Great Restaurants in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to Suit Every Taste

Chiang Mai is my favorite city in Thailand. It's in northern Thailand, an hour and a half plane ride from Bangkok (between 9-12 hours by car, train or bus), and is surrounded by mountains, national parks and rice fields. The air is much cleaner in Chiang Mai than in Bangkok, the pace of life is slower, and the people are incredibly friendly. It's very popular with tourists as there's much to see and do in this region. It's also a glutton's gourmet as you are spoiled for choice for restaurants. Every time I go to Chiang Mai, there are certain restaurants I frequent as the food is consistently wonderful.

Hofbrauhaus is a wonderful German restaurant, slap bang in the middle of the Night Market. I ate Christmas Eve dinner here one year with my parents, and was not disappointed. It's very large inside, has a nice outdoor seating area overlooking the Night Market and friendly staff who are helpful but not overly solicitous. They serve delicious pastas and pizzas, as well as all the German sausages and sauer kraut you can eat. Their Thai dishes are good, the portions are huge and their desserts are amazing. Try their steaks too - they're perfectly cooked. Chang Klan Rd., Night Bazaar, Chiang Mai- 053 276989

Aroon Rai has been open for more than 50 years, and is famous for its typical northern Thai food. (It's also famous as it was featured in the Hollywood movie "Air America"). They're known for their chicken curry, som tam (spicy papaya salad) and fried fish, and also for their cheap prices (less than $1.50 for an average meal). It's a family owned restaurant, staffed by mother, sister and daughters and they're very friendly too. My favorite here is the chicken satay and sticky rice and, of course, mango and sticky rice for dessert. 43 Kotchasarn Road, Chiang Mai - 053 276947