10 Best Cafes in Chiang Mai: Real Coffee, Great Food + Magical Interiors

Thailand is an Instagrammer’s paradise. So many destinations take their cafe game to the next level, including Chiang Mai. If I had to sit here listing each and every single one of the best cafes in Chiang Mai, you’d be reading for a couple of hours. 

Also, coffee in Northern Thailand is legitimately excellent, growing tenfold across the mountains. But these cafes are not simply coffee shops, but more of your cafe vibes, with eats and drinks on the menu. Enjoy all different types of eateries, from those with a more Thai-heavy menu to others influenced by parts of Europe and Aussie brunch culture. 

And because I love interiors, you best believe this list of the best cafes in Chiang Mai are all as pretty a space as ever! 

Important to know: I have only included cafes within Chiang Mai city itself (not Chiang Mai Province), and not those extending to other parts of Northern Thailand, like Chiang Rai or Pai, which often get caught up/confused with Chiang Mai’s capital city. 

If Chiang Mai isn’t the only city on your agenda and you’re planning an extensive Thai adventure, read our Ultimate 10-Day Thailand Itinerary!

1. KLĀY cafe: Aesthetics 

KLĀY cafe ticks all of my boxes: ceramics line the wall, food is healthy-ish (as they put it), they specialize in delicious desserts too, and just happen to be a cafe and a wine bar. Not to mention the interiors are as aesthetically pleasing as ever. It’s like a Japandi dream inside. 

It’s also the type of spot where the meals are cafe/bistro vibes, infused with local flavors. I love seafood, and I love pasta, so naturally, dishes like ‘spaghetti cream pu ong shrimp’ get me going, made with Northern Thai crab paste.  

As one of the best cafes in Chiang Mai, not only do they serve food, but there’s an incredible on-site shop, where you can purchase essential oils and ceramics. They also offer workshops such as candle making and creating your own scent!

2. Me&Bacon: The bacon specialists 

As if the name isn’t enough to set the tone, Me&Bacon is a breakfast and brunch guru. If you’re craving a pukka eggs bennie, look no further. However, the thing they’re most famous for is…any guesses? If you just screamed out loud “bacon,” you’re on the money! And they serve their bacon rashers extra thick here, with just the right amount of crisp and charr. 

This is served on a slice of sourdough and with the creamiest scrambled eggs, ever. 

Other delicious menu items include chicken and waffles! Prices are a little on the higher side compared to the other best cafes in Chiang Mai. But when the food is as good as it is here, does it really matter? Also, if you’re traveling from countries like the USA, Australia, or the UK, the prices are relatively affordable.

3. Goodday Farm to Table: Straight from the local fields 

I love a little farm-to-table concept; it’s one of my favorite types of restaurants! Northern Thailand procures and grows incredible produce, with an abundance of farmlands and green spaces. It’s no surprise to see that Goodday Farm to Table has honed in on celebrating local delights.

However, there’s loads to love apart from the concept. For one, they do all day breakfast, featuring brunch specials, and they open up in the evenings as a dinner spot and craft bar. 

The menu is varied, and anything baked is done fresh, daily. For lunch, think spinach and salmon rice bowls. Caprese salads are made with farm-fresh tomatoes. Or you can’t go wrong with a toast topped with parma ham, orange, and guacamole. It reminds me of a little bit of Tuscany — Italy’s famous farm region. 

It’s worth noting: they’re closed on Wednesdays. 

4. The Baristro Asian Style: Thailand meets Japan/Korea  

Honestly, Chiang Mai is one of my favorite places for cafe culture. Well, all of Northern Thailand. If you’ve traveled to this part of Thailand before, you’ll know that in this part of the country, there’s a very specific style, and coffee shops, cafes, and eateries exude this local-tribal-wooden-pattern sort of charm. 

The Baristro Asian Style cafe is one such example, where exteriors are all wood, concrete, and brick, typical low “pouf” style seats with tribal patterns line spaces, glass windows look out to greenery, and the minimalist vibes sort of make you feel like you’re in Japan. I’m obsessed, to say the very least! 

In fact, the Baristro boasts eight locations around Chiang Mai Province, each one varying slightly in setup, but following the combination of Thai, Japanese, and Korean aesthetics.  

5. Lamour Cafe & Restaurant: Thailand or Vietnam? 

Bright and cheery, the yellow terra cotta walls of Lamour Cafe & Restaurant remind me of the streets of Vietnam, Hoi An to be precise. 

Mosey around plenty of photogenic spaces, such as cut-out picture frames hanging from trees, dangling pot plants, red Chinese lanterns, and colorful flower arrangements all over the show. There’s indoor and outdoor seating — which is where I recommend sitting. 

The food is local Thai but with a heavy emphasis on sweet and baked goods. At certain times, the cafe offers an English-style Afternoon Tea. 

6. Early Owls: A garden oasis  

Early Owls has so many green spaces, and, in my opinion, it personifies the essence of Chiang Mai. Ain’t no concrete jungle here! And sometimes, there’s even live music out in the garden. But don’t be mistaken, it’s not a garden cafe per se. There is indoor seating, which is as ambient as ever. The cafe is set up in a typical wooden Chiang Mai home. Instead of the garden, or inside, opt for a table on the outdoor patio. 

On the menu, enjoy options like pasta, quesadilla, or my absolute favorite thing in the entire world to eat in Thailand: mango sticky rice! It’s a wonderful spot among the best cafes in Chiang Mai for Western and Thai delights. 

The coffee is strong (you can tell the baristas know what they’re doing), and the fresh juices are divine.  

7. Cafe Rosemary: Organic vibes  

Exquisite burrata salads (done with parma ham, strawberries, figs, and other tropical fruits), chia pudding bowls, a rendition of a nicoise, English muffins with scrambled/fried eggs and bacon…Take your pick from plenty of breakfast and brunchtime options at Cafe Rosemary. 

If you’re only planning a food visit here in the afternoon, then you’ve got a selection of dishes such as fish and chips, curries, soups, salads, and sarmies to choose from. Also, I absolutely love how all their vegetables are organic. 

Got a sweet tooth on you? Try the Horlicks affogato! The cafe also does monthly specials, like ma-yong-chid panna cotta, so there are always new items to look forward to. 

Good to know: Cafe Rosemary closes at 3 PM, and the last food order is at 2 PM. 

8. Fern Forest Cafe: An all-time classic  

If it’s not your first time in the Rose of the North and you know a thing or two about the best cafes in Chiang Mai, you might have already visited Fern Forest Cafe on a previous trip. It’s a long-standing locale; a classic, established in 2003. It’s been splashed across the ‘Gram for countless years and continues to wow those who visit. 

I also think that its name is perfect, alluding to exactly the type of green, nature-induced space that it is. Ferns dribble down everywhere, and there’s a plethora of tropical plants at every turn. And even a koi pond. White umbrellas are spread between the outdoor section, and among it all, live musicians fill the air with the sound of the saxophone. 

From grilled salmon to toasties, tom yum kung, pasta, fruit salad bowls, pancakes, cakes, and more…

9. PLUTO: Planet themed 

Thailand is the type of place littered with influencers. You quickly notice whenever there’s a spot trending as it’s splashed all over social media. Case in point: PLUTO. That’s why I had to include it among this list of the best cafes in Chiang Mai, as it’s very much trending at the moment. 

How fun is the name? And the space really feels out of this world, with a super geometrically designed building. The texture, as well, is made from what appears to be (and feels like) sandstone, giving it a “planetary” sort of vibe. 

Food and drinks (like matcha) are trendy and offered fusion-style. Test out the likes of spaghetti served with a ramen broth, with slithers of fresh salmon (sashimi-style), seaweed, and caviar — my favorite dish from this spot. Another yummy pasta dish is one with a cured egg yolk, roe, and fresh truffle. 

10. Mitte Mitte: A more European menu

With dishes like beef Wellington, summer duck confit, and pavlova on the menu, Mitte Mitte is a classic European-style cafe. Living in Southeast Asia for six years, often, all I wanted was a taste of home — or a non-Asian meal. This is the cutest little spot for such dining desires. 

The items I just listed are divine for lunch, but one other reason why it’s part of the best cafes in Chiang Mai is that the breakfast selections are just as delicious. 

Mitte Mitte’s salmon eggs royale is drizzled with the brightest hollandaise. They offer many unique loaded open-toasts, there are fresh, handmade bagels, granola bowls, and the list goes on! Their smoothies are also amazing, including mixed berries, avocado honey, banana and strawberry, and honey lemon.  

Chiang Mai is the province’s capital city; however, the North of Thailand is a paradise of stunning destinations. The South always had my heart, until I properly adventured around the North. As much as I’m an ocean baby over the mountains, Northern Thailand has become my favorite part of the country. 

Planning a multiple-day trip here soon? Make use of our 3-day Chiang Mai itinerary. Or, if there’s one other place I say you cannot miss out on, it has to be Pai! Heading back to Thailand’s capital city before or after? Here’s how to spend two ultimate days in Bangkok.   

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