Chiang Mai Bar Guide
30+ bars across Chiang Mai's drinking neighbourhoods, curated by editors who know the city.
Chiang Mai's slow-bar scene is one of Asia's best. The Old City inside the medieval moat holds lantern-lit cocktail rooms in teak houses. North Gate Jazz Co-Op has run live jazz since 2011. The drinks lean lemongrass, mango, kaffir lime, and Thai craft beer. The bartenders are friendly and the prices are a third of Bangkok's.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the action. The Old City is the heritage lantern-bar spine. Nimmanhaemin runs the creative-district cocktail rooms. The Riverside wraps the Ping with terrace bars. Chang Klan holds the night-bazaar district. Santitham is the local-feel quarter.
Cocktails run THB 200 to THB 350 ($6 to $11). Pints THB 80 to THB 150. Tipping is rounding up. Most bars run to 1am, weekend bars to 2am.
Browse by occasion
Cocktail Bars in Chiang Mai
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in Chiang Mai
Skyline drinks
Date Night in Chiang Mai
Romantic spots
After Work in Chiang Mai
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in Chiang Mai
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in Chiang Mai
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in Chiang Mai
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in Chiang Mai
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
North Gate Jazz Co-Op
Heritage live-jazz bar from 2011. Live jazz every night, communal seating, and the most communal Chiang Mai weekend evening.
Akha Ama Coffee
Coffee-and-cocktail bar from the Akha hill-tribe community. Espresso bar by day, cocktails by night. The most low-key Chiang Mai evening.
My Beer Friend
Craft-beer bar with thirty taps including Thai craft beers. Long bar, neighbourhood-feel crowd, and a young engaged crowd.
Zoe in Yellow
Heritage backpacker-zone bar. Outdoor courtyard, cheap pours, and the loudest Old City weekend night. The Chiang Mai backpacker institution.
Beer Republic
Cocktail-and-craft-beer bar with a tight rotating menu. Skews late-twenties to thirties. Best on a Wednesday or Thursday.
The Riverside Bar
Heritage live-music bar on the Ping River. Outdoor terrace, sunset views, and live cover bands every weekend. The Chiang Mai sunset institution.
Neighbourhood Guide
Old City
The medieval moated centre. Lantern-lit cocktail rooms in teak houses, heritage jazz bars, and the most photogenic Chiang Mai drinking quarter.
Nimmanhaemin (Nimman)
The creative-district. Boutique cocktail rooms, craft-beer taprooms, and a younger digital-nomad and Thai-creative crowd.
Riverside
The Ping-river terrace district. Sunset bars, live-music venues, and the most photogenic Chiang Mai evening views.
Chang Klan
The night-bazaar district. Tourist-friendly bars, night-market stalls with cheap drinks, and the loudest weekend tourist crowds.
Santitham
The local-feel quarter north of the centre. Heritage neighbourhood pubs, cheap pours, and a working-Chiang Mai crowd.
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