Pai
Escape the wheatgrass-and-tofu crowd at this unabashedly carnivorous local eatery. The house special is 'larp moo kua', northern-style lâhp (minced pork…
Must-see restaurants in Northern Thailand
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Chiang Rai Province
One of the friendliest restaurants in town also happens to be the one serving the tastiest food. Salima does tasty Muslim-Chinese dishes, including a rich…
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Chiang Khong
The Chiang Khong version of kôw soy – the famous northern curry noodle soup – forgoes the curry broth and replaces it with clear soup topped with a rich,…
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Phitsanulok
Dinner at this local favourite is what a meal at your grandparents’ place might be like: opinionated conversation, frumpy furniture and an overfed cat…
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Pai
Meat-free takes on international dishes, fresh-pressed juices, a pleasant shaded garden, a noticeboard advertising yoga classes, the odd hippy: basically…
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Mae Sot
Like dining in a gentrified jungle, Khaomao-Khaofang replaces chandeliers with hanging vines, and interior design with orchids and waterfalls. It's the…
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Chiang Rai
There's no tofu, no wi-fi and no reservations at this delightful addition to the Chiang Rai dining scene set over two floors of a former shophouse. Lounge…
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Chiang Rai
One of Chiang Rai’s most delicious dishes is available at this simple, friendly shophouse restaurant. There’s an English-language menu on the wall, but…
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Chiang Rai
Owned and run by the whip-smart Jane, a member of the Akha minority, this place has a rustic setting with random garden furniture and sawn-off doors as…
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Northern Thailand
Thin wheat-and-egg noodles (bà·mèe) are a speciality of Kamphaeng Phet, and this famous and friendly restaurant is one of the best places to try them. The…
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Mae Hong Son Province
An authentic – and utterly delicious – northern Thai–style grilled-meat shack. You can’t go wrong with the eponymous mǒo đúp (pork that’s been grilled…
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Pai
Burgers are a big deal in Pai and our arduous research has concluded that Maya does the best job. Everything is homemade, from the soft, slightly sweet…
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Chiang Rai Province
East of the town centre, this is the most authentic Yunnanese restaurant in Mae Salong. Specialities include local mushrooms fried with soy sauce,…
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Sukhothai
You haven’t been to Sukhothai if you haven’t tried the noodles at Jayhae, an extremely popular restaurant that serves Sukhothai-style noodles, pàt tai and…
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Chiang Rai Province
If you like authentic Chinese food this place is a lifesaver, not least because it stays open later than most Mae Sai eating spots. Dishes are vaguely…
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Mae Hong Son Province
This long-standing restaurant serves delicious and authentic Yunnanese-style Chinese dishes. There's a small English-language menu to choose from. Stewed…
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Chiang Rai Province
This roadside restaurant has been serving local dishes for more than 50 years and does a mean kà·nŏm jeen nám ngée·o (fresh rice noodles served with a…
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Chiang Rai
Phor Jai serves mild but delicious bowls of the eponymous curry noodle dish, as well as a few other northern Thai staples. There's no Roman-script sign,…
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Lampang
How do Northern Thais take their pàt tai? With minced pork and pork rinds, of course. This very popular stall serves rice and noodle dishes and is located…
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Lampang
This ramshackle local favourite consists of a series of interlinked and covered wooden platforms and is most popular after dark, when a bottle of whisky…
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Mae Sot
Unpretentious and friendly, Bai Fern is also surprisingly good. The Western food – breakfasts, steaks, pasta and pizza – is especially reliable, but this…
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Sukhothai
Consisting of little more than a brick floor with a tin roof over it, Tapui claims to be the first shop in Sukhothai to have sold the city’s namesake dish…
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Phitsanulok
Just north of Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat, plant-filled, semi-open-air Rim Nan is the most attractive of a few similar restaurants along Th Phutta Bucha…
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Mae Sot
Dave, the eponymous Canadian owner and long-term Mae Sot resident, dishes up some of the finest fa·ràng (foreigner) food in town: the Mexican entries on…
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Pai
Cafecito serves tasty Tex-Mex staples – fish tacos, burritos and quesadillas – as well as Mexican breakfasts, all overseen by an American. This is Pai, so…
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Phitsanulok
There are several Thai-Muslim cafes near the Pakistan Mosque on Th Phra Ong Dam, and this is the biggest and best of them. Thick roh·đee (crispy dough …
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Chiang Khong
Run by a guitar-playing hippy with a love of Mexican dishes, this chilled, long-standing spot offers burritos, enchiladas and tacos, as well as pasta and…
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Northern Thailand
Popular with the locals for its pleasant, semi-open-air garden setting, come here for kôw soy (noodle soup with a curry broth), as well as kà·nŏm jeen …
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Pai
Kefir, kombucha, beet juice and wheatgrass are indicators of the vibe of this eclectic and popular cafe. But coffee, herbal teas, soft drinks and alcohol…
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Sukhothai
Pretend you’re a local in the know and have a meal at this long-standing riverside restaurant. The speciality here is freshwater fish dishes, such as the…
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Pai
Chew Xin Jai stands out from Pai's ever-increasing number of vegan/veggie eating spots by virtue of its Chinese take on vegetarian cuisine, with Taiwanese…
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Chiang Rai
This shophouse restaurant next to the mosque on Th Itsaraphap dishes up tasty Thai-Muslim favourites, including a fine kôw mòk gài (the Thai version of…
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Chiang Rai
Popular with both Thais and foreign tourists thanks to a consistently tasty kôw soy, a noodle and meat dish served with a curry broth, though the sâi òo…
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Chiang Rai
Gentrified Northern Thai fare is served here in a pleasant, air-conditioned dining room. Recommended local dishes include the gaang hang·lair (pork belly…
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Sukhothai
Named after its original owner (if you were wondering), Poo is a traveller-friendly spot that serves everything from tasty Sukhothai noodles to Thai and…
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Chiang Khong
Freshwater fish from the Mekong River is the emphasis here and it’s prepared in a variety of ways, as the extensive menu describes. There's a pleasant…
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Northern Thailand
This fresh, bright place offers a local take on Vietnamese classics – pho (noodles), banh xeo (pancakes stuffed with meat or veggies) and bun cha (grilled…
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Lampang
Boost your Lampang foodie street cred by eating at this long-standing Northern Thai–style shophouse restaurant. There’s no menu, so simply point to the…
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Chiang Rai
Popular with locals, Paa Suk does big, rich bowls of kà·nŏm jeen nám ngée·o (a broth of pork or beef and tomatoes served over fresh rice noodles). The…
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Chiang Rai Province
If you require more caffeine than the local tea leaves can provide, stop by this modern cafe with an extensive menu of coffee drinks made from local beans…
