

notice I said "first timer." Dubliner is closed, Kiwi sucks, and Robin Hood is the Shepherd's Pie crowd....but EQ has the all you can drink promo.

[CMX]

One thing rarely mentioned here has been Air-con. I find that I eat and drink (or is it drink and eat?) more comfortably - not only during the Heat Wave but the Hot Season - when it's cooler than 30 something, and I like it lower yet. Red Lion's bar is air-conned, and I wonder to what degree that comfort figures in. I've avoided outdoor places for months, I find, and that might be a factor in my favorites.

Still, I'll name Duke's various places as favorites because I prefer the food from time to time and the comfort that comes with it. Of course, since I'm not thinking about a regular tipple place, price for me is not too much of a problem.

Edited May 25, 2016 by CMX

[midas]

The Pub on Huay Kaew does a very good Sunday Lunch the last time I was there.

If that’s the same place that has/had a Cuban restaurant on the site I would never go back there

[scottiejohn]

Most places are crying out for an attentive manager who makes an effort to remember you and make you feel welcome. The only places mentioned so far who seem to do this are the Red Lion and Gecko.

I tend not to leave Nimman and haven't found anywhere well managed yet.Totally agree. Red

Totally agree re Manager/Staff welcome.

In addition to the Red Lion I find the Management/Staff at Welcome Inn and Mad Dog always welcome me by name and offer to serve my usual drinks etc; without prompting.

[NancyL]

Most places are crying out for an attentive manager who makes an effort to remember you and make you feel welcome. The only places mentioned so far who seem to do this are the Red Lion and Gecko.

I tend not to leave Nimman and haven't found anywhere well managed yet.Totally agree. Red

Totally agree re Manager/Staff welcome.

In addition to the Red Lion I find the Management/Staff at Welcome Inn and Mad Dog always welcome me by name and offer to serve my usual drinks etc; without prompting.

So does Le Meridien for me. Does that count as a "farang" owned restaurant/bar?

[anto]

Basil at the Red Lion gets my vote. He's always friendly but knows when to give people their space and his beer prices, for stuff like Guinness, cider and real ales, are the cheapest in town. Like me, he doesn't like riffraff.

The owner of the Red Lion is Kevin .(who is Basil ?) .A nice man ,and has the best and cheapest Guinness in town .

[anto]

I nominate Tony at the Sundowner Sansai ) Miserable Aussie git but you know where you stand with him and his Thai girlfriend /barmaid is lovely and has a great personality .Great live music Friday nights and great Sunday roast buffet .

[CMKiwi]

Basil at the Red Lion gets my vote. He's always friendly but knows when to give people their space and his beer prices, for stuff like Guinness, cider and real ales, are the cheapest in town. Like me, he doesn't like riffraff.

The owner of the Red Lion is Kevin .(who is Basil ?) .A nice man ,and has the best and cheapest Guinness in town .

Maybe he's referring to Basil Fawlty? Keep an eye out....Manuel may zip by at any moment!

[haybilly]

Yep,, Luca @ Francesca, Mae Hia,

Tony @ Yummy, Mae Hia,

and Franco-Thai and Butter Is better, too.

That's called sitting on the fence.

Edited May 27, 2016 by haybilly

[lordblackader]

Concur with the Red Lion; the idea that they don't welcome regulars is rubbish, I sit down and 9 times out of 10 a staff member will immediately confirm with me that I want a Guinness, and the service usually comes with a smile.

I don't get the Dukes though, pricey and the service at their Night Bazaar branch is terrible, we couldn't as much get our water refilled and then waited 10 minutes just to get the bill, and the place was half empty at the time; that said the pork ribs were lovely.

[streetsweeper]

Tony at Lanna Rentals/Restaurant in LK soi 1

[junglechef]

As an all rounder I give my vote to Rudi at Gecko. The booze is amazingly cheap and the food is good honest pub grub. The Thai food is even better than that. It is comfortable, the staff are lovey and most have been there for a long time and Rudi never talks politics.

wow. i guess you don't get out too much.

I am allowed out every now and then and enjoy Chez Marcos, Khao Mao Khao Fang for it's fabulous ambience but not farang owned, Dukes every now and then for it's pizza and Riverside occasionally, both have which have both been barred from discussion. There are others but they also not farang owned.

So I will iterate that Gecko is a comfortable local.

First two not falang owned, as you note (but still mention them)

Next two banned, as you note (but still mention them)

Then you tell us there are other restaurants in Chiang Mai that are not falang owned, wasn't really necessary to note that (but still did)

Then replied to post more then 50 words later.

I could reply to your post using quite a few different one word comments.

I nominate Enoteca

https://www.facebook.com/GreatFineWine/?fref=ts

Edited May 28, 2016 by junglechef

[richard10365]

Gekko Garden Restaurant gets my vote. It's been here for more than 10 years ran by Rudy and a few loyal staff. I like the food and enjoy listening to Rudy's points of view. We all have an opinion about something and Rudy listen's as much as he talks. He's a pretty good boss too.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Gekko Garden Restaurant gets my vote. It's been here for more than 10 years ran by Rudy and a few loyal staff. I like the food and enjoy listening to Rudy's points of view. We all have an opinion about something and Rudy listen's as much as he talks. He's a pretty good boss too.

but the numerous complaints about sanitation?

[richard10365]

Gekko Garden Restaurant gets my vote. It's been here for more than 10 years ran by Rudy and a few loyal staff. I like the food and enjoy listening to Rudy's points of view. We all have an opinion about something and Rudy listen's as much as he talks. He's a pretty good boss too.

but the numerous complaints about sanitation?

I don't eat in the bathroom.

[JaseTheBass]

On 21/05/2016 at 10:19 AM, Diplomatico said:

Kevin at the Corner Bistro.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293917-d7128629-Reviews-Corner_Bistro-Chiang_Mai.html

 

I was just wondering why I've not been a frequent visitor here, seeing as it's only a 15 minute walk from home, but looking at the beer 'selection' I remembered why. Hopefully someone will tell me "Oh, they do Dark Beer Laos now", then it could become a regular Friday evening event.

Edited October 21, 2016 by JaseTheBass
Speeling misteak

[Saan]

On 5/21/2016 at 3:15 PM, KhonKaenKowboy said:

Geckko Garden seems to have faded a lot in popularity. I wonder what happened over there, but I scratched it off my list two years ago.

I would unscratch Gekko if you like steak. Rudi now has the best steak I have had in Thailand. It is imported Australian beef and it is superb. If you want to go up another rung he has some fantastic Waygu beef. Fighting anemia I regularly have his liver and onion, again imported.

[sharktooth]

The guy that's got the Wild Boar is sound. Good bar, good food, good staff, good atmosphere.

[Diplomatico]

10 hours ago, JaseTheBass said:

 

I was just wondering why I've not been a frequent visitor here, seeing as it's only a 15 minute walk from home, but looking at the beer 'selection' I remembered why. Hopefully someone will tell me "Oh, they do Dark Beer Laos now", then it could become a regular Friday evening event.

 

  That's why you order your food from Corner Bistro and tell them to deliver it directly across the street to Small House Kafe, where they do have Beer Lao Dark.  Owners at Small House are just fine with that.  (Small House is only open in the evenings.)

[jobin]

Corner Bistro also only open at night, this month and last too.  Too few customers before 5pm.  Or poor coffee.