Best Cafes in Chiang Mai: Picks by Area, Prices, Closed Days

Head to Gallery Drip Coffee in the Old City for a THB 100 drip, or to Fahtara Coffee for a THB 70 latte on a misty patio. For a Doi Suthep view, ride up to FOHHIDE's 5th floor in Nimman. Early Owls has a lawn and pond in Santitham, and The Baristro x Ping River sits on the river.

By Vincent Nguyen and team

For a first coffee in the Old City, head to Gallery Drip Coffee, where a drip costs THB 100 inside a museum compound. For a patio with a water feature and a THB 70 latte, choose Fahtara Coffee instead. Prices are as of October 2026.

Out in Nimman, the view is at FOHHIDE on the 5th floor. Down by the Ping River, you get the riverside seat at The Baristro x Ping River.

Quick picks

Choose by where you are staying and what you want in the cup. In the Old City, filter coffee lovers belong at Gallery Drip Coffee, with a drip at THB 100. A garden and a cheap latte point to Fahtara Coffee instead, at THB 70. In Nimman, go to FOHHIDE for the view from the 5th floor, reached by lift.

Matcha drinkers should make for The Baristro Asian Style on Suthep Road, where the THB 80 you pay at the door counts against your order. In Santitham, Early Owls has the lawn and pond, though it is closed Wednesday. For pastries in the same area, try KRISP Café, where a latte is THB 80.

Old City: Gallery Drip Coffee

Gallery Drip is our Old City pick for filter coffee, set inside the Chiang Mai Cultural Heritage Center compound on Prapokklao Road. You choose your own beans from a large selection. In September 2026, a guest paid THB 100 for a medium-roast Chiang Mai drip.

Plan it as a cup after a museum visit, since the cafe sits right next to one. Bring a group elsewhere, though: one guest counted just 4 small tables in July 2026. It is closed Monday and Tuesday; on the other days, come between 9 AM and 5 PM.

Old City: Zohng Coffee

Give yourself a slow morning at Zohng, the Old City breakfast stop on Intrawarorot Road Soi 2. The menu runs wide on Western breakfasts and smoothies. Food can be slow to leave the kitchen, so it suits a long breakfast rather than a quick one.

Plan to eat before 3:00 PM, because one September 2026 review put the kitchen’s closing time there. The doors stay open longer, until 5:30 PM.

Old City: Fahtara Coffee

Fahtara is the Old City garden pick, and its patio is the place to sit, with a water feature and cooling mist. If you want an indoor room, look elsewhere, since the patio is the appeal. You find it on Wiang Kaew Road, open 8 AM to 9 PM daily.

The menu stretches from a cheap latte to a full dish and dessert:

For something sweet, guests single out the mango sticky rice.

Old City: Pimm’s Cup Roastory Lab

Come to Pimm’s Cup when the coffee matters more than the room around it. Guests rank it as the best they have had in Chiang Mai or Thailand, and the dirty latte is the one to order.

Find it on Samlarn Road. Early risers do well here: it opens at 7 AM and closes at 4 PM every day except Monday, when it is closed.

Old City: Into the Woods

Into the Woods is where the Old City turns fairy tale, with Harry Potter style woodland decor on Prapokklao Road. Sit down for the desserts and cakes; in September 2026 one guest singled out the Devil’s Mocha.

The decoration fills the room, so a plain, quiet space is not what you get here. Visits work Tuesday to Sunday from 9 AM to 6 PM, with Monday the closed day.

Nimman: Ristr8to Original

For milk coffee and latte art in Nimman, our pick is Ristr8to Original on Nimmanahaeminda Road. Order the flat white, the latte or the dirty coffee, the drinks guests praise. Head here first thing: it opens at 7 AM daily and closes at 5:30 PM, ahead of FOHHIDE’s 8 AM start.

Nimman: FOHHIDE

FOHHIDE is the Nimman view pick: take the lift to the 5th floor, and the rooftops of Nimman stretch out to Doi Suthep. Order the dirty coffee. An August 2026 review put the signature longan dirty “La La Land” at THB 90.

You find it on Nimmanahaeminda Road Lane 5. If you drive, follow the guest who parked in the soi and read the odd and even day parking signs first. Hours are 8 AM to 5 PM from Monday to Thursday, stretching to 6 PM from Friday to Sunday.

Suthep Road: The Baristro Asian Style

Matcha fans and photo hunters should make for The Baristro Asian Style on Suthep Road. The matcha is what guests praise, and in October 2026 one paid THB 150 for a Kiku no Shiro Kyoto matcha latte. Expect THB 80 at the door, though the fee counts in full against your order.

Photo corners are everywhere. For a quiet table, choose another cafe: it is busy here, especially on Sunday. Doors are open 8 AM to 6 PM daily.

Santitham: Early Owls

Arrive in the morning to get a chair at Early Owls, the Santitham pick for a lawn and a pond. Guests borrow camping chairs and sit by the water, and a guest who came at 11 AM found chairs to spare, while after 1 PM none were left. It is at 13 Muan Dam Pra Kot Road.

Brunch food and fresh juices are what guests praise; in October 2026 one ordered the Immune Booster juice with the Breakfast Wrap. Expect photo crowds, and choose elsewhere if they bother you. Plan around Wednesday, when it is closed; the other days run 9 AM to 6:30 PM.

Santitham: KRISP Café

Come to KRISP Café for the bakery, not just the coffee: the pastry counter has a wide choice. It is the Santitham pastry pick, on Siritron Alley, and a latte cost a guest THB 80 in October 2026.

Look up from the counter, too, as several floors carry art on the walls, and the place is popular for photos. Doors open 9:30 AM to 6 PM daily.

Ping River: The Baristro x Ping River

For a seat right beside the Ping River, head to The Baristro x Ping River on Patan Road. The coffee holds up too, with guests rating it well, and you can drop in daily from 8 AM to 6 PM.

Ping River: MoR Ministry of Roasters

Bean buyers get the most from MoR Ministry of Roasters, the roaster-style stop in Chang Moi. You can taste profiles from a wide range of beans before you buy, as guests do. Guests rate the coffee very highly and like the interior design, and it is open 7:30 AM to 5 PM daily.

Ping River: Wooden Door Cafe

Go to Wooden Door Cafe on Changklan Road for breakfast. Guests praise it, and some return several mornings in a row. One ordered the BLT in October 2026 and another the farmer breakfast in September 2026, and staff accommodate dietary needs and take-away requests.

Come early, because it shuts in the afternoon: 3 PM on Monday, 4 PM from Wednesday to Friday and 3:30 PM at the weekend. Tuesday is the closed day.

All thirteen cafes

Scan the table above to match a cafe to your day. For a laptop session rather than a coffee stop, see coworking spaces in Chiang Mai.

Getting there

Budget THB 30 per passenger for a red truck: that was the fare drivers at the Arcade hub were still keeping in March 2026. Every pick above has its address and a map. For fares and routes, the guides on how to ride a red truck and getting around Chiang Mai cover the details.

The cafes were chosen by area from Google Maps, and each one was checked against recent guest reviews and its own page in October 2026.

Next in this journey

Once your coffee is sorted, turn to meals with where to eat in Chiang Mai. Still deciding on a base, compare Nimman vs Old City vs Santitham. Then read the Old City, Nimman and Santitham living guides for each area.

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Not confirmed: Fahtara Coffee: two opening-hour lines appear on its page, so check before an evening visit. Zohng Coffee: confirm the kitchen's closing time, which one review puts at 3:00 PM. Cafes with no price here: ask for the price of your drink before you order.

General information checked against the sources listed above. Prices, opening hours and other details change; confirm them with the provider before you act. See how guides are checked.

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