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✍️ Author: Josh Butterworth of Vegan Verbs
There aren’t many better places on our big blue planet to eat incredible vegan food than in Chiang Mai, and you don’t have to break the bank to do so. From funky pizzas to Thai classics and dishes you’ve never heard of – your options are plenty!
But where on earth do you start?
To answer that question, we’ve put together a list of our top ten restaurants (nine and one bar to be specific) that offer a taste of the region as well as some more familiar flavors, all amazing and all serving delicious vegan delights.
And to make it even more simple, we’ve broken the list into five categories. Each provides a different dining, culinary, and cultural experience, and we hope will act as a guide to help you explore the great variety this city has to offer.
And if you’re joining our Vegan Thailand Tour, you just might get to enjoy some of these together with fellow plant-based travellers.
So without further ado, let’s dive into our culinary adventure and see what plant-based treats Chiang Mai has in store for you.
Jay
Vegan Chiang Mai restaurants
If you want to eat like a local Thai vegan, look no further than Jay restaurants! They’re the most affordable and authentic vegan restaurants on offer across the whole country. With roots in Chinese Buddhism, the Jay religion that abstains from all animal products as well as other pungent ingredients such as onion and garlic, only represents a small percentage of the Thai population, but its striking yellow restaurants can be found in almost every town and city.
Thankfully, Chiang Mai is no exception!
Characterized by big silver trays of vibrant, plant-based dishes for you to choose from in a cafeteria-style setting, as well as fried goods like sour-sausages and spring rolls, they really are a vegan’s heaven. And a plate of rice with three dishes will only set you back between 45 and 60 baht ($1.40–$1.90), so what’s not to love?
With the confidence that everything is completely plant-based, our advice, go to town and try as much as you can. With the low cost and huge variety, daily visits to Jay restaurants is definitely a good idea for any hungry vegans in Thailand!
Top tip 1: Look for the distinctive yellow branding and the Jay symbol (เจ) to identify these hidden gems.
Top tip 2: As well as the numerous trays of dishes to choose from, restaurants often also offer cooked-to-order dishes like khao soi and pad see ew, so be sure to translate the menu, be brave, and test out your Thai when ordering.
Top tip 3: Jay restaurants open early in the morning but often close early/mid-afternoon, that makes them the perfect spot breakfast or lunch, but you can always order takeaway (glaapbaan – กลับบ้าน) to enjoy later!
Our favourite Jay restaurants in Chiang Mai:
- Guan Im Vegan Restaurant: Leaving the old city behind and venturing a little further afield, this local spot in the suburbs was my local when I lived in Chiang Mai, and is probably my favourite restaurant in the whole world! The variety on offer is HUGE and you could happily eat here every day without getting bored, plus, it’s super cheap and has a really authentic vibe. Highly recommended!
- Ming Kwan Vegetarian Restaurant: Similar in many ways to Guan Im but in the dead center of the city, and possibly offering slightly less variety, this restaurant may cater more to visitors than locals, but it has in no way lost its authenticity! It’s the perfect place for a bite to eat whilst temple hopping, and there’s a fantastic massage place next door that trains and employs female ex-prisoners, a great cause and perfect way to relax before a big lunch.
Modern Vegan Chiang Mai restaurants
Moving away from Jay restaurants, we have our next category, which I have named ‘Modern’. That’s because these fine establishments will be far more familiar to us, with English menus and a range of dishes that range from vegan burgers to Thai classics like som tam (papaya salad) and massaman curry.
Honestly, you won’t find too many Thai locals eating here. These restaurants are more geared toward vegan traveller and expat tatses. But that doesn’t mean they don’t make delicious food and offer a very pleasant dining experience.
With friendly staff dressed in bright colored shirts and gorgeous decor, they’re perfect for every meal of the day, but especially fun for a group meal, as they cater to all tastes.
While the Thai food may not be as authentic as the aforementioned Jay restaurants, they may appeal more to some Western palates. And while the menus of both restaurants are strikingly similar, this in no way detracts from the amazing dishes on offer. The ease of English menus and English-speaking staff add to an all-round lovely dining experience.
They are also on the more expensive side compared to Jay restaurants, but are still wonderfully affordable compared to what’s on offer back home when you consider the huge portions, fantastic quality of food, and unbeatable atmosphere. You can expect to pay around 320 baht (roughly $10) for a meal and a non-alcoholic drink.
Our favourite ‘modern’ vegan restaurants in Chiang Mai:
- Reform Kafe: With a beautiful setting that brings the outdoors in, you are truly amongst nature as you struggle to decide what to order from the extensive menu. But the khao soi burger and fresh mango smoothie aren’t a bad place to start!
- Downtown Vegan Garden: With live music in the evening and a cool courtyard that’s perfect for breakfast or lunch, time flies as the food keeps coming! Located between the Old City and Chinatown, it’s the perfect place to stop for lunch on a day of exploration, and the ‘power wrap’ will give you all the energy you need to keep going.
Shan Vegan Chiang Mai restaurants
While Thai food is well known and popular throughout the world, what do you know about Shan food?
Let me first explain where Shan State is! Taking up around 23% of Myanmar’s landmass, Shan State is in the far northeast of the country, and shares borders with China, Laos, and of course Thailand.
With the civil unrest that’s been troubling Myanmar for far too long, many Shan people have emigrated to Thailand for a better life, and they’ve brought their cuisine with them. That’s something we should be very grateful for!
Interesting Fact:
Chiang Mai is home to the biggest Shan population in Thailand, and therefore makes it the best place to explore this rich culture and their incredible food, a lot of which is accidentally vegan and incredibly delicious.
From noodles covered in a warm tofu-gravy made from silky chickpeas, tangy and crunchy tea leaf salad, and zesty tofu tossed in lime and mixed with peanuts, Shan food is hearty, simple, and comforting.
Then there are the warm tomato-based curries, pickled mustard greens that accompany almost every dish, and steamed banana leaf parcels filled with sticky rice, all made with love and taste as if they came straight from the hands of a friendly grandma rather than a restaurant.
So now you know a bit about Shan food, are you ready to try it?
Our favourite Shan vegan friendly restaurants in Chiang Mai:
- Free Bird Café: A true gem hidden away in the hip Nimman neighborhood, Free Bird is a non-profit that employs Shan people and gives back to those displaced by the conflict in Myanmar. A truly great cause so we can forgive it being a bit on the expensive side. It’s a must-visit in Chiang Mai for a fantastic atmosphere and wonderful, completely vegan menu that will satisfy every hungry traveler.
- Payod Shan Café: Just outside of the Old City, Payod will leave you speechless with flavors you’ve never tasted before, and now want in your life forever, and it’s incredibly cheap! It does have some egg dishes on the menu so watch out for them, but it’s mostly vegan and shouldn’t be missed for a deep dive into Shan cuisine that you could easily enjoy every day.
World Cuisine Vegan Chiang Mai restaurants
Even amongst all the Thai and Shan delights, there’s nothing wrong with craving something a bit more familiar, and Chiang Mai certainly has you covered in that department!
As a truly liveable city, Chiang Mai attracts some of the best chefs from across the world, and thankfully for us, many of them are vegan. They open restaurants with passion and love to share their cooking with those who are lucky enough to find themselves in this very special place.
And we’re only sharing a few of the many options you have for worldwide cuisines in Chiang Mai! Many aren’t predominantly vegan but offer great options for us, so beyond our small list of two, we encourage you to do your research because there’s so much more out there.
Our favourite ‘world cuisine’ vegetarian restaurants in Chiang Mai:
- Hummus: Although not fully vegan, Hummus is a wonderful vegetarian restaurant with Mediterranean/Middle Eastern influence. Their specialty? You guessed it, hummus at Hummus is AMAZING! Their falafel pitta wraps and baba ghanoush should not be missed either. It’s pricey but absolutely worth it, especially for the buzzing atmosphere and owner who zips from table to table making sure everyone is happy. A night at Hummus is one you will never forget!
- Aeeen Japanese Food: Tucked away in the suburbs with Doi Suthep watching over, Aeeen is somewhere to go for rejuvenation and Japanese food like no other. Fully vegan, organic, and all homemade, it’s not easy for me to describe how incredible and unique their food is, and drinks for that matter. All I can say is that you MUST go and find out for yourself, maybe combined with a trip to Wat Doi Kham, a beautiful temple on the mountain not far from the restaurant. But be mindful, Aeeen is only open from Sunday to Thursday, 11am to 5pm.
Atmospheric Vegan Chiang Mai restaurants
This last category focuses more on good vibes and a fun experience, but that doesn’t mean there’s not some amazing vegan food on offer too!
And although neither of these two fine establishments are fully vegan, there are plenty of plant-based options for you to enjoy.
Our favourite restaurants for atmosphere in Chiang Mai:
- Meena Rice Based Cuisine: A bit out of the city and ideally located within Chamcha Market, a beautiful artist’s market open on weekends from 9am until 2pm, eating at Meena is a very special experience. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous, and the food is just as stunning, like edible works of art crafted from local fresh ingredients, with rice being at the heart of every dish. They have a dedicated vegan menu full of dishes that will satisfy your eyes as well as your taste buds. Combine lunch with a trip to the market and there you have a perfect day!
- Hideland: Switching up the vibe and back into the city, Hideland is a classy rooftop bar with scrumptious cocktails and bold beers on draft, a rarity in Thailand. Perfect for date night as you watch the sunset over Doi Suthep, sip on your drinks, and enjoy some Japanese-style tapas. If you can ignore the non-vegan dishes on the menu, but there are amazing plant-based options such as the vegetable tempura and grilled eggplant with miso sauce. They’re definitely light bites rather than main dishes, and it’s on the expensive side, but it’s a great option for a ‘night on the town’ with vegan options. Booking is advisable as it’s small and VERY popular.
So there you have it, vegan options in Chiang Mai are plenty! But if you crave even more insight and the chance to explore the whole country alongside fellow vegan allies, consider our Thailand Tour. We’d love for you to join us!
See you in the Land of Smiles.
About Josh
Josh is a fellow Brit, seen here with his best friend BaoBao. Living in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai for 3 years, Josh is now a teacher in Chiang Rai and also founder and owner of Vegan Verbs specialising in 'Conscious Copywriting for Your Vegan Businesses'.
Finally
Chiang Mai truly is a vegan paradise, with something for every taste and budget. Whether you’re grabbing a quick Jay-style lunch, tucking into a hearty Shan curry, or sipping cocktails with a mountain view, you’ll never go hungry here.
And if you’d love to explore these restaurants – and many more hidden gems – with a fun, supportive group of fellow plant-based travellers, join us on our next Vegan Thailand Tour. We’ll handle the planning, so you can just relax, eat, and enjoy the Land of Smiles.
Click the map above to find our interactive map of Chiang Mai including all the recommendatrions made by Josh.
Have you been to Chiang Mai as a vegan? Which of these spots would you love to try? Share your thoughts in the comments – and maybe we’ll see you at the table soon. 🌱
