Pawleys

We'll only be in Chiang Mai one night passing through from the Golden Triangle to Laos. We're staying in town at the Tamarind Village. Can anyone suggest a good restaurant (atmospheric, Thai or French) either close to our hotel or the night market?

Also, our flight doesn't leave the next day until 13:25, what do you think we'll have time to see that morning?

Pawleys

I'm going to try this one more time. Surely someone can suggest a great restaurant in Chiang Mai.

Gpanda

There's a decent one named something like Whole Earth about one block from the night market.

Pawleys

Thanks, Gpanda. Most of the fine restaurants I've read about seem to be out of town; but, with only one night in CM I hate not to look around there. I would especially like to find one that had Thai dancing.

Kathie

Frankly, I didn't find any great restaurants in CM. There were several we tried that were ok to good.

Get up early in the morning and get to Doi Suthep near sunrise. I think it's the best time to visit.

JohnH

Italian: Chez Marco
Thai: (good not great, and all are atomspheric): The Old House, Dalaaba, Chedi Hotel
sorry I don't know about French.

Hanuman

Best French restaurants in Chiang Mai are Le Coq D'Or and Farang Ses(at the Mandarin Oriental) and both are quite atmospheric too. Non of them are near the Night Bazaar or your hotel but transportation can easily be arrange.

For a Thai restaurant what type of Thai cuisine do you want?

Gpanda

If you really want to see Thia dancing, there's a dinner show with traditional Thai dancing. It's touristy, but interesting nonetheless. I forget the name, but I'm sure your hotel can steer you there. We went on our first visit to Thailand in 2002.

Kathie

Oh, yes, we did eat at Coq d'Or. It was good, classic French. As I remember, they sent a car for us. We rarely eat European food in Thailand, but we'd had do many dissappointing meals in CM, we needed something we could count on being good.

MichaelBKK

The dinner show Gpanda refers to is Khan Toke - a traditional northern style of eating with several small dishes of food and sticky rice, all eaten with the hands. There are several of these around town. One is not far from your hotel, next to the Vista Hotel and Thai Airways office. I'm afraid the name escapes me but your hotel will be able to recommend a place. The 'big' show is (or was) at the Chiang Mai cultural center.

Smeagol

I had a good meal at Antique House, but others have reported only ok (and this was 4 years ago) buy a luxe guide they are updated twice a year and i usually find them good for their recommendations (and they are handbag sized)

Gpanda

MBKK correctly reminds me that the show we saw was at the Chiang Mai Cultural Center.

crellston

No singing or dancing but a very good upmarket take on an old street food favourite is Just Khao Soi at 108 Charoenphratet Road, Chang Klan. Not sure how close this is to your hotel but it is reasonably central. We have been a couple of times and the food has been consistently good. Here is a link to a review http://www.indigochiangmai.com/wordpress/?p=119.

I have only ever been to one khantoke dinner and was very dissappointed with both the food and the show. I agree with kathie that the early morning trip to Doi Suthep is a must do.

StanKase

We liked the Whole Earth as well.