Food And Drink In Chiang Rai – Budget Travel In Thailand

Though smaller than its sister city Chiang Mai, there are enough bars and restaurants in Chiang Rai to keep most travellers happy.

When I arrive in a new city, the first thing I usually want to do is go and have a beer! So, with google maps showing me where the bars were, we headed out for drinks. Just a few minutes walk from our accommodation, we came across Jetyod Road (map). This is where to come for the best Chiang Rai nightlife.

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Food And Drink In Chiang Rai

Cat Bar

Cat Bar (map) was the first bar we visited in Chiang Rai. It is one of the most quirky bars in Chiang Rai. I was pleasantly surprised that they were playing European Roma music. On our visit, they did not have big bottles of beer and the small bottles were almost the same price as the big bottles elsewhere. It was a cool place but it seemed expensive.

Cat Cafe Chiang Rai

Joanna had been desperate to visit Cat ‘n’ A Cup Cafe (map) since our arrival. We had tried a couple of times but it was full. Luckily, on our last day it wasn’t so busy and we managed to get in without waiting. We ordered coffees, which were a little more expensive than elsewhere in Chiang Rai but there was no admission fee so this was justified.

If you are not familiar with cat cafes, they are a relatively new concept that are becoming increasingly popular. Basically, you sit and enjoy a cafe environment with the addition of lots of cats! There are rules you have to agree to (don’t disturb sleeping cats, don’t feed them human food, don’t pick them up, etc.)

The cafe itself is very much designed for the cats, with human comfort coming secondary. Around half of the cats were sleeping but the others were active. It was a very cute experience. I am more of a dog person but a dog cafe wouldn’t really work for all sorts of reasons! Joanna was in her element though. She is definitely a cat person and she was loving having all these very independent, furry friends around her.

Connect Cafe

We visited ‘Connect Cafe’ (map) for a delicious pineapple and passion fruit smoothie. We made friends with the owner’s dog who just loved to have his back scratched! The cafe serves Thai and western dishes and all-day-breakfasts. The smoothies were delicious and we enjoyed chilling out in this modern, airy cafe.

Dinner Late

We visited Dinner Late (map) to take advantage of the 2-4-1 offer on cocktails and to enjoy the sunset from its rooftop bar. Annoyingly, it wasn’t open at the advertised time, meaning we had to walk around for 45 minutes,. Thankfully, it did open in time for us to catch the sunset. It was a wonderful experience sipping local rum cocktails watching the sun set over Chiang Rai.

Norn Nung Len

Every so often, we would get a craving for some western food. Norn Nung Len (map) is a hostel-bat that catered to our needs. We had burgers and fries as we watched an acoustic act playing Bob Marley, Rod Stewart and various other well known 70s’ songs. There is also a restaurant on the roof which we completely missed!

Oak And Awe Coffee House

We had pizza cravings one evening so decided to splash out at an Italian restaurant. However, we stopped for a beer in a quaint, relaxed little bar/restaurant called Oak and Awe Coffee House (map) and it was so chilled out that we decided to look at the menu. They did PIZZA so we decided to stay. The pizza seemed to take forever to arrive but it was more than worth it. The pepperoni was a bit strange but the pizza was nice and crispy and not sweet like some others we had tried here.

Reggae Home & Bar Chiang Rai

Located near the main bar street is a bar called ‘Reggae Home & Bar’ (map). Liek most reggae bars, it has a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The music was good and the beer was as chilled as the vibe. Definitely check this place out when in Chiang Rai.

Rosprasert Muslim Food

I wanted to try this Muslim restaurant after reading some great online reviews. There was no vegetarian food available so Joanna had to go elsewhere. The staff did not speak any English so it was difficult getting any information about the food (other than it all contained meat) so I ended up using the tried and tested method of pointing!

I had a chicken curry with rice which came with a spicy salad and a clear broth soup. The curry was spicy and delicious. The staff were very friendly and I got the impression they didn’t receive many tourists. Map

Sawaddee Thai Restaurant

Sawaddee Thai Restaurant (map) is a restaurant that overlooks the market near the night bazaar. The restaurant was empty when we visited so we were thinking we had perhaps made a poor choice. Luckily, the food was excellent. Joanna had a tofu dish and I had a chicken red curry which was nice and spicy without being overpowering. The staff were rushing us a little after we finished our meal but that didn’t bother us. We were ready to move on anyway.

Thai Food In Chiang Rai

When I visited the Muslim restaurant, Joanna had to look elsewhere for vegetarian food. She found a small restaurant nearby and she seemed as impressed with it as I was with my curry. I decided to try it the next day and it was as delicious as Joanna had claimed. The restaurant has a Thai name so I can’t name it here. However, if you are looking at the new clock tower from Jetyod Road, turn left and cross over. This is the place you are looking for:

Here you can get rice with any 2 curries for just 40 baht and the food is fantastic.