Order the Khao Soi. Don't Think About It. Just Order It.

A restored 750-meter stretch of Chiang Mai's 700-year-old outer canal, transformed into an evening promenade with food stalls, street performers, murals, and small shops. The Thai street food is good and cheap. The Japanese skewers in broth at 30 baht each are the specific thing to find. Free entry, best visited late afternoon into evening, about an hour is enough. More substance than a typical night market photo stop.

Heritage-style estate and restaurant in Hang Dong, about fifteen minutes southwest of Chiang Mai's Old Town gates. A yellow Rama V-era mansion with formal gardens, arched walkways, and original family decorations throughout. Refined Central Thai cooking — the pork belly and crab curry are the moves, the seasonal khao chae is worth planning around. Cafe and bistro by day, private dining by reservation in the evening. Walk the shops before you leave and don't skip the northern silver jewelry.

Michelin Bib Gourmand khao soi shop in Chiang Mai serving the benchmark bowl of the city's most iconic dish for around two dollars. Rich coconut-curry broth, springy egg noodles, crispy noodles on top, tender beef or chicken. The menu extends to other northern noodle soups including nam ngiao — order something beyond the khao soi. Portions are small by design. Get two bowls. The homemade yogurt and mango smoothie shop next door is not optional.

Homegrown Chiang Mai specialty coffee group reviewed here at its Central Airport Mall location — the most practical expression of a brand better known for architectural destination cafes. Solid espresso program, speed and slow bar options, and a tea program substantial enough to treat seriously. The Soft Matcha is the move. For the full experience, the Ping River and Asian Style locations are the ones to seek out.

Relaxed neighborhood coffee bar on Sirimangkalajarn Soi 7 between Nimman and the Old City. Casual open-front space, pet-friendly, built on barista skill rather than design spectacle. The Sirimang Blend combining Laos and Brazil beans is the more interesting house option. The in-house baked goods are the move, especially the salt bread. Above average coffee in a city where above average is still very good.

Sculptural white all-day cafe in San Pa Tong, just south of Chiang Mai, with sweeping arches, a lawn, and generous indoor and outdoor seating. Broad menu covering espresso drinks, flavored coffees, tea, smoothies, and savory food. Well made coffee and pastries that surprise you for a spot this far from the city's main cafe districts. Designed for lingering. Affordable. The right daily driver if you're staying in the area.

The successor to Akha Ama's original Santitham cafe, rebuilt into a purpose-built wooden house referencing northern Thai domestic architecture with Japanese influence. Quieter and more intimate than the Wat Phra Singh flagship, with the same direct trade bean program and origin-focused coffee. In the northwestern corner of Old Town inside the city walls. The place where the brand began, now in its most considered form.

Chiang Mai roaster and cafe founded by Lee Ayu of the Akha community, built on direct trade with Indigenous mountain farmers in the northern highlands. The coffee is genuinely specialty grade and the sourcing is traceable in a way most cafes cannot claim. Lighter roasts, origin-focused profiles, washed and natural process options. Beautiful industrial flagship steps from Wat Phra Singh, one of Old Town's most spectacular temples. The social mission is real and the coffee earns its own Heavy Hitter status independent of it.

Graph's smallest and most artistically considered location, inside Old Town near the eastern wall. Innovative coffee, genuinely artsy space, and a neighborhood full of temples, artisans, and things worth finding. Be mindful of your seat when it gets busy. The most distinctive Graph experience and worth seeking out when you're wandering the Old City.

Graph's warmest and most approachable location, just outside the western wall of Old Town. Smaller than the other outposts, no industrial steel, with baked goods supplied by local artisans. Same excellent coffee. A good stop after a morning in the Old City.

Graph's warehouse location serving coffee alongside breakfast, lunch, and house-made bakery. The most neighborhood-feeling of the Graph outposts — less sceney, more Chiang Mai. Everything in the kitchen is made in house. A good anchor for a morning of exploring the surrounding area.

Graph's French colonial location east of the Ping River in Chiang Mai's quiet old trade neighborhood. Softer and warmer than the other locations with the same excellent Norwegian-roast coffee. The neighborhood is worth exploring on its own. This is the Graph location to sit down at and stay a while.

Graph's express location inside One Nimman, Chiang Mai's upscale indoor artisan market. Small, industrial, and grab and go friendly. Norwegian-roast coffee that skews light, acidic, and complex. The pour over is worth sitting down for if you can find the space. A perfect midday stop while exploring the market.

The Roast8ry's second Chiang Mai location, a short walk from the flagship. Warmer interior with more wood, slightly smaller, and considerably busier thanks to its proximity to the larger hotels. Same world-class coffee and latte art credentials as the original. The front patio is worth claiming on a good day. Same standard, different energy.

World championship latte art credentials backed by coffee that actually earns them. Brutalist wood and concrete design with a large communal bar, indoor and outdoor seating, and a courtyard. The baristas are serious, friendly, and very good at their jobs. Start with the cappuccino. Chiang Mai has strong coffee. This is the strongest.