Just like Bangkok, Chiang Mai is also a place that attracts a lot of tourists every year. People come to Chiang Mai for its stunning temples and historical sites and the tasty Northern local food here.

If you coming to Chiang Mai, but still wondering where to eat, this article is perfect for you. We recommend the top 10 best local restaurants in Chiang Mai so visitors can come and enjoy all the delicious flavorful Thai food.

Top 10 best local restaurants in Chiang Mai

1. Khao Soi Khun Yai
2. Ginger Farm Kitchen
3. Som Tam Udon
4. Kuay Chap Sam Ka Sat
5. Huen Muan Jai
6. Huen Phen
7. Kao Soy Nimman
8. Laab Bunker
9. SP Chicken
10. Rote Yiam Beef Noodle

1. Khao Soi Khun Yai

No trip to Chiang Mai can be complete without tasting at least one bowl of the legendary local curry noodle dish khao soi. Of all the restaurants in Chiang Mai, Khao Soi Khun Yai is said to have the best khao soi dish.

Khao Soi Khun Yai is a small local restaurant located on the northern wall of Chiang Mai’s old town. It only opens a few hours during lunch but don’t underestimate it. This place is always packed with customers during lunchtime and they have always been famous for their delicious Khao soi.

Come to Khao Soi Khun Yai, you can try their speciality, khao soi with beef, chicken or pork. Each is flavourful and fantastic thanks to their luscious flavored curry broth. You will also get a side plate with pickled mustard green, chopped red onions, a wedge of lime, and a small dish of fragrantly roasted chili flakes. Customers can choose to put into the noodle some lime juice or some chili to adjust the flavor of the noodle to their taste.

Location:
Khao Soi Khun Yai: Sri Poom 8 Alley, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Opening hours:
Daily from 10 am to 2 pm (closed on Sunday)

 

2. Ginger Farm Kitchen

As its name suggested, Ginger Farm Kitchen brings the farm to the customer’s eating table, from the decoration of the restaurant to the food itself.

Step inside, and you will see a lovely inferior which is rustically furnished and dotted with plants. In the walls, you can also find some big windows to bring nature outside into the restaurant. The Ginger Farm Kitchen makes sure to provide a warm, friendly atmosphere.

To embrace the natural farm concept, Ginger Farm Kitchen guarantee to use only organic ingredients, coming straight from their farm. Therefore, the price for the dishes here might be a little higher compared to other restaurants in Chiang Mai. You can try fresh salads such as the grilled eggplant salad or the flavorful northern Thai curry and so many more delicious dishes.

Their incredibly tasty crispy pork and the hung lay, Northern Thai speciality which is pork belly slow-cooked in a thick curry soup is the most recommended by their customers.

Location:
Ginger Farm Kitchen: ONE NIMMAN, Nimmanhaemin road, Suthep, Chiang Mai
Opening hours:
Daily from 11 am to 10 pm
For more information, visit the Ginger Farm Kitchen’s website 

 

3. Som Tam Udon

Papaya salad (som tam) is a quintessential Thai dish so we have to name Son Tam Udon in our list of the top 10 best local restaurants in Chiang Mai.

Som Tam Udon is a great restaurant in Chiang Mai specializing in this famous papaya salad dishes. The menu is a long list of papaya salads with different ingredients: from cockle to seafood and meat. They also have fruit, mango, and cucumber salads. It all has a unique flavor. The son tam brings a different hit to your mouth compared to other dishes. It is a must-try here. It’s sweet, spicy, and sour with papaya’s nice, crunchy texture. But if you are sensitive to spice, remember to let the staff know when ordering food or you might get a little chili shock.

Location:
Son Tam Udon: 3, 2 Soi Tantawan, Tambon Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
Opening hours:
Daily from 9 am to 8 pm

 

4. Kuay Chap Sam Ka Sat

The next destination on our list of the top 10 best restaurants in Chiang Mai is a Chinese restaurant that has always been famous for its flavourful dishes at very affordable prices.

Kuay Chap Sam Ka Sat is a Chinese restaurant that has the reputation for its kuay chap dish (noodle soup) in Chiang Mai’s old city for years. Located north of the King’s Monument on Jhaban Road, it’s open daily for breakfast and lunch. Customers are recommended to order a few different dishes to fill themselves up since the portion is not too much.

The crispy pork here is also some of the best in Chiang Mai, with nice big chunks rather than small bits of meat. Kuay Chap Sam Ka Sat is definitely a perfect place to come if you want to have a little bit of every dish.

Location:
Kuay Chap Sam Ka Sat: 17/2 Jhaban Rd, Si Phum Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Opening hours:
Daily from 7 am to 3 pm

 

5. Huen Muan Jai

Huen Muan Jai means “happy home”. To the customer, this place really creates a happy Thai home atmosphere.

Huen Muan Jai is a popular restaurant found just north of Chiang Mai’s old city and has been serving authentic Northern Thai food since 2011. Huen Muan Jai offers customers traditional Lanna cuisine, which means rich, sour, and salty flavors cooked from local ingredients, which can’t be found elsewhere. Customers can try sai oua, a type of northern Thai sausage, northern khao soi, or hung lay. They are all recommended and said to be delicious.

Location:
Huen Muan Jai: 24 Ratchaphuek Alley, Tambon Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
Opening hours:
Daily from 11 am to 3 pm, 5 pm to 9 pm
For more information, visit Huen Muan Jai website 

6. Huen Phen

Located right in the center of Chiang Mai, within the old city walls, and just about 5 minutes on foot from Wat Chedi Luang, Huen Phen is a longstanding local restaurant.

Built in a traditional Lanna style, with teak wooden beams and small antiques adorning the shelves, Huen Phen’s setting is lovely. There’s a lot to choose from the menu, with the northern fermented sausage being a real standout. The side dish is an assortment of local vegetables and nam prik (a local Thai chili sauce) so you can adjust the spiciness of your own dishes.

The food at Huen Phen was overall very good, and they also offer a vast selection of different northern Thai dishes, to satisfy various taste buds.

Location:
Huen Phen: 112 Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang Mai District, 50200, Thailand
Opening hours:
Daily from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, 5 pm to 10 pm

7. Kao Soy Nimman

Kao Soy Nimman has made various noodle dishes since 1984 but the speciality that we have to mention is definitely Khao Soi. The Khao Soi dish there has a special attractive flavor, making the restaurant become one of the best restaurants in Chiang Mai.

You can try different types of khao soi in Kao Soy Nimman such as beef, chicken, and pork,… Like the other dishes, this iconic northern Thai dish features high-quality ingredients and homemade noodles. The beef version is particularly flavorful and comes with generous portions.

The flavors in the khao soi broth are delicately balanced, while the texture of the egg noodles mixes perfectly with the crispy noodles on top. Kao Soy Nimman also offers various Northern Thai dishes and barbecued meats.

Location:
Kao Soy Nimman: 22 Nimmana Haeminda Rd Lane 7, Tambon Su Thep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Opening hours:
Daily from 11 am to 8 pm

 

8. Laab Bunker

Laab, a tasty minced meat salad, is one of Thai’s favorite traditional dishes. While it is mostly known as a signature dish from the Isan (northeastern) region, Laab Bunker in Chiang Mai will bring you another unique kind of Laab.

Laab Bunker is located southeast of Chiang Mai’s old city, a little to the east of the Ping River. It’s really popular with locals and foreigners for serving authentic Northern Thai cuisine at affordable prices. Here, the main ingredients of Laab are meat, either pork, chicken, or beef. Apart from laab, their other dishes are also delicious. The must-try here is laab, sai oua and aong or (grilled pig brain in banana leaf). The amazing tasty food here is the reason why Laab Bunker is surely one of the best local restaurants in Chiang Mai.

Location:
Laab Bunker: 168 Chiang Mai-Lam Phun Rd, Tambon Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand
Opening hours:
Daily from 4 pm to 10 pm (closed on Mondays)

 

9. SP Chicken

Last but not least in our list of the top 10 best local restaurants in Chiang Mai is SP Chicken. It really popular with both locals and tourists, so you might have to prepare for a long queue.

The name of the restaurant said everything. Come to Sp Chicken, you will have the chance to try one of the best kai yang (Thai grilled chicken) in Chiang Mai. One of the reasons why their chicken is so special is that it’s roasted on vertical spits with the stove cooking the meat from the side, instead of the bottom. The roast chicken was moist and tender with crispy skin, creating a nice texture and flavor for your taste buds.

Other than kai yang, SP chicken also serves many other Isan dishes as well, so you can also try the som tam here. 

Location:
35/1-2 See Ping Muang Rd 3, Tambon Hai Ya, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand
Opening hours:
Daily from 10:30 am to 8:30 pm

 

10. Rote Yiam Beef Noodle

If you are in the mood of eating noodles, Rote Yiam Beef Noodle might be your perfect choice.

Rote Yiam Beef Noodle is a famous local restaurant in Chiang Mai. Located southeast of the Old City, it’s a great presentation of traditional Northern Thai cuisine. As the name suggested, its speciality is the Northern beef noodle soup. You can order the standard beef broth or the rich, creamy khao soi – both are flavorful. Their bouncy beef balls are made in-house and taste wonderful.
This local restaurant definitely serves some of the city’s best beef noodles and curry on rice in Chiang Mai.

Location:
Rote Yiam Beef Noodle: 164, 48 Changklan Rd, Tambon Chang Khlan, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand
Opening hours:
Daily from 8 am to 9 pm