Eat in Old City, Chiang Mai

Huen Phen ★ 4.5

A 50-year Old City institution south of Wat Chedi Luang, serving a full Lanna spread by day and a candlelit antique-crammed dinner room by night.

Signature: Khao soi, Nam prik ong, Gaeng hang lay

The House by Ginger ★ 4.2

A colonial villa full of eclectic antiques and boutique shopping, where modern-plated Thai and northern dishes draw a design-minded Old City crowd.

Signature: Massaman curry, Pomelo salad, Deep-fried sea bass

Aroon Rai ★ 3.9

One of the city's oldest northern kitchens on Kotchasan, an unfussy tin-roof room turning out cheap plates of hang lay and larb since the 1950s.

Signature: Gaeng hang lay, Larb khua, Fried frog

Baan Landai Fine Thai Cuisine ★ 4.2

A relaxed Old City house near Wat Chedi Luang, Bib Gourmand listed for refined northern Thai plates and a strong vegetarian section on the menu.

Signature: Khao soi, Northern set, Vegetarian Thai

Ruen Tamarind ★ 4.0

The garden restaurant of the Tamarind Village hotel, a calm Old City courtyard under an old tamarind tree serving polished Thai and northern classics.

Signature: Khao soi, Green curry, Khan tok set

Dash! Restaurant & Bar ★ 3.9

A teak house and leafy courtyard just inside the moat, a reliable Old City spot for northern Thai plates, cocktails and a quiet garden dinner.

Signature: Khao soi, Slow-cooked pork, Cocktails

Khao Soi Khun Yai ★ 4.4

A garage khao soi counter behind Wat Kuan Kama that many locals rank the city's best, ladling a deep spicy curry broth until it sells out by early afternoon.

Signature: Khao soi gai, Khao soi neua

SP Chicken ★ 4.2

A rotisserie-chicken shop near Wat Phra Singh whose charcoal-blistered gai yang and papaya salad make it the Old City's go-to for a cheap Isan-style lunch.

Signature: Gai yang, Som tam, Sticky rice

Kiat Ocha ★ 4.2

A packed Old City morning canteen famous for Hainanese chicken rice and charcoal pork satay, a classic khao man gai counter near the market.

Signature: Khao man gai, Pork satay

Mr Kai Khao Soi ★ 4.0

A tucked-away Old City khao soi counter down Phra Pok Klao Soi 13, a low-key local favourite ladling coconut curry noodles until the pot runs out.

Signature: Khao soi gai, Khanom jeen

Lert Ros ★ 4.1

A smoky Old City grill down a Ratchadamnoen lane, charring whole salt-crusted tilapia over drum barrels alongside fiery Isan larb and papaya salad.

Signature: Grilled tilapia, Larb, Som tam

C Zaab ★ 3.9

A cheerful Isan spot near Wat Phra Singh piling up fiery som tam, grilled chicken and sticky rice, the kind of loud, cheap northeastern dinner locals love.

Signature: Som tam, Grilled chicken, Nam tok

Fern Forest Cafe ★ 4.1

A leafy Old City garden cafe threaded with ferns and fountains, a calm spot for cakes, Thai tea and Western breakfasts away from the moat traffic.

Signature drink: Iced Thai tea

Gateway Coffee Roasters ★ 4.1

A hidden upstairs coffee bar off Tha Phae Soi 4, a calm wooden hideaway above the Old City bustle serving considered black, white and brown coffee only.

Signature drink: Black, white or brown

Akha Ama Coffee ★ 4.6

A social-enterprise roaster founded by an Akha hill-tribe son in 2010, roasting single-origin northern beans grown by his village co-op near Mae Chan.

Sources from: Thailand

How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail

Cru 2nd Floor Wine Bar ★ 4.0

An intimate upstairs wine room near Wat Phra Singh, a quiet Old City perch for boutique old-world bottles and charcuterie above the Samlan Road bustle.

Signature pour: Burgundy by the glass

Wine focus: Boutique old-world wines

Nophaburi Bar ★ 4.1

An Old City cocktail bar leaning into Lanna herbs and Thai spirits, a low-key Samlan Road room for locally rooted drinks near Wat Phra Singh.

Signature drink: Thai-herb cocktails

Roots Rock Reggae ★ 3.8

A friendly, well-worn reggae bar in the moat, all rum, Marley and easy conversation, a long-running backpacker-favourite hang inside the Old City walls.

Signature drink: Rum cocktails

Casalong Bar 11:11 ★ 3.8

An indie-electronic bar by Tha Phae Gate with a relaxed courtyard, a reliable Old City spot for cheap cocktails and a mellow crowd before the clubs open.

Signature drink: House pours

Somphet Market ★ 4.0

A small, local fresh-food market inside the northeast moat where morning stalls sell curry-and-rice parcels, sai ua, sticky rice, fruit and cheap ready meals.

Try: Curry parcels, sticky rice, sweets

Renegade Craft Beer & Ciders ★ 4.1

An Old City taproom stocking over 300 beers alongside its own in-house brews and ciders, a serious moat-side stop for hopheads and cider drinkers alike.

Sunday Walking Street ★ 4.3

The Sunday market runs the length of Ratchadamnoen from Tha Phae Gate to Wat Phra Singh, food courts along the way plating khao soi, grilled skewers and roti.

★ 4.5

A small-group evening eating tour by red truck, digging into northern Thai and Burmese-influenced street stalls locals love, guided by a Chiang Mai foodie.

★ 4.4

The lunchtime version of A Chef's Tour, working through markets and family kitchens for khao soi, curries and sweets on a small-group tasting walk.

★ 4.2

A licensed-guide walking tour of Warorot and the Old City stalls, sampling northern specialties and explaining the Lanna and Yunnanese roots of each dish.

★ 4.1

A responsible-travel operator's evening street-eats run by silent electric tuk-tuk, hitting market stalls and neighborhood kitchens across the city after dark.

Loy Krathong and Yi Peng ★ 4.7

Chiang Mai's great November festival floats krathong on the Ping and lanterns into the sky, with walking-street stalls piling up khanom and grilled snacks.

Songkran ★ 4.6

Thailand's April new-year water festival is at its wildest around the Chiang Mai moat, with khao soi stalls and khan tok feasts between the water fights.

Inthakin City Pillar Festival ★ 3.9

The city-pillar merit festival at Wat Chedi Luang in late May draws flower offerings and a temple-fair spread of northern sweets, noodles and vegetarian stalls.

Thai Akha Kitchen ★ 4.6

An Akha-family cooking school teaching 11 Thai and hill-tribe dishes at open-air wok stations, opening with a market tour and running morning or evening.

Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School ★ 4.4

A long-running school run by Gayray, offering an in-town class or a farm course with a market visit, teaching six Thai dishes across curry, soup and stir-fry.

SP Chicken ★ 4.2

Charcoal gai yang, papaya salad and sticky rice near Wat Phra Singh make SP Chicken one of the Old City's best-value Isan-style lunches under 150 baht.

Try: Grilled chicken and som tam

Aroon Rai ★ 3.9

One of the oldest northern kitchens in the Old City keeps most plates under 100 baht, a no-frills, decades-deep option for hang lay and larb on a budget.

Try: Northern curries and rice

Kiat Ocha ★ 4.2

A packed Old City morning canteen famous for Hainanese chicken rice and charcoal pork satay, a classic khao man gai counter near the market.

Try: Khao man gai and pork satay

Khao Soi Arak ★ 4.2

Why locals love it: Run out of a family garage down a quiet Old City lane, it serves the biggest, cheapest bowl of khao soi in town with almost no tourist traffic.

Tip: Come before 13:00 on a weekday and add the extra chicken; the broth runs out early and it is closed on Sundays.

Fern Forest Cafe ★ 4.1

Fern Forest's leafy Old City courtyard is a calm brunch escape for French toast, big breakfasts and Thai tea under the ferns, away from the moat traffic.

Order: French toast and Thai tea

Zoe in Yellow ★ 3.7

The anchor of the Old City backpacker party complex, a cluster of cheap-drink bars and a dance floor that draws the moat's late crowd until closing.

Tip: It is the loudest corner of the Old City and closes around midnight by law; pre-game here then move to Nimman for later nights.

MaHoRee City of Music ★ 3.9

An Old City live-music bar with nightly Thai bands and a warm local crowd, a reliable spot to catch acoustic and pop-rock sets inside the moat.

Tip: Bands usually start around 21:00; it is a sit-down music bar rather than a dance club, good for a relaxed late drink.