North Gate Jazz Co-Op ★ 4.4
A tiny jazz institution by the North Gate whose Tuesday open-jam spills onto the street, the heart of Chiang Mai's live-music scene for over a decade.
Signature drink: Chang beer
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Chiang Mai for grown-ups.
Where to drink
Forbidden Bar ★ 4.3
A hidden dessert-cocktail speakeasy above a Nimman ice-cream shop, a dim little room mixing pudding-inspired drinks for those who find the unmarked door.
Signature drink: Dessert cocktails
The Continental ★ 4.2
A John Wick-themed speakeasy reached through a bookshelf up two quiet Nimman flights, a plush hidden room of classic cocktails and cinematic mystique.
Signature drink: John Wick sour
Before Dawn ★ 4.4
A serious Nimman cocktail bar run by Thai World Class champion Earth, mixing precise seasonal drinks that draw the city's competition-bartender crowd.
Signature drink: Signature seasonal
Rise Rooftop Bar ★ 4.2
The rooftop of the Akyra Manor hotel and the best sunset perch over Nimman, a sleek deck pouring classic cocktails and wines as Doi Suthep turns pink.
Signature drink: Sunset martini
Surr Bar ★ 4.1
A stylish low-lit lounge atop the Art Mai Gallery hotel, a Bangkok-speakeasy feel over Nimman drawing a mix of locals, expats and travellers most nights.
Signature drink: House signatures
Myst Maya Rooftop ★ 3.9
The rooftop bar crowning Maya mall, a chic mezzanine deck with DJs and live sets that pulls Nimman's after-shopping crowd up for cocktails and city views.
Signature drink: Cocktails and DJ sets
Caravan Bar ★ 4.0
A vintage-styled Nimman cocktail bar of leather and old maps, mixing well-made classics for a relaxed crowd escaping the louder clubs down the soi.
Signature drink: Vintage cocktails
MAI The Sky Bar ★ 3.9
A riverside rooftop above the Night Bazaar quarter, an easy spot for a spritz and skyline view over the Mae Ping before diving into the market crowds below.
Signature drink: Sunset spritz
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
Rabbit Bar8 ★ 3.8
An indie deep-house bar tucked in the Think Park complex, a small dark room with a serious sound system that fills late with Nimman's music crowd.
Signature drink: Deep-house cocktails
Tora Bar ★ 3.8
A hip-hop and R&B bar in Think Park at the top of Nimman, drawing a young Thai crowd for cocktails, DJ sets and a busy street-facing terrace after dark.
Signature drink: Hip-hop hour 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
Warmup Cafe ★ 3.9
The grandfather of Nimman nightlife, a sprawling live-band-and-DJ complex packing young Chiang Mai in since 1999 across an indoor stage and garden.
Signature drink: Buckets and beers