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.
OrderKhao soi gai, Khao soi neua
40 cheap eats places in Chiang Mai, editor-picked. the best low-budget spots in Chiang Mai: the places editors actually return to. All Chiang Mai food.
Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak (Cowboy Hat Lady) ★ 4.4
The Cowboy Hat Lady's stall at the Chang Phueak gate ladles fall-apart braised pork leg over rice with a soft egg, a Bourdain-blessed 60-baht dinner.
OrderKhao kha moo (braised pork leg)
Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak (Cowboy Hat Lady) ★ 4.4
The Cowboy Hat Lady's braised pork-leg stall runs to midnight at the North Gate market, among the best cheap late dinners in Chiang Mai when kitchens close.
OrderKhao kha moo
Khao Soi Lung Prakit Kad Kom ★ 4.4
TipIt sits inside Kad Kom market south of the moat; go mid-morning and pair the khao soi with a plate of naem crispy-rice.
Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak (Cowboy Hat Lady) ★ 4.4
The Cowboy Hat Lady's braised pork leg over rice at the North Gate market is the classic 50-baht Chiang Mai dinner, soft, sweet and reliably packed.
OrderKhao kha moo over rice
Khao Soi Mae Sai ★ 4.3
A Bib Gourmand shophouse near the Ratchaphuek lane, pouring a classic coconut khao soi over egg noodles for 50 to 75 baht since long before Michelin arrived.
OrderKhao soi gai, Khao soi moo
Khao Soi Lamduan Fa Ham ★ 4.3
A 70-year Fa Ham legend on Charoenrat, its creamy khao soi with tender beef drawing queues onto the pavement each morning before it sells out.
OrderKhao soi neua, Khao soi gai, Naem
Sai Ua Dam Rong ★ 4.3
The famous Warorot Market sausage stall, coiling lemongrass-and-herb sai ua sold by weight alongside pork rinds and chili dips, the benchmark for the dish.
OrderSai ua (northern herb sausage)
Khao Soi Mae Sai ★ 4.3
A Bib Gourmand bowl of coconut khao soi for 50 to 75 baht near the Ratchaphuek lane, proof the city's best noodles cost less than a coffee in Nimman.
OrderKhao soi
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.
OrderGai yang, Som tam, Sticky rice
Cherng Doi Roast Chicken ★ 4.2
A student-packed Nimman corner famous for herb-marinated roast chicken and northern-Isan grilled plates, cheap, smoky and busy from the moment it opens.
OrderRoast chicken, Larb, Nam tok
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.
OrderKhao man gai, Pork satay
Kanomjeen Sanpakoi ★ 4.2
A Bib Gourmand khanom jeen counter in Thongkham Market, ladling northern nam ngiao and nam lo curry sauces over fresh rice vermicelli with unlimited herbs.
OrderKhanom jeen nam ngiao
Khao Soi Arak ★ 4.2
TipCome before 13:00 on a weekday and add the extra chicken; the broth runs out early and it is closed on Sundays.
Kanomjeen Sanpakoi ★ 4.2
TipGet there before 11:00 while the sauces are fresh; point at the nam ngiao pot and add a plate of fresh herbs and crispy pork skin.
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.
OrderGrilled chicken and som tam
Cherng Doi Roast Chicken ★ 4.2
Herb-roasted chicken and Isan grills at student prices off Nimman, where a smoky half-chicken with sticky rice and som tam lands well under 200 baht.
OrderRoast chicken and larb
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.
OrderKhao man gai and pork satay
Khao Soi Islam ★ 4.1
A halal Yunnanese-Muslim kitchen in the Ban Haw quarter serving the beef khao soi and roti that trace the dish to the traders who first brought it.
OrderBeef khao soi, Roti, Beef biryani
Pun Pun Organic Restaurant ★ 4.1
A seed-saving organic vegetarian kitchen tucked behind Wat Suan Dok, plating heirloom-rice Thai plates and ferments from its own farm at rock-bottom prices.
OrderOrganic Thai set, Fresh spring rolls, Kombucha
Dan Chicken Rice ★ 4.1
A Bib Gourmand khao man gai shop on Old San Sai Road serving poached and fried chicken over fat-slicked rice with sharp ginger sauce, a cheap local lunch.
OrderBoiled chicken rice, Fried chicken rice
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.
OrderGrilled tilapia, Larb, Som tam
gO NENG (Wichayanon) ★ 4.1
A Bib Gourmand fried-dough stall at Ton Lamyai Market, frying crisp pa thong ko into animal shapes to dip in pandan custard, a Warorot breakfast ritual.
OrderPa thong ko (fried dough)
Guay Jub Chang Moi Tat Mai ★ 4.1
A Bib Gourmand noodle stall near Warorot ladling peppery Chinese-style guay jub, rolled rice noodles in a dark broth with crisp pork, gone by mid-afternoon.
OrderGuay jub (rolled rice noodle soup)
Chiang Mai Gate Market ★ 4.1
A tourist-light evening food market at the south gate, its rock-bottom stalls plating grilled meats, khao soi, som tam and Thai sweets for 30 to 50 baht.
OrderGrilled meats, khao soi, sweets
Guay Jub Chang Moi Tat Mai ★ 4.1
TipIt runs late afternoon into the evening near Chang Moi; order the guay jub with extra crispy pork belly and a side of fried wontons.
Khao Soi Islam ★ 4.1
Beef khao soi, roti and biryani for well under 100 baht in the Ban Haw quarter, a cheap, filling window into the dish's Yunnanese-Muslim origins.
OrderBeef khao soi and roti
Guay Jub Chang Moi Tat Mai ★ 4.1
A Bib Gourmand bowl of peppery rolled-noodle guay jub near Warorot for 40 to 60 baht, one of the best cheap midday feeds anywhere in the old town.
OrderGuay jub noodle soup
gO NENG (Wichayanon) ★ 4.1
Crisp pa thong ko fried to order at Ton Lamyai Market, dipped in pandan custard for a few coins, the cheapest Bib Gourmand snack in the whole city.
OrderFried dough with custard
Dan Chicken Rice ★ 4.1
A Bib Gourmand khao man gai shop on Old San Sai Road northeast of the city, poaching chicken over fat-cooked rice for about 45 baht until the pot runs dry.
OrderChicken rice
Doi Chaang Coffee ★ 4.0
The Chiang Mai cafe of the pioneering Doi Chang hill-tribe estate, pouring the northern arabica that put Thai highland coffee on the specialty map after 2000.
OrderArabica filter, Espresso, Cakes
Suki Koka ★ 4.0
A long-running Thai suki stall by the Chang Phueak gate market, cooking noodles, egg and greens in a bubbling broth pot, a cheap late-night northern staple.
OrderThai suki, Grilled skewers
Khao Soi Mueang Klaeng ★ 4.0
A neighbourhood khao soi shop north of the moat pouring a classic coconut curry broth over egg noodles, a quiet local lunch away from the tourist counters.
OrderKhao soi gai, Khao soi neua
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.
OrderKhao soi gai, Khanom jeen
Khao Soi Mae Manee ★ 4.0
A local khao soi kitchen off Chotana Road prized for a thick, creamy coconut broth and homemade curry paste, worth the short drive north for the real thing.
OrderKhao soi gai, Khao soi kraduk
Lung Ka Jorn Wat Ket ★ 4.0
A Bib Gourmand takeaway shop opposite Wat Ket Karam, steaming khao kriap pak mo rice dumplings under coconut milk and tapioca parcels of pork and peanut.
OrderKhanom bueang and tapioca dumplings
Roti Pa Dae ★ 4.0
A Bib Gourmand roti cart in front of Wat Mahawan on Tha Phae Road, griddling egg-free dough in coconut oil to a crisp chew, with a queue that rarely thins.
OrderRoti and mataba
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.
OrderCurry parcels, sticky rice, sweets
Khao Soi Wulai ★ 4.0
TipIt is a lunch-only spot; arrive before 14:00 and expect to share one of just a few tables with the neighbourhood regulars.
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.
OrderGaeng hang lay, Larb khua, Fried frog
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Guided tour · 4 hours
Chiang Mai: Food Tour by Songthaew Truck with 15+ Tastings
Feast on 15+ tastings on a food tour around the street eats and markets of Chiang Mai led by a professional foodie guide on a songthaew truck.
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Chiang Mai: Evening Local Street Food Market Tour
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Chiang Mai: Authentic Cooking Class with Market & Farm Visit
Cook authentic Thai food in Chiang Mai with Grandma. Visit a market, explore our large organic farm, feed chickens, collect eggs & mushrooms, and make dishes like Pad ...
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