Where to eat in Chiang Rai, Thailand
Chiang Rai is a mountain city in the North of Thailand. The food of the region is the Lanna food, which covers the North of Thailand. Lanna food is known for its flavourful herbs and spices that grow in the rich soil of the region, as well as grilled and charred meats. While Chiang Mai is generally regarded as a better place to enjoy this kind of food, Chiang Rai has plenty of options to taste this delicious cuisine as well as many others! Here are my top choices of where to eat in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Don’t forget to check out my main post about Chiang Rai:
What to do in Chiang Rai, Thailand
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Best places to eat in Chiang Rai, Thailand
1. Chiang Rai Night Bazaar
As I mentioned in my main post about Chiang Rai, the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar is the perfect place to enjoy a lively evening and try out many Thai staples.
2. Larb Sanam Keela
Larb Sanam Keela is probably the most common answer to “where to eat in Chiang Rai”. It is often regarded as the best restaurant to try local Northern Thai (Lanna) food in Chiang Rai. Lanna food is very meat heavy but accompanied with a basket of fresh herbs. Recommended dishes: steamed beef (Jeen Neung) with dry chili galangal dip (nam prik kha) to season it, deep-fried tilapia with garlic (Pla tabtim tod kratiem) and with chili dipping sauce, sour pork soup (Tom sab moo).
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3. Lu Lam Restaurant
Lu Lam Restaurant is another Northern Thai restaurant offering a large list of Lanna staples and overlooking the river. Here you can try some more “exotic” local dishes like wasp larvae or pig’s blood soup, or go for easier dishes like laab moo khua (pork salad). It is also considered one of the best places to eat in Chiang Rai.
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4. Saturday Night Walking Street
On Saturday Chiang Rai’s city center comes alive with Thanalai street turning into Saturday Night Walking Street, a massive street market. This comes with plenty of vendors selling fantastic street food and snacks, so take advantage of that!
Don’t forget to try the Sai Ua (Lanna sausage).
5. Khao Tom Jor Charoenchai
Khao Tom Jor Charoenchai (Ja Jaroenchai): serves Thai Chinese food, which is great if you want a break from Lanna food. They have stirfries of all kinds. Recommendations: pad makua sawuy (eggplant with minced pork), pad yod on tandawan moo krob (sunflower sprouts with crispy pork belly).
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6. Chivit Thamma Da Coffee House
This one is not so much a food recommendation, but rather a space recommendation. Chivit Thamma Da Coffee House is a colonial house by the river bank and it’s absolutely gorgeous! It’s a perfect haven to escape the heat of the city. They also make delicious coffee drinks.
7. Roti Pa Yai
Roti Pa Yai is a halal place that prepares Muslim Thai food with a focus on roti, a fried bread served with or stuffed with many dishes, including chicken curry. Recommendations: roti mataba gai (roti stuffed with egg, chicken and spices).
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8. Khao Soi Vijittra
Although Khao Soi is more of a staple in Chiang Mai, the best one in Chiang Rai can be found at Khao Soi Vijittra (in Baan Du). It’s a bit out of the city but you’ll probably pass by on your way to Baan Dam Museum or if you go to Mae Song or the Choui Tea Plantation. Recommendations: Khao Soi Gai Nong (Coconut Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken Leg), Joi Yor Sod (Northern-Style Fresh Spring Roll), Cha Pu Moo Yang (Grilled Pork Wrapped in Wild Betel Leaf).
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9. Kalae Cafe Nangnon Coffee
Kalae Cafe Nangnon Coffee is a beautiful central café that was our hanging out spot for delicious local coffee (that they source from their own plantation). They also serve delicious food, both local and international, and the wifi works great, but the most important is how friendly the staff is.
10. Soyi Coffee House
Soyi Coffee House is not in Chiang Rai per se but right next to the Wat Huay Pla Kang temple. They were just opening when we visited, still building part of the terrace, but the place was really charming, the coffee (local) and cakes really good, and especially the family that was running it was really friendly, sitting with us to chat.
How to get to Chiang Rai, Thailand
Chiang Rai is a relatively large city, so it is well connected to many major hubs in Thailand. It has its own airport, and we flew in from Penang, Malaysia, and there are flights from many national and international locations.
However, most people visit Chiang Rai from the more popular Chiang Mai, located around 3h away by bus (it is not connected by train). You can take many buses (the most popular being Greenbus) from the Arcade Station in Chiang Mai.
Lastly, if you don’t have much time, you can always visit the main attractions of Chiang Rai as an organized day trip from Chiang Mai. However, I really recommend that you spend at least 2 days in Chiang Rai to fully immerse in this underrated city and discover a few of the lesser known wonders it has to offer.
Where to stay in Chiang Rai, Thailand
While Chiang Rai’s tourism is relatively recent compared with other cities in Thailand like Bangkok or Chiang Mai, there are still plenty of accommodation options for every budget, but a bit more research may be needed.
Budget
Suree House was the best value for money we could find. Very cheap rooms that were nice and comfortable and a very central location. Some people complain about the mattress being hard, but that was not a problem for me. If you want some more authentic Chiang Rai experience I recommend Saikaew Resort, although it’s a bit far from the center, so get a bike!
Baan Mai Kradan Hostel is on the higher end for hostels but still a very decent price for this beautifully designed hostel. It is perhaps less social than other hostels I’ve been in, but you can meet people playing darts and there is bike hire available. If, instead, you want to save every coin, then Pikban is your choice. With some of the cheapest rooms in town and a very nice location, it’s the perfect budget option.
Mid-range
Probably the best hotel in Chiang Rai in terms of luxury-meets-budget is MORA Boutique Hotel, a beautifully designed boutique hotel with a perfect location in the center of the city. If you prefer a more modern design, Blue Lagoon Hotel is a perfect alternative for you. With a sleek design, a beautiful pool and restaurant and a central location, it’s a fantastic option for a very reasonable price.
It has more “Western” prices but it is well worth the money. Nak Nakara Hotel does not only shine by its beauty and its nice pool, but also because of how friendly and helpful the staff is. A similar alternative is Le Patta Hotel.
Luxury
The Riverie is really not my type of hotel: massive, unlinked to local culture and over-artificial, but it’s very recommended by many so I couldn’t not mention it. Instead, Le Meridien is a gorgeous riverside hotel with a three-level pool and some colonial-inspired architecture. It is the perfect luxury hotel for those that don’t want the “in-your-face-luxury” experience.
If you want a stay out of town, Anantara Golden Triangle is a perfect mountain resort. It is located on a hill with gorgeous views over the Mekong river from its infinity pool and it boasts luxurious Thai details. It is located next to an elephant camp (which I haven’t visited, so can’t comment).
Closing statement
As I only spent a few days in Chiang Rai, this list is not at all exhoustive. I really enjoyed eating and spending time at these places, but I also recommend you to explore on your own and discover the fantastic Lanna cuisine in Chiang Rai.
If you are visiting Thailand, you’ll probably find these posts useful:
What to do in Chiang Rai, Thailand
What to do in Bangkok: top 10 activities
Ayutthaya: a day trip from Bangkok, Thailand
Also, since you’re thinking of visiting Southeast Asia, maybe these will inspire you:
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